“I’m thinking orchid purple, not violet.”
It’s funny how easily snippets of conversation are overheard when it relates to something important to me. With my daughter in summer camp for the week my entire focus has been on my writing. Everywhere I go I hear Italian songs (my current project, Molto Mayhem), discussions of football or weddings (UNTANGLING THE KNOT), or Boston news (UNTANGLING THE KNOT and BETTING JESSICA). I had been distracted for a while by the conversation which prompted the overhear. A woman was meeting with a wedding vendor (florist I guessed) discussing her wedding plans. She was a bit older, but no less excited about her plans than a 20 something year old would have been. I loved writing about a wedding when I worked on UNTANGLING THE KNOT. As stressful as the planning can be, I still remember it as having been a wonderful experience planning my own wedding so many years ago. The chance to revisit all the details…. The ceremony itself with the readings, décor, priest, dress, flowers and then the reception with the venue, food, music… made it such fun to write the story of Mandy, Ryan and Gabriella. One reason I love weddings, I think, is that it is such a perfect opportunity for a woman to express their personality and style. Writing about it, then, gives an author a chance to really show, rather than tell, more about their characters. And so, the overhear quote cracked me up. Because in one scene of my book Gabriella, the church wedding planner, talks with the groom’s kids, Chloe and Peter, about the color the bride-to-be has chosen. “Of course,” Gabriella went on, “if you had come on time, I wouldn’t have had the chance to steal Chloe’s great clothing designs for another bride I’m helping.” He watched her grin at Chloe and saw Chloe glance away, embarrassed. “Really?” Ryan asked. “I thought you all were supposed to be working on my wedding.” He gave them a mock glare but Gabriella just laughed. “Oh, somehow I don’t think this design would have been quite, ah, purple enough for Mandy.” Shocked, Ryan saw Chloe actually smile at this. Peter snorted and then concentrated on the slice of pizza he was inhaling. “And, what’s wrong with purple?” Ryan teased. “I specifically asked Mandy to come up with some purple ideas. After all, purple signifies royalty.” Gabriella and Chloe both stared at him, horror-struck. “You two could be twins right now,” Ryan said, laughing at their identical expressions. “Don’t worry. I was just teasing. There won’t be any purple at my wedding if I can help it.” “Hey, that’s what Gabriella said, Dad,” Peter mumbled around a huge bite of pizza. Ryan watched Gabriella blush. He had no idea embarrassment could make someone so attractive. “Not your wedding,” she clarified. “I meant, you know, for my own wedding.” Ryan couldn’t figure out why he suddenly felt a little disconcerted. “Oh,” he said. “I didn’t know you were also engaged.” Peter stopped chewing and peered at Gabriella with a frown. “No, no. I’m not,” she clarified. “I just meant, you know, someday when I get married.” She trailed off, streaks of red darting up her cheeks. Ryan felt his body relax. What color did I have at my wedding, you ask? I chose a pale yellow with fall colored flowers. And of course it was perfect. But that’s the thing; even purple can be the perfect color if that is the color the bride loves. What color would you, or did you, have at your own wedding? Does it mean anything important to you? I’d love to hear, so leave a comment with your thoughts or even tweet pictures. Here’s to the empowerment of planning our weddings.
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“Move the bucket out of the sun or you’ll cook them.” Huh! Good advice. My daughter and I were clambering across the rocks at the beach in Tahoe testing our skills at catching crawfish. It is an annual tradition, dating back to when I was a kid scurrying across these very same rocks. We were not alone… a dad and his two kids (the overhear was directed at them) were doing their best with nets and lunchmeat. It was time to take some drastic measures. Crawfish are far too clever for that method so I offered them the string and hot dogs we were using. We, the father and I, watched them fish waiting for sure success. But, while they caught a bunch of little minnows, the crawfish eluded them. I was prepared to be disappointed for them until I looked into their smiling faces and was reminded that it is not the destination, but the journey, that matters. Journeys Inspired by Love – I have lived with this tagline for so long now that I sometimes forget why I picked it. Goals and dreams are important. They inspire and motivate. But too often in my own past I have become so caught up in pursuing them that I have forgotten to enjoy the journey getting there. One of my favorite bloggers, Chris Guillebeau, wrote a great post today on deciding if what you are doing is Worth it All. Part of making the decision requires visualizing your future self after having completed the goal. It sounds easy but in fact I think this is more difficult than we might imagine. If I have framed my goal of being published purely in terms of the recognition or money I might receive I am sure to feel ready to give up along the way. However, I look at what I have written…. Jessica’s journey to renew her passion for life, Gabriella’s journey to live the faith she espouses, Ryan’s journey to really, truly find love again, and I know that my goal is about much, much more than the rewards at some distant date. It is about sharing their story with my readers; real people who may be facing similar journeys and looking for their own inspiration along the way. This is why comments and reviews are so critical to writers. They remind us that what we do matters. Thanks for being part of my journey. I promise to not forget about you and cook you along the way. Deanne |
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June 2020
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