I figure I should just write about the party first. It will take me time to sort out my feelings about the rest of the weekend. :)
Surprisingly, C managed to get to the party on time. The last time she was early for ANYTHING was her birth--she was three weeks early.
The 'room' where the party was held was the eating area off of a cafeteria in one of the university buildings. While it turned out to be more than what we actually needed, it was nice that people were able to spread out if they wanted. And it gave C some privacy when she had to nurse the baby. We only put a little bit of crepe paper and balloons up in the way of decorating. Nothing more was actually needed. The center of attention was the display board I made with pictures of C--most of the guests spent a good amount of time 'remembering when.' This is what it looked like:
And, of course, that is her tiara on the table. :)
The food went over very well--the catering was excellent. We had ham and pickle rolls, silver dollar sandwiches, fruit, veggies, potato chips and dip, and nachos and cheese dip. Coffee and punch were also served. I was impressed with the way things were handled and set up. The food table:
The food was very good and everyone was well pleased. Of course, being my family, someone had to complain. The Father's oldest sister said the coffee was cold. I took a cup and, while it wasn't SCALDING, it definitely wasn't cold. I told her as much and then ignored her. (If you only knew how big a triumph that was for me. Less than ten years ago I would have apologized until I was sick, worried for WEEKS after that someone wasn't happy, gotten my stomach tied up in knots, etc, etc, etc. I am now a stronger person--and I like me MUCH better. :)) If anyone else didn't like something, I didn't know about it.
I really liked the cake. The decorator did a great job--and it was sooooooo tasty! It had REAL buttercream frosting--YUM!
There was a scepter and crown as decorations on the cake--and the princess theme continued.
The first hour was spent eating, mingling, and visiting. It was nice to see my aunt--The Father's twin sister. I don't know how many years it has been since I saw her last. She has terminal cancer--spread throughout her body--and I don't know how many more times I will be able to visit with her. It is so very sad. Her daughter and son had come to visit her for the weekend, so they came to the party too. I hadn't seen either of them since we were children! It was good to connect.
After the food, C was presented with everything she needs now that she is so 'old.' She was given Gas-X, Metamucil, Raisin Bran, etc, for the digestive problems she will have in her old age. We gave her bladder control pads. An AARP magazine was presented to her along with reading glasses on the most obnoxiously ugly cord possible--it was a beaded lime-green. In all there were about thirty different things--each funnier than the last. A good time was had by all. Then several of us told our favorite 'C' stories, which went over well. And that pretty much took up the two hours of the party. And I was happy it was over. :)
While the party was a success, there was a blot on the whole thing--at least for me. I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but The Brother and his wife were there 'only because they HAD to be.' They both acted as if I didn't exist--walked past me like I was invisible, never said a word to me, looked through me. While everyone else was listening to my stories, they sat with their arms folded across their chests, with frowns on their faces. If they would have acted like decent humans, they could have added to the stories and helped things be even better for C than they were. Oh, well, I won't dwell.
C was happy with the party and I am so very glad I did it. And I learned something that I will never forget: CATERER! The ONLY way to go. :)
The Party
