This will be a short post today because I am getting married ONE WEEK TODAY. Words I never imagined I would be writing, certainly not at the age of 53. So really, this month’s reflection has to have a nuptial theme.
Children’s books, for obvious reasons, aren’t awash with weddings, but today I’m going to look at few of my favourites. In no particular order…
These Happy Golden Years (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
I always loved the romance of Almanzo driving his sledge through the snow to pick teenage Laura up from her horrible lodgings to take her home across the prairie for precious family weekends. But it’s their proposal I like best. When Almanzo asks if she’d like an engagement ring, Laura says it would depend on who gave it to her. ‘If I should?’ Almanzo asks. ‘Then it would depend on the ring,’ Laura responds.
Pennington’s Heir (K.M.Peyton)
Another not so romantic one: Ruth is pregnant and Pat just out of prison, then ‘bang: they were married. He liked it. It was interesting, finding her out.’ Like Laura and Almanzo, they have hardships to face, but the end of the book finds them still married, with the future looking brighter. As a teen I had a huge crush on Pat; at 53 I’m very relieved to be marrying someone as unlike him as possible.
The Ready-Made Family (Antonia Forest)
Here, unlike in Pennington’s Heir, we actually see the wedding in some detail. The church and ceremony are described with Forest’s trademark lyrical precision, but the reader agrees with Lawrie that it was ‘the dullest wedding I’ve ever seen.’ Karen, like Ruth and Laura, is still a teenager, and like me is marrying a widower (though I’m happy to say mine isn’t 22 years older than me because that would make him geriatric).
The Chalet School Goes To It (Elinor M. Brent-Dyer)
Because the Chalet School is a soap opera, it has its fair share of weddings, including some exotic 1920s Tyrolean ones. But the one I like best is the wartime wedding of founder-pupil Simone. Now a teacher, Simone is the last of her chums to marry, which everyone is jolly pleased about as she is ‘too dear and sweet to spend all her life teaching’. Bossy Jo takes control and supplies three pages and five bridesmaids (the day before the wedding). All the chums set to with ‘odd pieces of lace and the precious white silk’ to deck Simone out in style, making a wedding dress in a day. You will be relieved to know that, wartime restrictions notwithstanding, Simone has ‘a new set of undies’ too.
And now, gentle reader, I must get back to being dear and sweet. See you on the other side!
13 comments:
Lovely post - and zillions of felicitations for your own wedding day! Have a wonderful time, and I hope you'll share some pictures!!
So exciting, Sheena. Countdown time. Can't wait to hear all about your wedding from "my old boys". Wishing you and Seamus a wonderful day of love and celebration, followed by many years of love, music, and adventures together. Congratulations!
So lovely to hear about all these stories but, far more excitingly, your own wedding story too!
Every good wish to you and your fella for a dear, sweet and happy day, Sheena,and yes please to pictures.
Lovely post! And so many congratulations to you both. Have a very happy day! xx
Lovely post. All best wishes to you! Kay Whalley
Happy wedding, Sheena! And thank you for reminding me of those fictional ones, the first two of which I LOVED as a teenager. Almanzo built a home for Laura and himself, complete with those clever drawers for flour and other ingredients. I married an architect, and he built a home for us, and when he asked of anything I wanted, those details from Laura and Almanzo's house (the cellar in which to keep the butter cool) came to mind.
Love and happiness to you both xx
Sending every good wish, Sheena! So you'll be 'an old married lady' as EJO puts it (i.e. a few months married), at next summer's Bristol Conference!
So delighted for you, Sheena, and I hope your day will be a very happy one. All the very best to you both! And we'll look forward to seeing some pictures in your next post! Much love xx
congratulations!!!! How wonderful Sheena! x
Congratulations! Have a wonderful wedding!
SHEENA n'SEAMUS n' SEAMUS n' SHEENA n' SHEENA n' SEAMUS n' SEAMUS n' SHEENA n' SHEENA n' SEAMUS etc.(chorus starts in a whisper getting gradually louder with joyous rhythm overlaid part by part piling up incrementally solo voices and instruments ad lib, layering appropriate wedding themes and messages - eg bells, dearly beloveds, best man's speech extracts, sobs and hankies, champagne corks, etc - building to a glorious cacophony of hoots, hollers and cheers, bells and whistles!)At this point there is a sudden total silence and the church organ enters the fray with a ffff chord, guns blazing, segueing into a well-known voluntary (bride's choice) and the people file out into the sunshine... Oh, happy day!! xxx
Utterly delighted for you.I hope you get the full loveliness out of every second of your wedding day and its is stored away in your hearts for ever.
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