It was a magical date, an even hour, an even day, and even year.
And a date that even Harry could remember ;)
It was at "Overlook Mansion" and it was just us, my 2 girls and a friend for a witness. We had cake and drinks on the veranda of a beauteous Victorian mansion and then my friend took my girls home for the weekend. Then we spent the weekend at that bed & breakfast and had many magical moments.
We saw a fairy that night. For REAL. Up on the turrets of the mansion, the caretaker showed us how to climb the attic and walk out on the walk 3 stories up high.
We viewed another wedding going on below us, with the fancy limosines pulling up, the posh tuxedos and the big dresses and jazz band.
Our wedding was simple and quiet and full of love. While we were watching the grand goings on down below, we were happy that our wedding had been more simple and true and not built of flash. Just as we were both agreeing about that sentiment, and happy with our simple, true lot in life over the grand to-do.... some "thing" that had been sitting on the antennae.... flew up and around in a big loop-de-loop..... leaving a gold trail of dust. It flew past us both, surprising us as it wizzed by!
"A FAIRY!!!!" I exclaimed! "Did you see it??!!" I said jumping up and down in wonder.
"I ...saw...SOMETHING...I don't know if it was a FAIRY..." said a most hesitant Harry.
"OF COURSE it was a fairy!!! It was GOLD!!!! It had..... BARBY LEGS!!"
I could hardly breathe for the excitement.
Later on, we read that the place that we stayed at in Little Falls, was filled with tales of the Erie Canal and "the fae" and how there were lots of stories like this from those that dug the canal. I also read that when there were 2 weddings on the same day, on a summer's day, that the fairies would choose one couple to bless.
I now felt that we were THAT couple.
A week later, we had our big party for everyone, but that day, the 28th, was OURS. At our reception, we even had a Castle CAKE. :) It was great fun and it was a bring a dish, play lots of music, everyone stay as long as you like sort of party.
After the party was done that evening, we sat on our deck and watched a storm coming in. It turned out to be the "microburst storm of 1998" that made power outages go out all over the state. We were without power for 3 days. But that night, we didn't care. We didn't know what was coming. We were in love and there were candles and flowers and each other. We mucked in that following week and rose to the occasion thru the power outages, the darkness, and ate a lot of party food quick.
13 years later it is our anniversary. So we went back to Little Falls to have dinner. The Overlook Mansion is no longer a B&B, so we went to "Beardsley Castle".
A manor of the 1800s replicated to look like an Irish Castle. It is a restaurant and bar now. They say it is HAUNTED.
I figured this would be PERFECT for a 13 wedding anniversary! And in Little Falls...too!
I had looked up what "13" years is in themes for anniversaries...and instead of getting something lame like aluminum or wood for a gift it said "Lace & Lingerie". Huzzah!
So, after procurring a room at the Hampton, complete with King-size bed and whirlpool bath in the room,
I dressed up all in white LACE and we went out to dinner at a castle.
Along the way....due to the approaching storm from Irene, we counted 13 bucket trucks heading down state to NYC. Hmmm.....well.....indeed that did remind us of the microburst storm on the heels of our wedding...13 years ago....what a coincidence, eh?
When we got to Beardsley Castle, guess what? Yup. There was a WEDDING going on.
"Kewl" we both thought! On our anniversary too!
We went up to the hostess and gave her our name for the reservation and she seated us in a far corner in an empty dining room right by a window.....
Which overlooked....
You guessed it....
the WEDDING going on outside. :)
I mean, really....
there was US.....
the window....
a bit of garden patch.....
the trellised flower arch....
and then the bridal couple taking their vows.
At that very precise moment.
With the storm coming in too.....on the heels of their wedding.
Just like ours had been.
And it occured to me, that weddings and marriages are like that.
You make a giant leap. You promise and hope for the best.
Harry and I truly remember driving to Little Falls, with marriage license in hand, flowers in the back seat and with future wedding rings in our pockets, looking at each other and jokingly saying:
"Well, I hope this works out!"
As we sat at Beardsley Castle, with its stone foundation, sitting in our catbird seat,
overlooking the new couple getting married, we wished them all the best.
If we were to give them any advise we would say:
"Yes, there are storms coming in....and the power may go out from time to time....
but with a strong foundation, hope, love and friendship anything can be overcome.
Even sometimes with a whole haunted castle of fears, unfulfilled hopes, and life's certain disappointments.
But with a little luck.....
there will be a friend to hold your hand....
and
there will be a little fairy Magic and
CAKE. to share :).
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