...and all that jazz!

I knew the key to "popularity" amongst bloggers to a certain degree depended upon how depressing and bad the news was you had to portray. Never was it so evident when my dear friend Ange conveyed the observation that my happiness and positive frame of mind was, and I quote, "sickening" on Facebook..... It was then my suspicions were confirmed. People don't want to know when you are happy - they only want to know when your life turns to crap and you feel lower than a snakes belly. Only then can they read with vigor because it makes their own life seem either good or normal.....

Take heart good readers. Sometimes life in Maree-World can turn to crap still. But just so long as you keep in the back of your mind that above all else right now, I'm happy. You will still be able to take a little comfort out of past weeks.

Stage one of Disasterville has been overcome. Although it still never ceases to amaze me how some people can bury their heads in the sand and fail - nay REFUSE - to see or hear the reality of what goes on around them. I can't comprehend the denial. But then I guess I've always chosen to live in the real world over any fantasy land I might dream about at night. I can fully sympathise with the loss and the feelings of grief, for I myself would be devastated to lose this incredible person I have in my life. But pretending life is a bunch of fluffies was what got this person where they are today so you would think somewhere along the line a lightening bolt of reality would make contact with earth at some point. It seems however those storms are a long way off in the distance.

We've endured phone calls and emails and Facebook blurts. Both Shane and I have wavered between sympathy and anger but both of us are really tired of it and will be grateful for the Indian leg of the wedding and the settlement to be over so we can start to get on with life. The saddest part is when someone starts losing friends as well as credibility. Sometimes your friends can be wrong in the advice they give you, but sometimes they can be right. Sorting out the fact from the fiction isn't THAT difficult provided you look the reality of the situation square in the face. I guess thats where some people just can't cope, and living in the dream is easier than looking in the mirror.

That aside it's been an interesting few weeks. Some highlights of course include Andrew's Birthday and I can honestly say I haven't had that many belly laughs in such a long time. No photos to share, but Shane and I have some very funny memories.

Of course there was the Wedding and our Gift. A gorgeous Freshwater Pearl necklace and matching earrings. It was the scrapbooker in me that came up with the idea for the packaging though. So pleased with how it all looked and so here are the photos of the happy couple, the gift, the wrapping and the card....

Needless to say Lakeisha and I were not invited, nor welcome, to come to either the ceremony or the reception, so we occupied ourselves in a nearby restaurant. How wonderful it was for Shez to make the time to leave her reception to come and thank us for the gift. I really did like the vibes from this young woman very much and as she says, no doubt the coming months will give us the opportunity to get to know one another. It's interesting, but of that I actually have no doubt. And while we waited, Lakeisha and I took a few photos.....








Then on Sunday there was Shane's parent's 60th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations across the other side of the state. I made a mini album thanks to some photos from Sister-In-Law Lyn & Shane's Aunty Irma which I was really pleased with. Here is the album......













It was great to meet more of the family and I was so proud to have Lakeisha there with us too, and interesting to see how warmly we have been accepted by most of them. But what a wonderful thing to celebrate - 60 years of marriage. It was a long drive home but I think we all enjoyed the weekend a great deal. And so to finish off, photos of the day.... a few scrapbooking opportunities amongst these perhaps.....