Amidst the plethora of bad news, something nice on a personal level.

[osodecanela]

An e-mail from my sister Joan arrived yesterday labeled "good news". I'm always a bit wary of opening e-mails in which the tagline reads something of this nature. More often than not I expect them to be something which introduces a nasty virus, Trojan or worm. This however bore the news that our nephew Stephen had proposed. (I'm not using the royal 'we' here. Stephen's mother is my other sister.) The e-mail however was quite brief, & said nothing as to the answer to his proposal.

I texted him, "so, did she say yes?", to which I got a resounding, "Yes!!!"

I spoke to mom as I drove home last night, which was midnight her time. Natalie, now my nephew's fiancé had called her and bubbled over the phone, "Grandma! He proposed!" Note, this was the first time she's ever called mom grandma. My mother responded, "so sweetheart, did you say yes?"

Natalie squealed.
"So sweetheart," mom continued, "did this come with a gift?"
"Uh huh, it sure did!"
"So he gave you a diamond did he?"
Natalie squealed again. "It's huge!"

Mom began to muse about what to send them as an engagement gift. I said I think I should probably stop that the champagnery near the house, and have them ship one of their better bottles of bubbly and pair of designer champagne flutes. Mom responded, "and where are you going to have them shipped?" My nephew and his fiancée are currently living on opposite sides of the country. He's in Seattle doing what's best described as a internship with an investment group. My understanding is most people in his field, spent several years doing this kind of work before going back to school for an MBA. She's in Philadelphia in her second year of law school at Penn.

I think I'm going to send each of them a split of champagne instead, along with a single flute. They can toast each other over the phone!

Comments

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

or a plane ticket LOL

[osodecanela.livejournal.com]

Not a bad idea, Bill. Not a bad idea at all.

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

well it's a degree of magnitude more expensive I guess. but other than that little detail ... :)

[madknits.livejournal.com]

Mazel tov!

*adjusts crown*
And what is wrong with the royal "we"?

[osodecanela.livejournal.com]

Thank you! it looks like my husband and I have not one but two weddings to attend in the not too horribly distant future. My nephew, James and his fiancée will tie the knot the first weekend in October in Cleveland. My suspicion is when Stephen and Natalie wed, it will likely be where her family lives in LA, though I doubt it will happen prior to her finishing law school.

I'm personally still a strong believer that the only people with the right to use the royal "we" are editors, and pregnant women. (With all thanks to Samuel Clemens.)

[madknits.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a lovely social calendar. I wish your nephews and nieces-to-be much happiness.

And reigning monarchs may use the royal we. Which is why it's royal. Because when they do, they are speaking for the Throne as well as themselves. But I'm a bit of a monarchist at heart.

(And it is not true that Queen Elizabeth II used the royal we when announcing that her daughter had given birth and that she was a grandmother. However, it is true that Mrs Thatcher actually did that. Never much liked Mrs Thatcher.)

[osodecanela.livejournal.com]

Baroness Thatcher?

[madknits.livejournal.com]

*sniffs disdainfully*

A life peer.

[osodecanela.livejournal.com]

Never much cared for her either. Much the way I never cared for Reagan. Too bitter peas in the same pod, if you ask me.

[tilia-tomentosa.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! :)

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

excellent solution