A deja vu kind of weekend

Last week, November 13 through 20, was eventful. Work-wise, it marked some real progress on a number of projects that have been haunting me for months. Some I completed at loooooong last, others I managed to move forward significantly. So I ended the week with a real sense of achievement, which, after so many weeks of frustration and frenzy, was a welcome relief.

I spent most of Friday with a fairly new client, consulting on marketing strategy and implementations, then headed off late in the afternoon -- an hour late because I was using my cell phone to check the time, and I'd forgotten to set it forward for daylight saving, which began the previous weekend -- for the city centre to meet an old friend (and client). After a brief meeting I found myself only a mile from the new beauty therapy salon of my 24 yo daughter, Miriam. I hadn't yet seen it, so I called her to check it was okay to call in on her. She seemed delighted at the thought, so I went. I even found a parking spot out the front! (Incredible at any time, let alone late on Friday afternoon.)

Chapel Street is the fashion capital of Australia. Miriam managed to find this salon after exercising the kind of faith we became used to when she was a child. Quite an amazing story, really.

The decor is... well... different. Kind of like a Jetsons TV set designed by Dr Seuss, with colour scheme by Mary Kay Ashe. We had a fairly short visit, big hugs (we're very alike) and a promise to come stay with me soon. Then it was off to Lynne and Esther's place to get ready for the Braeside Stake Ball later that evening. (Braeside is my stake. Lynne and Esther belong to Maroondah Stake, two stakes north of me.) I'd invited Lynne to be my date for the ball and she'd graciously accepted... our first "big" date since our separation two years ago.

I arrived to a real deja vu kind of scene. I guess the weird feeling was enhanced by the fact that I'd only had two hours sleep the previous night, but I was transported back to the first year of our marriage, when we seemed to attend a lot of balls and dances. In the late 60s, ladies had their hair done and rigidly lacquered into place for the big night. Lynne has fine hair that was always difficult to control, and she usually ended up in tears of frustration because the hairdressers could never seem to get it just right. Then there was always the drama over which dress to wear.

I found that the simplest solution then was to help her brush her hair out, wear it loose and choose a dress in which she'd be comfortable and relaxed, because Lynne always looks her best when she's relaxed and happy. There's a radiance that's missing when she feels uptight or uncomfortable. So she got used to me taking charge and putting things right for her in my own inimitable way.

So... here we were, 37 years down the track, facing the same dilemma. What should she wear?

It occurred to me that the solution would still be the same, because the problem was still the same. So I gently took the lead as we worked through the solution. I wanted her to feel beautiful and happy, and to achieve that she would need to feel relaxed, comfortable and confident. Piece of cake! *lol* (Yeah, right... like dancing in a Cambodian meadow!)

She had three outfits she'd chosen. She'd bought them in Italy last year. All three were beautiful, chic, stylish and totally different to each other. Really, she could have worn any of them and looked stunning.

But one would have been too confining for her. So I mentally ruled that out. Another seemed a little casual for a dress-up affair like a ball. That left a superb little black combination of a skirt that appeared to be several layers of fine whispy netting, but cleverly woven from a single layer, and a semi-see-through jacket that wouldn't really be appropriate. So we chose a very feminine embroidered top from her wardrobe that complemented the skirt beautifully and she wore the jacket over it. All in black, which really suits her Winter colour palette. http://www.colormebeautiful.com/colorharmony.html#winter

We headed off down Springvale Road, a major north-south highway that starts near Lynne's place and ends near the Braeside Stake Centre. Easy for giving directions. We stopped on the way to buy some snacks and drinks, always a good idea at Church dances.

We arrived about 30 minutes after the opening of the ball, so parking was available. We could hear the music in the car park, and it sounded great. We entered the Stake Centre to find a 10-piece soul band playing ("Soul Contention"), a harpist playing in the chapel area for those wanting some relief, and plenty of theme decorations everywhere (the Olympics). Everything looked terrific and added to the atmosphere.

The attendance grew steadily and we found seats with some of my Ward members. I introduced Lynne to my friends and asked her to dance. The music was sensational. The lead singer, a recent convert of several months, was really excellent and had everyone up and dancing.

For some unfathomable reason there were no tables for people to put their nibbles and drinks. Not that it really mattered -- we seemed to be the only ones there who'd bothered. But with no drinks or food available until supper, at around 11:00pm, it's a tip that should be heeded for next year.

Highlights of the evening -- for us -- included catching up with friends we hadn't seen in more than 20 years, plus renewing friendships with some of the former Young Single Adults we'd been advisors for in the early 1990s who are now married with young families. We'd had a terrific group of about 35 YSAs in Templestowe Ward, and often had dozens more from across the region at our home and Sunday School classes, pot luck dinners, etc.

I forget how many of them served missions, but at one time we had 17 of them serving at the same time, all around the world, all from the same ward. It was a fabulous time and we were thrilled to see some of them once more.

The BIG surprise of the night for me was when Lynne "threw in the towel" at 11:30pm, saying she couldn't dance another step. In the past it's always been me who caved in, usually fairly early. So we made our farewells and headed home to her place.

It was a really enjoyable evening and we've talked a lot since then. It felt good to hold the woman I love, and the mother of my five children, in my arms again and just relax and enjoy her company. She looked beautiful and was the centre of a lot of attention, especially from people who didn't know who she was. Her enthusiastic welcome by so many friends from the past caused much interest, and it was great for Lynne's self-esteem to be surrounded by happy, excited people who were obviously delighted to see her.

Maybe Maroondah Stake will have a ball soon? (I can only live in hope!) *lol*

It was a wonderful evening.