The photos, you see, they are posted. At least, some of them. Not much in the way of description or annotation, but the assorted wedding and honeymoon pics are at jeffandcathereinegetmarried.com for your edification and amusement. Whee!

So Catherine and I are married. I plink repeatedly when I say that, because it's so wild and crazy. I'm married! To her! Catherine! Zow!

The wedding itself was crazy, beautiful, and amazing. Last minute stresses cropped up (as they always do) with the combination of tiny ceremony and friends who we weren't able to invite, weather worries, and so on and so forth. But it came together, happily, and everyone in attendance said that the ceremony (with flowers everywhere, in a small secluded spot on Catherine's parents' farm) was beautiful and moving. We had our honeymoon on Mackinac Island, a strange place full of wonder and spiffiness -- I'll surely be posting some of the hundreds of photos I took there. I purchased cheesy souvenirs and pounds upon pounds of fresh fudge. Catherine and I biked and read and relaxed and laughed and also had rich scrumptious food until we passed out and groaned and begged for unseasoned vegetables with nothing even resembling "rich sauce." The food is good there, let me tell you.

We road-tripped home and began remaking the apartment. It's on its way to becoming a nice little place to live, as opposed to a chaotic sprawl of bachelor-mess. We watched old movies and recuperated and (again) laughed a lot. Life is good. Both of us are back to work today (sigh!) and getting into the swing of life with each other. It's good, this life, with my dear friend and love, my wife. Crazy crazy times!

Well... in 24 hours I'll be standing under the branches of an old oak tree to be married to Catherine, the woman I love and will spend my life with. It's pretty big stuff for me (understatement!) and it's been a real adventure so far. I'll be gone for a week or two while we're off on our honeymoon. In the meantime, I'll toss out this thought on love and commitment:

The Blue Robe
by Wendell Berry

How joyful to be together,
alone as when we first were joined
in our little house by the river long ago
except now we know each other
as we did not then.
and now instead of two stories
jumbling to meet,
we belong to one story
that the two, joining, made.
And now we touch each other,
with the tenderness or mortals,
who know themselves how joyful
to feel the heart quake
at the sight of a grandmother,
old friend in the morning light,
beautiful in her blue robe.

I'll see everyone soon, when we're back from our honeymoon. Hooray!