Wednesday, February 03, 2010

It's About Time



Friday, 2:00 p.m.
Stadhuis Trouwzaal (City Hall Wedding Chapel)
Gorinchem, Netherlands


That's TODAY, folks. Today is the day we're getting married!

I'm cross-posting with Shutterchance today and have mentioned there that this is the sundial on the side of the Grote Kerk (Big Church) that is 2 blocks from our apartment here in Gorinchem. I took this picture on January 1 when Astrid and I took a walk around the city, cameras in hand, on a delightfully goregeous, sunshiny day. It was the start to our new year.

Do you know how to read a sundial? For how much I love sundials, especially on the sides of old European churches, you'd think I'd have Googled how to read them. This one says 2 o'clock, right? But guess what: on January 1, 2010, we had no clue we would be getting married today at 2 p.m. Don't you love the serendipity of that!

As an FYI, there will be approximately 30 of us, based on RSVPs. A friend of Astrid's family will be taking digital photos of the ceremony and reception afterwards. Another man--an 80-year-young man from our senior complex here--will be taking a DVD film of not only the ceremony but the before and after as well. He has been in filmography since 1952! The other day he asked every question he could think of to make sure he understands exactly when all the details happen, especially the "I will"s. He even planned to call the officiator who will perform the ceremony. AND he asked to ride up front in the car that will take us to the city hall, because he wants to film us going over. What a man!

As soon as possible, I'll start working on images to show you. Trust me, you'll get a smattering of the event soon.

In the meantime, please raise a glass of bubbly to us today if possible. Our reception after the ceremony is at our favorite restaurant nearby where we'll have a champagne toast, koffie and appeltaart (Dutch apple pie) with slagroom (whipcream). It's better than wedding cake any day of the week.

Yes, it's about time! God knows how long we've waited for this day...and how many hoops through which we've jumped. Rejoice with us. That will be your best gift.

21 comments:

  1. A very happy life together to you both- I have some dim appreciation of what it must mean for you and Astrid to be able to marry each other. Thank goodness for the tolerant Dutch, Belgians, Canadians and others around the world who recognize that love is love, no matter who you feel it for.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ginnie, I'm so happy for you both! I can imagine how long it must have taken to finally get there. You both deserve it so enjoy your day! I will look forward to the pictures! Save me a piece of virtual apple pie!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Since we can't make it to the wedding, we'll be thinking of you and toasting to you today, my friend. I wish you and Astrid a happy life together and hope that we can meet up soon. xox

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations to you both on this joyful day!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Only three more hours! I hope this day will be everything you imagined it to be. Can't wait to see the pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We'll be lifting our bubbly a little late - since we don't drink champagne with breakfast. :D But we are with you heart & soul, in soul, and every which way but physically! I wish we could be there that way too.

    So much love and congratulations to you both. How wonderful about your videographer! Can't wait to see and hear it all.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations!

    I think it's awesome that you've been able to make the big move and get married in The Netherlands. Not only that you've managed to get married on my birthday, so when I eat cake later, I will be eating cake for both of us. It will be great to see the photos once tehy are ready.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations!! It sounds like it will be a lovely ceremony and celebration. Can't wait to see your images and hear all about it. :D

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hugs and kisses and warm wishes from California to you both. It's about time.

    Can't wait for the pix.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congratulations – I am sure the ceremony was wonderful. I cannot write too much because I am a little tipsy. You see we opened a bottle of Champagne in your honour and since there is only my husband and I we about finished it a little while ago. I feel very happy and I know you both must feel the same. When I feel like that French comes first to me so – toutes mes félicitations pour un long mariage avec beaucoup d’amour et de joie à toutes deux.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Ginnie and Astrid! You know I'm so happy for you and know you've struggled quite a bit to make this come true!

    I hope you've had a wonderful day, a nice ceremony and a wonderful party!

    You're the best and so you deserve the best!

    Best wishes - from all of me to both of you :-)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ginnie and Astrid,

    Hope you could "feel" us there with you - we were in heart and spirit! We send our best wishes to you both. Can't wait to see pictures.

