Sunday, January 08, 2006

Engagements in the Air

My friend Tammy came home from medical school sporting a dazed expression and a big ol' diamond on her finger. The diamond stayed on her finger, but the dazed expression quickly became my own.

You have to understand that I've known Tammy since I was twelve. In high school, we were both major theater geeks. Along with our friend Kizzy, we spent every weekend discussing (what we thought were) major life issues over a cup of diner coffee, or dissecting our crushes' behavior while sitting on Tammy's kitchen floor, snacking on kimche and Top Ramen. Now one of our own is getting married, and I somehow find it hard to believe that we aren't still stressing out over potential prom dates.

I must thank Tammy's fiance for timing the deed right before I picked her up from the airport. This enabled us to do a grown-up version of all of our favorite activities from high school. Instead of dissecting crush behavior, we discussed the proposal. Instead of shopping for formal dance wear, we went out for wedding gowns. My mom drove us, as she often would in the old days, and at David's Bridal who should show up, but our other best friend's sister! She was the gown consultant, and we all (Mom included) had quite the giggle-fit as Tammy traipsed about in beaded satin and argyle socks.

So, I am feeling a strange cocktail of emotions: happiness for my friend, nostalgia for the old days, shocked that said "old days" are actually old and actually over, and faintly curious about what this whole adulthood thing might hold for me...

If only I could faithfully portray such nuance of feeling in my novel!

8 comments:

Theresa said...

Crazy, isn't it? Great photo - looks like dress shopping was a hoot. Guess who's already planning the tulips at the ends of the pews? (Yep - you're very own blogging partner. She doesn't read Martha Stewart Weddings for nothing . . .)

Theresa said...

Me again ;) Lovely package received. Strange the things one forgets to take . . . Looking forward to reading the novels. Am delivering a certain worst book ever to a certain someone this week. Oh, and I'll blog about the new box o' socks as soon as I get my new digital camera in the mail.

Anneliese Kelly said...

Kate, you don't have that excitement in your ms...because you don't have an engagement in it! Seriously, engagements make everything better. Grad school applications? Pshaw. Toxic boredom at work? Fie. Stalled revision process...okay, that one I'm still worried about, but I'll get back to it with renewed vigor soon.

Meanwhile, I have a planner - a MARTHA STEWART PLANNER - and loads of pages to fill! I have dresses to shop for! I have cake to taste!

I'm a PRINCESS dammit!

Ahem. Point being. Put an engagement in your book. It's the answer to everything.

Toasty Joe said...

oh Flitgirl - when are you going to learn to throw that dreadful Martha aside and follow your OWN heart??

Theresa said...

hey joe - she is marrying YOU, isn't she? ;) P.S. I have your hat.

Toasty Joe said...

Yes, she is marrying me, but only because I allow her to populate my apartment with more books than one person should be permitted to own. Seriously, there is like a 142-to-1 book-to-person ratio in my apartment. Give her one more month and I'll have to move my bed out onto the terrace to make room for more books.

Anneliese Kelly said...

You say that like it's a bad thing.

Theresa said...

Actually, since there are usually only 2 of you there, I bet you have way more than 280-ish books . . . When flitgirl came to visit me, I think she brought me about 40. And that was just one weekend!