A wedding!

Last Sunday Chris and I attended the wedding of my good friend, Lamont, and his Bride, Mary Beth. It was a beautiful occasion in a beautiful setting, the Nativity of our Lord Church on McClellan St. in Detroit. Lamont and I worked together briefly for Siemens at the Detroit Wayne County Airport and have remained friends for several years. I recently met Mary Beth this winter at their engagement party, and Lamont, you certainly found a keeper!

Although some took pictures during the actual ceremony, I waited to take this picture of the Sanctuary. There is a magnificent stained glass circular window at the opposite end of the room, but darn it, the picture was out of focus!

The wedding party after the nuptials were completed. The Good Lord blessed them with a sunny day. A good omen for a long and happy life together!
The bagpiper led the Bridal procession and played again as the wedding party emerged from the church.
Cutting the wedding cake!

Don't they look so happy and in love?

Man, those shoes are deadly! I want a pair!

It has been a while since I attended a wedding and the occasion helped to remind me how blessed I am to be married to such a wonderful woman these last 22 years. I hope Lamont and Mary Beth will find the happiness that I have had for all of these years.

Goodbye Russell

My best friend from childhood, Russell Saunders, died on Valentine's day. He was 47. I will be going to the funeral on Monday.
I have not seen Russell since I was 17 years old. I moved away from the old 'hood at age 15, and we just sort of lost track. His older sister, Becky, called me to tell the sad news Thursday. Arortic aneurysm bursting is the doctor's verdict. This is something that I know something about, being in heart surgery and all. He didn't have a chance. When that happens, you bleed to death internally in mere minutes.
When we were little, Russell and I were closer than brothers. We did everything together, Becky was like my big sister, about four years older. We played army (He was always Sgt. Saunders from the "Combat!" show, even though I was the blond one back then, I was Lt. Hanley). We swam everyday all summer long in my swimming pool, our families had Bar-B-Ques together, we rode mini-bikes in the miles and miles of trails behind our house. It was a wonderful childhood.
Even though we grew apart, and it's probably been almost thiry years since we last spoke, I am awfully sad. Russell, if you can somehow read these words I want you to know that having you in my life, and the joy of being boys together is one of the finest memories in my life. Goodbye, my brother.



















This photo is from September 1969. I was 8, Russell was 10