Well greetings from the Mother-in-Law, my latest moniker! Since I last updated you we had a bride with a black-eye, a chief bridesmaid with a broken toe, a guest who got stung by a wasp at the pre-wedding bbq and yet, the moment my gorgeous daughter strode purposefully down towards her groom, I knew all was going to go well – and it did!
There were so many highlights to the day, I won’t bore you all with them, apart from this one… Before my daughter turned eighteen, my brother asked her what she would like as a present, she didn’t want an expensive keepsake, instead she asked him to make something for her. The two of them decided that he would write her a poem, which he did and had framed for her. For her wedding she wanted another and this one was so superb I just have to share it with you – there was nary a dry eye in the castle when this was being read and it too is framed ready to hang on their wall to remind them of a truly special day.
This Castle Queen
Rock solid in foundation, gazing out across the seas;
Majestically serene, she has seen the centuries
Roll by; and yet, stands fast against the beachhead, looking ever on,
A myriad of mystery forever standing strong.
Her walls are fixed, resilient, whilst endless waves cascade;
This Castle Queen looks over those both Jersey born or made.
Her face remains untroubled by all of time’s debris,
Her flags alone are flustered, battered but still free.
Today a beauteous princess is welcomed to her heart;
Standing proud before us amid these stone ramparts.
Tempestuous in temperament, tenacious through and through,
Caring and compassionate; loving, loyal and true.
Her beauty shines most brightly now, both outward and within;
A vision of maturity to all her kith and kin.
Elegance-personified bestows maternal love
On her picture-perfect daughter and on those who live above.
Her liltingly infectious laugh spreads out beyond the room
As she welcomes to her family the handsome, charming groom.
Part-hidden by the shadows, a moustachioed figure stands;
Beams towards the bridal group, whilst his ephemeral hands
Move like lightening, across the unseen page,
Creating everlasting likenesses of those on center stage.
A wry smile breaks his lips; and still – they part to softly sing –
And send lights to shine eternally within each wedding ring.
The bride accepts the binding band from her adoring man,
Their lives entwined forever now in Fate’s forgiving hands.
As he takes hers on his for life, placed with assuring grace,
Two bodies, hearts and minds combine, fused in love’s pure embrace.
Rock solid in foundation, gazing out as kindred forms;
Majestic in each other’s arms they’ll face the strongest storms.
Together more resilient, with hearts aflame with love,
Surrounded and adored by those on Earth and from above.
This Castle Queen has never seen a marriage such as this –
And all those here today rejoice to witness wedded bliss.
We soon recovered and the bride and groom finished their vows and here are a few of the pictures taken throughout the day.
Last Week on the Blog
Well a consequence of all that excitement is not a lot happened here on the blog but I did manage three reviews:
A re-post of my review for The Hidden Legacy by G.J. Minett for the publication of the paperback on Thursday’s post, this was well up on my list of favorite reads of 2015 and I was delighted to help to remind those who prefer ‘real’ books that they can now read it too!
Friday saw number 12 of my 20 Books of Summer challenge with a review of Tea by the Nursery Fire by Noel Streatfeild. Not my favorite of my picks for the challenge but as it came with a healthy dollop of nostalgia for one of my favorite childhood authors, it wasn’t the worst either.
Yesterday had me reviewing The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan which was a truly compulsive read and got the full five stars from me.
This Time Last Year
Appropriately although I couldn’t know it at the time, this time last year had me reviewing a book about a hen weekend, this was one of the few books that spooked me probably not helped by the title borrowed from a children’s rhyme, In a Dark, Dark Wood. Ruth Ware really wowed me with this spooky tale which is full of odd characters not least the obsessive chief bridesmaid Claire and the mixture of exposed secrets in an isolated house kept the tension high throughout the read. I awarded this psychological thriller five stars.
You can read my review here
Blurb
Someone’s getting married. Someone’s getting murdered.
In a dark, dark wood
Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.
There was a dark, dark house
Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?
And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room
But something goes wrong. Very wrong.
And in the dark, dark room…. NetGalley
Have you read this one?
Stacking the Shelves
Not much in the way of stacking has gone on either since my last post with just one offering: A Man with One of those Faces by Caimh McDonnell.
Blurb
The First time somebody tried to kill him was an accident.
The second time was deliberate.
Now Paul Muchrone finds himself on the run with nobody to turn to except a nurse who has read one-too-many crime novels and a renegade copper with a penchant for violence. Together they must solve one of the most notorious crimes in Irish history…
…or else they’ll be history.
TBR WATCH
Since my last post I have read 3 books, gave one to my brother and gained just 1 so the total is now 171 books! I haven’t had a total this low since the beginning of March so a pat on the back for me I think!
82 physical books
68 e-books
21 books on NetGalley
What have you found to read this week?
