After arriving back to Southern California in September the plan was to store the RV here on the West Coast while we flew East to start preparations for our daughter Caitlin’s Wedding day to our future son-in-law Bruce. Joanne had been corresponding with my sister Pat (who has a beautiful home in the Hudson Valley of New York) and with Caitlin (in Boston ) in planning a wedding shower. At first Caitlin was resistant to having a wedding shower, as she doesn’t like people doting on her, and also prefers not to be the center of attention. Regardless, after many calls and a little prodding she relented and agreed to have a shower. The question was where? After much discussion it was decided that Caitlin would have it at her apartment in Charlestown, MA provided the guest list didn’t get too large. (No more than 30…)

Joanne & Pat were thrilled to do the planning for the event with help from Bruce’s Mom Lynn & sister Kelly. The biggest challenge they knew was to keep Caitlin from taking over (not an easy task), and just getting her to enjoy the gift/day….

The shower was on Saturday Sept. 7th and it couldn’t have turned out better. Joanne was thrilled to be with her daughter for the day and Caitlin enjoyed the process. The weather was spectacular and with their patio decks they had an incredible celebration and then a great post party with all the Stonehill girls… Joanne was thrilled with the day and so was Caitlin! Many thanks to all who helped especially Aunt Pat, Lynn, Kelly, & Jill E (Now P)….

With the shower completed, Mike joined Joanne on Sept. 14th back in the Hudson Valley at Pat’s house for the next few weeks, waiting for the big wedding day… (My sister is a incredibly generous soul who welcomed Joanne & I into her home for a few weeks leading up to the wedding. We also were fortunate to use her extra car while there… MANY THANKS!)

(While there Mike took care of several household projects for Pat including: (caulking tubs, Fixing the fence, storing summer furniture, a few small car projects, and whatever little handy work projects she needed. – Glad to help!)

It has been a long time since Mike has stayed in his home town of Beacon, NY so it was an interesting couple of weeks. He was able to connect with a few high school friends, we walked the town each morning giving Joanne a litany of stories/tales from his youth here and also got in a few tourist trips/hikes…

A few pics from Beacon, NY & the Hudson Valley…

One of our outings was to walk the now famous old train bridge that spans the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie, NY. Although it wasn’t opened when Mike grew up in the area, it has been on his “to do” list for several years. It was a fun day, and a great walk, with some excellent views of the famous “Hudson Valley” …

Another adventure we took was to hike up famous Mt. Beacon. Growing up Mt Beacon was the home of it’s famous “Incline Railroad” which was for tourists, a casino at the top, and when mike grew up it was notorious for some concerts and great times with friends. Also adjacent to the Incline Railroad was the popular Duchess Ski Area which Mike will tell you was literally where he grew up skiing from late November -March every year of his youth. Mike & Pat often say the ski area was literally their baby-sitter growing up, as their parents would drop them off in the early morning and pick them up after dark on every weekend of the winter months. They both loved their youth on Mt Beacon…

Now that the incline railroad had been abandoned they have created a very nice hiking trail to the summit adjacent to the old train tracks. Although only about 1 mile long, the elevation can be challenging for many and it definitely was a good workout for us this warm day. Cresting the top we took in the beautiful views of Beacon below and the entire Hudson Valley. In the distance you can see the Newburgh-Beacon bridge which was built in 1962 and then another sister bridge was built years later because of the traffic on I-84. Hard to believe when Mike was 5 years old the only way to still cross this part of the river was on the Newburgh-Beacon Ferry system… Wow!

After taking in the views for awhile we decided to continue the hike to the Mt. Beacon Fire Tower about another 2 miles roundtrip, Mike continued to reminisce along the trail as he spent many of his teenage years riding his motorcycle along these paths with his best friend Pete.  Can’t believe the stories & adventures we had in this days of the early 70’s…

After climbing the tower, (Joanne opted out of this for good reason as it was steep & scary…) we started our descent. We can’t believe how we ever got lost going down and missed the trail, though after a little bushwacking, and backtracking we were able to get back on the legitimate trail and finish the day. Arriving back at Pat’s we were rewarded with a nice “Happy Hour”.. (Pat is a good host!)

