Long Time Coming

It started last year when Beth—accomplished bread maker, librarian, and Alban's mother—sponsored the Estate members with some shirts. "Five Guys" is a local burger jo'nt that Alban and his hometown homies patron back in Hagerstown Maryland; "five guys" is also the living composition at the Estate, at least it was last year. Beth, noting this aggressive coincidence, bought "Five Guys" signature tees for each of the tenants.

It continued through the spring, at which time it's not unusual to find the Estate members stoking coals in a stationary BBQ at Whitman Mission on the weekend. One sunny Sabbath afternoon we decided to barbecue in style. We wore our shirts and Jacque took some pictures.

It continued later that spring when Philip Sherwood visited the house for a couple weeks. He wanted to leave a gift as a token of gratitude so he had one of the pictures printed on a 3.5' x 2' canvas.

Finally, after the printed picture sat coiled in a cardboard container all quarter long ... waiting, Martha Mason finished the job by mounting the internal frame last Monday. Now it hangs on the wall as an iconic tribute to mustaches and men who like their burger with one or more pounds of real meat.

I had to write a wedding homily for class...

(This is the first part of that homily.)

David ... Ansley, this is it. Your special day. I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to let it soak in. All the hard work and the pictures and the stress let it fade for this moment, and try to enjoy yourself.

Let me begin with a short story. Once upon a time, there was a young girl and young boy who fell in love and decided to get married. This story should sound familiar because first it’s generic, and secondly because it’s your story, and it’s been a engaging story so far.

For those of you among friends and family who haven’t kept up on the courtship, David and Ansley have asked me to share a couple of stories. The story of when they first met is somewhat unique because it is also the story of their first date. The two were set up by David’s good friend Alban, who happens to be Ansley’s brother. Alban, being the loving friend and brother that he is, arranged everything, even arranged for a limo to pick them up and drive them to dinner. Although they weren’t given all the details of the evening’s itinerary, they were assured there was going to be a fancy meal and fun activities. When their ride stopped in front of Chucky Cheese’s David and Ansley were a little confused, but their driver insisted a table was reserved for them inside. Like penguins in a puppy kennel, the two, dressed to the hilt, felt a bit out of place but managed to make it work and have a good time. That somewhat awkward beginning began a steady habit of time spent together.

Everyone realized things were getting serious when David bought Ansley a special gift for her birthday. Ask David and he will tell you in thorough detail the brain-energy he put into this gift: a leather bound copy of his senior history paper about the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. Ansley says she was speechless.

It has been a unique humor-filled journey, that has led these two to this point today.