TrulyGrace

Sheila and Christian's Wedding Weekend

This past Friday and Saturday I helped navigate and drive Mom and Dad to Sheila and Christian's wedding near where William used to work in the Hudson Valley. 

Friday we drove and checked in to our hotel.  Dinner was at the Red Line Diner.  I had beef brisket BBQ sliders, Mom and Dad enjoyed cheeseburgers.  Our waiter recommended we visit Tarrytown, as it has changed much since the 1980s.  Mom explained that she and Dad had honeymooned there, overlooking the Hudson River, about fifty years ago.

Saturday, I drove us to little stops in Tarrytown, up the hill to "the Castle," where we stopped to marvel at the additional architecture added to the main hotel structure since the late 1960s:  The fountain surrounded by landscaped flowers, and, overlooking the hillside,  the stone building which is adorned by the massive turret.  It turns out the complex is now owned by a Japanese firm, and there is a spa there, as well.  We picked up the rates for a future visit.

The next major stop was at Graymoor, the Franciscan retreat community.  We visited the Holy Spirit chapel up on the hill, and the retreat center, as well.  Then, we went for lunch on Main Street where we were staying---pulled pork sliders for Dad and me, and a hot dog for Mom.  We all shared fries.

Mom and Dad dressed in Filipiniana wear for the wedding at the Roundhouse, and reception afterwards.  Mom wore a red long dress with a terno graced with the traditional butterfly sleeves.  Dad wore a barong tagalog.

When they returned from the reception, we talked about perhaps eating at the Culinary Institute of America for Sunday brunch, but the restaurants are closed on the weekends.  After a big breakfast, we packed the car to head home, and then drove out through the misty rain.

The sky cleared as we entered Pennsylvania, and about an hour and a half after that, Marissa arrived, with the children in tow, and a concerned friend and her daughter.  Her "lost" spouse was soon located, but not before Pittsburgh's finest were called, and not before a slew of tears were shed.  All was well afterwards.  This adventure  pre-empted our attempt to go to the latest Mass with Dad at the Oratory.

posted by Grace @ 5/20/2013 05:51:00 PM