Got the word yesterday: Delia and Chris are engaged.

In a way, I have been sitting on this secret for MONTHS. I had told the girls that each could have one of my diamonds, and accordingly, Chris asked for the diamond last December. The ring just got finished this week, and he officially asked her yesterday! (I thought he would wait until Monday, her birthday, but apparently, he couldn't wait that long).

No date has been set yet--they both need to find jobs. Hope that process will be swift.

I am sure there is no suspense whatsoever about what this week's collage would be about.

The wedding, as I said in my last post, was lovely and touching. Although they hadn't coordinated it at all, Fiona and Alona both mentioned the same point when exchanging their vows. Each had experienced heartache in the past from partners who had refused to put them first. That was why this was such a joyful day because both knew that they would always be first in the eyes and the heart of one another.

There was an interesting variation in the promises made when they exchanged rings. They had purchased beautiful rings for one another, but in the lines of the service, each promised to wear the rings 'on my hand or over my heart.' It wasn't until a couple of days later that I figured it out: Fiona is going to enter a career as a plumber. For reasons of safety, she is not allowed to wear any rings on her hand while she is on the job. I can only presume that she will wear the ring, when it is not on her hand, strung on a necklace around her neck.

Unfortunately, one picture I failed to capture during the day was of their handfasting ribbons, so I went out looking for photographs of handfasting ribbons in blue, green, and brown. I found the photo used in this collage, but the ribbons were blue, green, and purple. I learn something every time I make one of these collages--I feel rather smug that I figured out how to change the purple ribbon to brown.

I also took care with the Hebrew translation of 'I choose you' (Alona is Jewish). I checked with a friend who confirmed the construction of the sentence as it would be spoken to a woman, rather than the text that Google Translate gave me, which would be spoken to a man. I'm glad I took the trouble to double-check.

Image description: Two women (Alona and Fiona) stand smiling on their wedding day with an officiant (Jory). their hands clasped in front of a fireplace decked with flowers. At the top center of the collage in English and bottom center in Hebrew are the words "I choose you." The Hebrew words overlay an arrangement of handfasting ribbons in blue, green, and brown.

Wedding



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Okay, this tore my heart out a little.

Today is Fiona’s wedding day. And this is the picture that was displaying in the digital frame when I came downstairs this morning.

Rob sends his love.

Two things happened this week that struck me as particularly significant, signs of life passage for me as a parent.

I gave the instructions to the Minnesota 529 College Savings plan to send the last payment to Delia's university and then to close the account. We started making these payments in, what, 2011, when Fiona started college. And it has taken eight years for Delia to get through, but she will be graduating this May.

Secondly, I ordered my mother-of-the-bride dress for Fiona's wedding, which will be taking place next month (it's pictured in the collage below).

I wish that Rob was here to celebrate with me, but nevertheless, I am so, so happy to have arrived at this point.

I like this card, and I think that I have really improved in making these collages over the past three years. I have used some layering techniques in this one (like the one that gives the interior of the room a glow) that I think elevate this card above the ordinary.

An open door shows a room interior with another open door showing beyond. Inside the room, just inside the door, stands a woman's figure wearing a navy blue long gown with a beaded yoke. Superimposed over the woman's head are a pair of hands holding a heart shape from which a bright light emerges that illuminates the room. Toward the top of the doorway are the words "MN Saves Minnesota 529 College Savings Plan.” Superimposed over the woman's feet are the words "University of Wisconsin Eau Claire." 2024 52 Card Project: Week 3: Passages

Passages



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So, I have big, happy news:

Fiona is engaged!!!

I knew that this has been in the works for a while--they told me when they got the rings together, a couple of weeks ago. They chose puzzle rings, from a vendor at the Renaissance Festival (Fiona's has a diamond, and Alona's is plain).

"So are you officially engaged now?" I asked Fiona.

"I know Alona is scheming," she replied.

Her partner Alona proposed this past Sunday evening on her (Alona's) birthday. I highly approved of the results of Alona's scheming: it was the most adorable fannish proposal ever. Alona commissioned a hoodie for Fiona (Fiona LOVES hoodies) with the AO3 tags that apply to their relationship. Fiona, of course, said yes! (Alona got the same hoodie for herself, so they can match. Adorable.)

Their collective name for themselves is "the Onas." More adorableness.

I love my new daughter-in-law to be, and I am absolutely convinced that Rob would have loved her, too (unfortunately, he never had the opportunity to meet her).

Image description: Bottom center, headshot of two smiling women (Fiona, left, Alona right) facing the camera, heads tilted toward one another. Center: Alona (left) and Fiona (right) sit facing each other, holding hands. Alona looks a little nervous and Fiona is smiling [this is the actual proposal. Thanks to Drew for recording it for posterity]. Between their heads is a close-up of a diamond puzzle ring on a hand. Top center: white lowercase letters on a red background read "u-haul lesbians, mutual pining, and they were roommates, fake dating, there was only one bed, slow burn, idiots to wives."

Engaged!



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