NO PUNCH

I had the sweetest, most charming e-mail from my friend Keetha at writekudzu this week. I'd enjoyed her blogging about plans for her wedding last year---all the preparations, and then the actual day, with all its lovely Southern traditions and wonderful food and decor. It was a beautiful occasion, and I felt as if I'd been there.

And though we’ve never met, perhaps so did Keetha:

Hi Rachel,

I hope you don't find this creepy but I had a dream the night before last that you were in! I dreamed I was getting ready for my wedding (which was last May!). It was the wedding day when I remembered I hadn't ordered any flowers for the wedding. None! No bouquets, no arrangements, not even for a bit of tulle on the railing outside. My mother was *not* happy with me atall. Then I saw you there and I said, "Oh, Rachel, yay!" I told my mother, "Look, there's Rachel. I bet she can help."

While planning the wedding I had a number of dreams about forgetting to get in touch with a florist, or a cake baker, and remembering it on the wedding day. I haven't had one of those in a while, and this is the first one I've had with you in it. :-)

In my dream, I told my mother that I kept dreaming about doing this very thing - forgetting to order flowers. I was almost in tears because I wanted, if nothing else, THAT WHITE TULLE on the black wrought iron railing outside.

How funny.

Just had to share that bit with you!

All my best,

Keetha

Oh, Sweetpea!!! What an honor!!

And I'm sure I was svelte and gorgeous, looking no-older-than-thirty-six, with sweepy-long eyelashes and shining auburn hair. (That's who I am in MY dreams).

Your wedding was simply charming, and I remember it so well---your words and pictures took us ALL there, as you so-graciously made us all welcome. I still think of that enormous sideboard with all the lovely strawberries and cheese straws, and that table with the wonderful traditionally-Southern repast.You were both absolutely glowing---the way you were looking at each other, and the way his face was all lit up with the marvel of you---it just shone through the photos.

I've always heard that when you've been to college, you will occasionally have a dream of having never attended one particular class you've signed up for---you just never did go, never got a book, never took a note, and NOW it's exam time, and you're sunk. It's something about that first real responsibility for yourself dawning, I think, after all those years under your parents' roof.

And yours was the responsibility for all the facets of your wedding---even the longing for the tulle STILL made it one of the least needfuls for the wedding---even with NO flowers, folks just would have thought "how elegantly simple and graceful" or some other pleasant thought (no Mrs. Elton with her "shocking lack of satin" remarks). So even in your dreams, you had everything really important covered.

I, however, dream of No Punch. I'm perfectly composed; the work is done, the cake and food are glorious, my staff stands lined up or busy in the kitchen, neatly uniformed, with every spoon and every rosebud in place. The car doors are slamming, the crowd is heard laughing and talking merrily in the vestibule of the Club, and THERE'S NO PUNCH. Or tea or wine or champagne or ANY kind of beverage, because I didn't bring any.

I don't know if they didn't order it and I neglected to mention it, or if I left it at home in the big fridge (thirty or two hundred miles away) or if I just forgot to make a single drop. So what does that tell you? Wonder what a psychiatrist would make of that one . . .

Anybody else have a recurring dream which means nothing, but kinda does?