9 am. wedding day report

My friend Chris just sent me a fabulous YouTube post called JK Wedding Entrance Dance. Watch it and have the time of your life; it reminds us of the joy connected with weddings, which those of us here in Gordes have forgotten in the flurry and frenzy of these last few days.

And this morning, wedding morning ... I am sitting in my usual spot by the lavender and the bees, in a sweater and pants. The mistral is at full force. We'd heard this might happen, and here it is - gale force winds. Apparently they're gusting at up to 65 kph, but this afternoon, we were told, will drop to 22 kph. I'm not sure what that means, only that it'll be hard to put up the delicate origami crane mobiles that Jess and her sister have spent the week making; it'll be hard to leave on the tables the lovely green, brown and white napkins a work party of women spent the afternoon folding yesterday.

But here's the thing: this is just to scare us and to remind us, as in the video, that napkins and origami cranes don't matter. What matters is the joyful event we're there to witness, which will happen regardless. And miraculously, the wind will die down, as it always does, and we will celebrate and dine in the garden with napkins and cranes. You heard it here first.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to my room, because I'm freezing.