winding down

I just noticed how close the phrase 'winding down' is to 'spiraling down'. The act of winding and spiraling is so similar...but to wind down is innocent relaxation whereas spiraling down is  plummeting into some sort of madness. Is idleness madness?

Life has slowly simmered down these past two days. Up until then it was really rush-rush through finals and wedding preparations until suddenly, BAM! Nothing. Peace and quiet. In my face.

 It's oddly difficult writing things out properly in livejournal...it might be because it's so much after the fact, but it's ever so much harder to not write in a yesterday I did this and then such and such happened manner here than in a real journal of paper. I love paper. Paper and cloth....books and drawing and canvas and sewing...all the same.

The wedding went really well though. A good friend of Rebekah's from Tennessee stayed for several days, leaving yesterday morning, and it was really great having her here...she really helped take the pressure off me actually, on the Rebekah front, and she and another friend and I all grouped together to do Rebekah's hair and makeup for the wedding. It was brilliant...we made an awesome trio and did a fabulous job on R. too. She looked stunning. She was hardly my sister...and I was so very proud of her. And I never would have thought I'd have so much fun at her wedding, but I really did. And it felt so natural to be standing up there and hearing her and Rob exchange vows. I suppose I've known this moment was coming my entire life. I did have one gasp moment though at the reception. My aunt, who was the MC, stood up before we ate and said there was now going to be a toast by the best man followed by one from the maid of honor (moi). I was shocked. Rebekah it seems, had told me about a month ago I'd be doing a toast, but the strains and stresses of the semester-from-hell had completely driven it from my mind and I had nothing prepared. Nothing at all. Fortunately, it seems I can think well on my feet, and I made some sort of toast and everyone laughed several times and cheered heartily so I suppose it went well enough. It was odd though how perfectly natural it felt to be sitting at a table above everyone else and standing up and speaking and receiving applause...I felt strangly medieval. I'm a bit too comfortable being in the center of attention.
And yes, I did finish my dress in time. It was two in the morning Fri night/Sat morning, but it was finished, and it looked good. When we get the pictures back from the photographer I'll have to post some.

And speaking of pictures, here's one of a hat I just finished...it's the new Butterick 1910 hat pattern, and I made it as a Christmas present for Lynette. I'm wearing it in the picture though, since it's not Christmas and I haven't given it to her yet.