    Love, Judy and Dave

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wij zijn getrouwd, eindelijk zijn we getrouwd.
    Lieve schat, my dear loving lady, yesterday we got married, all I can say; it was a very beautiful and emotional ceremony, with tears and smiles and laughter, when we came to the point of....'you may kiss the bride'.....you said WACHT...WAIT, than you started talking to me in Dutch and English, the words you said to me totally blew me away.....ik ben zo trots op jou, I am so proud of you.
    Now I know you rehersed those words over and over again.
    After you said; Wij zijn getrouwd!!!!! (we are married) THAN we could kiss, FINALLY (eindelijk)
    The guests really enjoyed that moment, they know we do make a good pair....
    Lieve schat all I can say is, you made me a proud woman to be married to you.
    Dank je wel en een dikke kus....
    JLJA

    ReplyDelete
  14. That is so ironic about the sundial! What a great ceremony. Cannot wait to see the photos and more!!!! You are both so lucky to have each other.. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am coming to read your blog post a couple of days late, and all the celebrating is now over, the champagne is consumed, the glasses are washed and put away, and the hangovers have melted into oblivion.... but I'm sure it's not too late to wish you both a long and happy marriage. What an exciting day! I bet you thought you'd never take the plunge again.... funny how life turns out, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Congratulations are DEFINITELY in order... such marvelous news for you and your partner (by now, your spouse)!

    I have been quite negligent following blogs of late due to pressures of an impending gallery show of my photography (starting Fri, Feb 12) but did spend a few minutes just now catching up with yours... hope by now Astrid has recovered nicely from her biking accident of a few weeks back.

    My reason for making my way around blogs I follow today is to warn everyone to watch out for this guy: 打麻將 ... he posts to blogs with links to porn embedded in a long string of ....... following a short comment. As a result of his trash hitting photoaddictshowcase.blogspot.com (where I now post my best photos instead of on Shutterchance), I've turned on comment moderation which means no comment appears UNLESS I bless it first. (he's tried twice since my turning on comment moderation to post again to my blog... and I saw him on a friend's blog this morning so warned her to delete the trashy comment ASAP)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Ginnie and Astrid,
    first of all:
    CONGRATULATIONS
    may you both live forever.

    (I'm late - due to Internet outage here on Friday afternoon/evening - then everything else disturbed my single mind)

    Really hope to see both of you this year. After all, we are not living that far from each other.
    I'm sure we will blah-blah from the first moment.
    Right?
    Where are you going on Honeymoon?

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Blessing of the Apaches

    Now you will feel no rain
    For each of you will be shelter to the other
    Now you will feel no cold
    For each of you will be warmth to the other
    Now there is no more loneliness for you
    For each of you will be companion to the other
    Now you are two bodies
    But there is only one life before you
    Go now to your dwelling place
    To enter into the days of your togetherness
    And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

    ReplyDelete
  19. HA! It's about time I respond to all of you who have commented so graciously here on this post. THANK YOU!

    Deborah: It still hasn't sunk in that this is a legitimate, official, legal marriage! I'm still pinching myself. Did I ever think this would happen in my lifetime? I don't know. But it did! Will America allow it in my lifetime? Only time will tell.

    RD: Thank You. One day we will meet if it kills us, Stacey. HA!

    CS: I hope you had a good toast because we sure did, Sandra. :) Thank you. One day all 4 of us will meet together, I'm sure.

    Frida: THANK YOU, dear lady!

    Christina: By now you should have seen the album! :)

    Ruth: HA! No time is too late for us, so we're glad you joined us in your own time. You were with us in spirit, and that's what counts.

    Adam: What a nice coincidence to share a special day with you! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

    Karen: It was the happiest day of our lives together thus far. Very, very special!

    PC: Thank you, Maria. As you now know, it was a glorious time.

    Vagabonde: HAHAHA! I love it. All of it. You brought a big smile to my face.

    Renny: It was definitely the BEST in every way! We are still on Cloud Nine. :)

    Judy: Thank you for your presence in spirit. It means the world to us.

    Astrid: What can I say! We are both very proud women, still pinching ourselves. :)

    ET: We are very lucky indeed, Jen. And very happy.

    Sham: It's never too late and we do appreciate your sweet words! You're right. I did not think I'd ever get officially married again. I'm still pinching myself!

    Victoria: Thank you for your congratulations and for the warning of the blog spammer. We all need to take care of each other!

    Tor: We will definitely live forever. I love it. :) You WILL see us, and we you, SOON!

    Anon: I wish I knew who you are! But THANK YOU for your wonderful blessing. My soul is so One with the Native Americans, so this is very special to me.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am 'anon' Sorry, new to this - clicked the wrong option. I am Anna (England), directed to Shutterchance by a friend who posts there regularly. Have friends in Atlanta and Holland so naturally started checking Astrid and your postings for no other reason, and then got caught up in the fantastic story. The blessing was read at my eldest son's marriage - I love it and use it at every opportunity - I am so glad you like it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anna: Bless you! It's such a small world, isn't it. I declare. You have so many connections to me. It's a wonder I haven't met you before. :) Thank you so much for identifying yourself...and again, for sending the blessing.

    ReplyDelete

Texel Island, NL, 2024: Renovations

  To be honest, I thought I had already posted about our January trip to start some renovations in Jaap's bungalow, as a gift from Astri...