Finally Some Good News

10/31/07 07:19 PM | Up Chucks

The field East of the Swafford Chapel drive. Chuck Pace © 2007
Wedding Day. Just as we arrived, the reason for the day, the day of reason arrived.
Back at Hiawatha Manor Condos I was waking up like a regular work day. My biological clock programmed to get me to work on time would definitely get me to the Church on time. Jenni and I had twin beds, she fell asleep quickly in hers the night before. I was too wound up, tossed and turned until my clock-spring insides wound down and eventually I gave way to sleep. Too soon I was up again, I awoke at 7:20 EDT and went upstairs and out onto the deck with the laptop, where I wrote. I watched resort golfers, and eventually decided I would have resort to getting coffee, half and half and breakfast treats. I knew the way to the Wal-Marks from the previous evenings frustration exploration.
I wasted an hour showering, shaving and cleaning up and then went back into the bedroom, where I accidentally woke Jenni. Apprised of my morning plan she wanted to go too. This usually means I would have time to go and come back before she is ready. So I sat and read for a few minutes in the BMW 5 series brochure I had acquired on Friday while I was waiting for my minor services to become a major headache.
Jenni was ready in just a few minutes, a Major Mason Family Miracle, and we were off to Wally world for Folger's gourmet decaf, half and half, splenda, orange juice and baked breakfast treats. On the drive to the wedding Peggy told us that they had offered to get a condo for John too, so that he could ride with the family to the wedding, she said his response was, "There is NO WAY I am going to rely on anyone in this family to get me to MY wedding on time. Thus the Major Miracle, I rest my case your honor.

We took the GPS module and recorded the journey, and since its one of Jenni's crusades, stopped at the Sonic restaurant for the the 44 oz cherrry-lime-ade which she can no longer get in Indianapolis since all of the Sonics were unceremoniously closed a couple of years ago. I also had my camera and unlike the previous days drive (In the brilliant but not photographically viable moonlight) was willing to stop and document. The photos of this post are from later, of the wedding site and the scenery thereabouts.

The drive from the condo to the Swafford Chapel and graveyard is about 19 miles and Jenni's parents Bill and Peggy rode with us. We followed the middle sister Katie who had with her the bookend sisters Maggie and Laura (Sissy) as well as Hank and Logan (the sons of Katie elder and younger), and David Sissy's husband. The day was beautiful, little puffy clouds were playing shadow checkers over the hills and vales and the low 60's weather keep everyone but the groom and best man from sweating. We arrived early enough for me to walk around with camera and explore the graveyard with it's unusual grave barrows which while not exclusive to this area are very odd and rare.

Maggie the oldest younger sister was planted at the piano playing uplifting and romantic tunes waiting for the cue to start the official music. The brother in law of the bride, Patrick Sweeney made a very humorous announcement to all in attendance that Minister Russell Cook (a resident of Knoxville) was lost. Maggie had to reach into her musical bag of tricks and books and vamp for 15 minutes while keeping the theme pure and romantic until the Minister arrived. The ceremony was brief, and Jennifer Yeager became Jennifer Mason the second (since I snagged the original almost 24 years earlier). Once again Mr. Sweeney made his way to the dais in front of the pulpit to give directions to the Yeager house for the reception and festivities, upon completion he turned to Pastor Cook and said "You can follow me." intro_collage

The reception was as lovely as the wedding, and the evening wound down with everyone feeling happy, uplifted and good about the world and the future. Sometime in the evening before darkness fell Jenni and I jumped in the car and "plotted the points" from the Yeager residence back to the Chapel to add to my GPS record of what is in my world.
Chuck Pace © 2007
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Some of the strange grave barrows that dot Sequatchie Valley, there were five or six of this style markers in this small cemetery. barrows and clouds

Looking East at the back of the Chapel, with more of the strange Barrow style grave markers, was there a lady in red by the church, or was it just a halloween thing?