Tuesday 27 May, the Wedding

Quiet morning and then out to the community centre to help Diane with food preparation for tomorrow's lunch at the centre. I was in charge of slicing the capsicums (they insist in calling them peppers) and mushrooms for pizza topping. Diane then put me in charge of the electric mandolin to slice the pepperoni and salami. No one told me that the pepperoni had two plastic coatings! I think I've removed all the sliced plastic now.... We'll find out tomorrow when we put the pizzas in the oven and the plastic melts! Oh well, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. LOL Diane was very patient with me and as we were the only 2 there I suppose she had to put up with me. When Vicki came later Diane put her in charge of the mandolin to shred the cheese. I took to washing dishes. We duly finish the prepping so Diane and I went to the museum for coffee. Diane is from Quebec and is French speaking or more correctly, she speaks Quebecois. She had to learn English when she met her future husband who had a house in Hedley and hence she moved here. After coffee we went back to the community centre and Kate was offering a craft afternoon so Vicki was well into card making so I made a card too. Time to head home (one block away) and Joe made us his famous BLT sandwiches for a late lunch. One of the local guys (Clive) announced on Friday in the community chat pages that he had asked his Mexican girlfriend to marry him and she said yes, so the ceremony would be on Tuesday at 7pm and if anyone was in town they were welcome to attend! At 5pm a harried Clive rocks up to the house and wants to know if Vicki has any white material that might be used for decorating the hall. With that, the Robinson girls spring into action. Within 45 minutes we have set up a candelabra, peacock chair, flower arrangements, table decorations and backdrop in the hall (20 metres away).

Guests have been told to be at the hall at 6.30 so we have enough time to head home, have a glass of wine, get changed and head back to the hall just after 6.30. I have no idea how this works but some people are taking food, some bring gifts, some cards and a number bringing their own drinks in open containers that they drink from as soon as they enter the hall. Some brought nothing but were quick to hoe into the food and drink after the ceremony. I'm pretty sure some of them have had a few before they arrive too. The fashions are all over the place. One fellow with an eye patch(Terry) is wearing jeans and a white singlet. Sandals and dark ankle socks are common on some of the older men. One woman is in blue jeans, a black tank top and wearing a black akubra which she never took off her head all night. Another woman wore a black t shirt and black shorts. I think I may have been over dressed! The wedding went off smoothly but it's the first wedding I've ever been to where an interpreter was needed for the bride to understand the English wedding vows. I'm assured this was a fairly typical community style event...

Because it was such a quickly arranged wedding, they did not have rings to exchange so exchanged beaded bracelets. Clive assured everyone that that they will have real rings soon enough. The bride (Gabriela) goes back to MexiCo tomorrow so I have no idea how this all works but apparently they have known each other a couple of years and Clive has another house in Mexico which is where he met her. They have been going back and forth for a while so don't know what prompted him to pop the question now and why the hurry. It really was one for the books and not one I'm likely to ever be involved with again. We headed back to the house, time for a wine and debrief of the day. What a day!