AFTER...

..no prurient details here. Not everything is meant to be shared, ya know.

Don and I slept in and woke in time to rush downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was all set and we introduced ourselves to the other couple. The woman seemed to interested in the wedding details that I brought out my beautiful bouquet and set it on their table to enjoy; and then later, I brought her back to my room to view my gown.

After our lovely meal, we took a tour of the hotel and got to peek into the open rooms. Again, we were so impressed with the distinctive character of this hotel. The two-story stained glass window, the staircase (which would make for a grand bridal entrance), and the details we so admired. We agreed that we would return here to celebrate for our subsequent anniversaries.

We packed up and dashed home to visit Belle who was oh so happy to see her parents happily and finally married. Then we met up with Joy and Lorin at their hotel in Old Town and we walked to brunch. It was nice to be able to spend some quality time with dear friends before they headed home to Cambria.

Off to La Mesa to retrieve the wedding gifts that John had generously carted home for us; and returned Don's tuxedo. (Oh, he looked so dashing. And forgive the pun but tuxedos suit him so well). Somehow we managed to grab a nap and slept solidly for two hours -guess we needed it! Then we got up and quickly went to grab Chinese food to take to Char and Dave's hotel. They were leaving early Sunday to return to Michigan and we wanted to have one more visit.

On Sunday, we drove up to San Juan Capistrano to a lovely bed and breakfast that sweet Susannah recommended. There were roses and champagne with chocolates and spa robes waiting for us. We went into town (all of two blocks) to a little French restaurant to toast our mini-moon trip. Happily, no phones or computers to be found--just each other.

We spent the next day touring the little town because everything is in walking distance. Including the largest and nicest Starbucks I have ever visited. Huge ceilings and brick walls and so much room. My brief stint as a barrista took note of the workspace behind the counter and it was very desirable and would make work much easier. Later, we came across an RSI church and went in to take a peek and ended up introducing ourselves. A light and bright facility in a shopping mall that had so much space and so many assistant ministers! It felt like we were taking a 'busman's holiday' and I was glad to know that a successful church was serving this area. We drove into Laguna Niguel to get something fixed on my Verizon phone and onto see a movie--"Enchanted." We picked this new Disney film because it sounded like it matched our state of mind and we weren't disappointed. Yet, as a side note, I couldn't believe how expensive it was for the tickets and popcorn. How do families afford cinema entertainment these days?

Neither of us felt the need for dinner but we did re-visit the Starbucks and got back to our room in time for viewing the finale of "Dancing With The Stars." Hope that doesn't pop anyone's romantic bubble that we were eager to see this episode. I have been a big fan since the series began; and this season, Don got hooked, too. For me, I found it sweetly romantic that my husband (can ya tell I am having fun saying/writing that?) wanted to share this with me even on our getaway mini-moon.

I am ever glad we had some time away but don't be fooled -- two days do not a honeymoon make. We definitely need to have a full-fledged honeymoon in the Spring. Coming home was a bit of a culture shock. The house was in the same state of pre-wedding disarray and the To Do's momentarily seemed louder than the I Do's. It was odd to be returning to the regular world and usual activities and yet our lives were now different. So we set about our tasks, work and putting things in order. But not for long.

On early Saturday morning, we left for Los Angeles. I had an 11:00 a.m. rehearsal scheduled for the 80th Birthday Bash & Musical Tribute for my high school drama teacher, Mrs. Marilyn Moody. Don dropped me off at the Anita Mann rehearsal studios and he went to Rev. Nancy's house where we would be staying. For this reunion, over 165 of her former students were attending to wish her well for the amazing impact she had on all our lives. And being that we were all former Thespians, there was a show to be done! In between the chronology and tributes were songs and dances re-written just for her and our shared memories of her students from 1960-1975. Awesome.

Watching these people "putting on a show" for someone they dearly loved and who taught them (almost) all they knew about theatre was a treat beyond description. This could have been an awkward or weird ego-trip but instead, it was a pure labor of love. Everyone was thrilled to see everyone else no matter how long it had been since we last met. Many of our alums were very successful in the entertainment world; and many, had gone onto other careers. it didn't matter because we were all equal in Moody's eyes and we displayed our appreciation as an ensemble of joy for her. I must say that being at a dance studio and listening to the rehearsal pianist play the numbers over and over and listening to actors' banter made my heart skip a beat. The smell of the greasepaint was intoxicating.

The next morning, we had an early dress rehearsal and the excitement was palpable. We were going to do a show and do it together for the one person who understood us better than anyone else. After all, Moody saw the actor/singer/dancer/artist in each of us and created a safe haven for us to express the creativity we dared to unleash. Throughout this reunion process I was struck at how each person had the same memories of Moody because she did treat us as equals and unique all at the same time. We were supported, understood, loved and valued. It never got any better. What she taught us was not only valuable but enduring into our careers and personal lives. This was our chance to make sure Moody knew it.

I don't exactly know how to describe the emotions of the day. Seeing so many of my friends and peers that I may not have seen since high school was awesome. Yes, I have gone to one or two high school reunions since I graduated but this was different because these people and I had a common bond. A family dynamic happens when you do a show--even if it is at a high school level or college (drama festival) level. This is not the time nor place to "name drop" but I can say I was so proud of so many of my peeps in how they had excelled in their lives and careers--and not just the famous ones.

The show itself was grand. The roar of the crowd is heady stuff. And you don't have to read between the lines to sense that I do miss that business called show. I got such a thrill watching the people backstage as they prepared to perform; listening to the actors and the audience to know if the show was working. (After a certain point in a show, as a director I learned that I could tell more by listening to the show rather than watching it.) It seemed to go all too fast. Happily, I could see that Mrs. Moody took in as much of the love and appreciation as she could. She didn't hide her emotion or enjoyment. Even with promises of staying in touch via e-mail, I regretted that it was over.

Our day wasn't over as we headed over to my Aunt Sunny's apartment so that we could share some of our wedding with her. I took her the gorgeous pillow Jo Blaine made out of the other wedding dress that was identical to our ring bearer's pillow; a copy of the program, the champagne from the B & B; and her very own fashion show when I donned (tee hee) my wedding gown for her to see in-person. I enjoyed having a reason to wear my gown again. Don and I went to the organic vegan restaurant, RFD on La Cienega and had a special dinner before heading back to Nancy's house for the night.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig.