Wedding Update: The Engagement Party

I'm pooped. We had the engagement party today for my daughter and her fiance. My family (two sisters, brother and all their spouses, my dad and his girlfriend, my son and his girlfriend, and assorted nephews) and her future husband's family (mom and sister). Yesterday was a madhouse for me. Went to the Saturday Market to get fresh flower (large bouquet for $7), Costco (bought baby back ribs and boneless chicken thighs, beer, paper plates and a bunch of other crap), grocery store, and party store for balloons and more party crap. Then did laundry and cleaned up all the clutter. Thank God I have a housekeeper (she was here last Tuesday).

Our neighbor Jim who's a wonderful cook offered to smoke the ribs. I marinated the chicken overnight then cooked them for an hour in the oven before Bob popped them on the barbecue to get that grilled flavor. Laurel (mother of the groom) brought a cake from Costco (white cake with chocolate mousse filling and chocolate frosting).

Bob got all my plants watered, cleaned out the little fountain and got it running and put out all the lawn chairs and tables, and filled the coolers with ice, beer, pop, water, snapple, and other assorted drinks.

Everything went well. The weather was fabulous but it got a little hot out on the deck so lots of people moved out under the pergola and in the lawn where it was nice and shaddy. The food was wonderful and most of my family behaved themselves. I had one glass of wine and now I'm about ready to collapse. Wine always makes me want to take a nap. Bob has gone to bed and I should hit the sack soon.

Amazingly I managed to finish a book which is hard to believe since I feel like I haven't sat still all weekend. Broken by Megan Hart. And it was WONDERFUL. Very HOT with an emotionally draining story. Written in first person, Broken deals with some moral issues and I found the heroine's inner dialogue compelling. But some of her emotions cut right to the heart and I had to admit I found my self crying a few times. I liked how she never tried to make excuses for her actions. I highly recommmed.