Another wedding weekend

Due to a space and time crunch last week, I got the week off from writing a column. So far, the only one who missed it was my mother. Thanks Mom!

It was a busy week last week, but luckily I had a little time saved up from attending the community picnic the weekend before. That gave me a little free time to prepare for the weekend. Unfortunately, two big events fell on the same weekend: Athens Fair and my college sorority sister’s wedding.

I had a special interest in the wedding since Jacob was the ringbearer. Luckily, he started walking six weeks ago just in time to head down the aisle. Last week was full of last minute preparations for both. Luckily, there was no tux rental for Jacob. Instead, I had to get him black pants, shoes and socks. Luckily, the white shirt and tie were already in his closet from Easter.
I’ve spent the last few weeks trying to find black pants in a size 18 months. All I could find was brown, navy or olive green. I bought navy and prayed it wouldn’t show in the pictures. The socks I found at the second store I went to. The shoes I tracked down at the fourth, but in a size too big. I bought them anyway, then my mom found the right size last week.

Also in the rush was preparing for the Athens Fair. Since I missed my 4-H days, I decided to enter a few things. I used to fill several sheets of paper with my entries in the peak of my 4-H years. Since this was my first year, I went easy, entering some flowers and garden produce. I resisted the temptation of a few baked goods and crafts. I wouldn’t have had time to do those anyway.

I also got the boys involved in the friendly competition this year. My brother-in-law, Ryan, entered some field crops. Nate also entered some of his bagged silage and a stalk in the tallest corn contest. I left the boys Thursday morning with instructions to gather their entries so I could take them in that evening. When I came back about 6 p.m., almost nothing was ready. Ryan did cut his three stalks of corn, bless his heart.

While Nate went in search of a tall corn stalk, I gathered my garden crops. Then I headed to the barn and dug through the silage bags in my flip flops to fill the ice cream pails, the size sample needed for judging. I squeezed in a flower arrangement too. I made it to town in plenty of time. It was actually good timing since I found two helpers to haul all the stuff inside.

Then it was off to the wedding the next day. Lo and behold, on a quick run to a River Falls store, I found the elusive black pants. They came with a girlish sweater (it was in the boys section), but I was just excited to have them. It was a good, smooth wedding that accomplished its purpose: they got married. Jacob even walked down the aisle holding my hand.

Sunday morning it was back to Athens for the parade and to see how my entries did. The boys did pretty well with the crops, although Nate’s corn was second tallest by a few inches. That blow was softened by a blue ribbon with his haylage. My tomatoes won a second and fourth, and the flowers got a third. I guess I’m just missing a blue, but there’s always next year.