With the wedding less than a week away we started making our move to Massachusetts and the island of Martha’s Vineyard. We said our goodbyes to Beacon, for now, and headed to the ferry terminal of Woods Hole, MA. Although our home for 30 years was in Connecticut, and only about 2 hours from Woods Hole, we hadn’t been over in several years. In the 80’s we had come through here for vacation, during summer months, many times on the way to the Vineyard.  As the crowds on the island started growing we started heading else where in the 90’s. Our daughter Caitlin met her fiancé Bruce here back in 2009 when they both had taken summer jobs on the island.  After that summer they both returned to their respective colleges and lost touch. It wasn’t until 2017 (eight years later) they connected again and found the sparks they had discovered briefly 8 years earlier. I remember asking Caitlin one day “How did you know he was the guy?- and she answered- “she probably knew 8 years ago though was too young at the time…” Wow is that incredible…. Somedays life is truly serendipitous…

Those that know our daughter Caitlin know she is the ultimate and I mean  ULTIMATE planner/organizer… She has had a vision or plan for nearly every day in her life and this wedding certainly was one of the biggest. From the moment they had gotten engaged they both had decided what they wanted their wedding to be. An intimate family/friend event celebrating Bruce & Caitlin’s life together as husband & wife… She told me the most important thing was everyone (especially them) had fun and the dance floor would be packed all night in celebration…

Caitlin asked us to arrive a few days early on the island so her, Bruce and the two families could spend quality time together before guests started arriving for their big day on Saturday October 5, 2019.

Bruce’s parents, “The Dews”, rented a home in Edgartown, we got an AirBnB 2 blocks away, and Caitlin/Bruce would be staying at the Dew’s and then finally a Hotel,in town, after the wedding.  Monday, our first night in Edgartown, was just The Dew’s & Nunan’s at Dinner which was an incredible evening. We had met the Dews’ formally when they hosted us at their farm house in upstate NY the September before and we quickly picked up where we had left off with that first get-together. Bruce (our son to be son-in-law) is an incredible guy and if you meet his parents you’ll quickly understand why.

Tuesday’s dinner was The Dew’s, Nunan’s, and the future “New-Dew’s” for dinner. This was our first get together with the 6 of us and that evening will be etched in my mind forever… It was a special evening for us to talk, have fun, and really bond as 2 families coming together because of our kids…

Wednesday found us all connecting with arriving family members and more celebrations and introductions. Thursday we headed to the “Captain Flander’s House”. This is where the wedding was to be held. It’s a beautiful setting in Chilmark, MA near Menemsha and not far from the water. Caitlin & Bruce had reserved the entire property for the wedding and days leading up. There is a main house, several smaller cottages, along with views, scenery, horses, wildlife, flowers, and a quaintness  that will take your breath away.  (Little question why Caitlin & Bruce wanted to celebrate and get married on this little piece of paradise, in their favorite place in the world… Martha’s Vineyard.)

Thursday was a very memorable day as the entire day was spent with meeting siblings and sharing, laughing, playing games, and helping with some details for the big day. Caitlin had planned this day from the beginning and it was such a gift to both families. We all got to really know each other in a very short amount of time and we will never forget these special moments.

Friday was spent finalizing many details, continuing our family time together and visiting more arriving friends & family. With people mostly arriving by Ferry, Caitlin and Bruce had reserved space at Coop de Ville in Oakwood Bluffs, MA for informal drinks and snacks along the docks. This proved to be such a fun time where we got to connect with so many arriving for the weekend. So much fun!!!

Caitlin & Bruce decided early on to forgo the traditional wedding party concept and instead opted to have Bruce’s brother (Sawyer) marry them. Bruce’s sister Kelly would be standing for the groom, and Caitlin’s brother Sean standing for the bride.  They had decided to have a special event Friday night for immediate family & friends that probably would have been in the formal wedding party if they had gone that route instead. I’m guessing about 32 people were in attendance including grandparents and many close friends. Bruce & Caitlin did things right again and organized a classic New England Dinner including Chowder & Fresh Lobsters at Edgartown’s Seafood Shanty ….

The Big Day: – Wedding Day!

Just when you thought the events and times from the week couldn’t get any better we arrived at Wedding Day – Saturday October 5, 2019 …

As a father, few days can be more rewarding and exciting then being able to give their daughter away in marriage to the man she loves… Caitlin is 32 years-old and waited a long time to find Mr. Right and he is for her. Caitlin has wowed Joanne & I her entire life and now having found her soul mate I see her the happiest I have ever seen her.  They definitely make each other better.

Most of the morning people are scrambling working on vows, working on hair/makeup, making center pieces, picking up flowers, hanging flowers on the archway, pictures, and more pictures, and of course creating an outline for my toast… Caitlin has instructed everyone regarding their responsibilities for the day though she knows her Dad is a Yahoo at heart and probably will just wing it.  Actually I decided to compromise with Caitlin and created an outline just in case…

Joanne & Caitlin got dressed in our cottage. What a special moment for Mom & daughter… Walking in, when I was invited, I remember immediately starting to tear up when I saw Caitlin in her wedding gown and she quickly took charge and told me to suck-it up and look -up (supposedly if you look up you can’t cry… She’s still teaching her Dad…) Seeing Joanne and her together I nearly lost it for sure …

Big Secret here: so as people were starting to arrive for the formal ceremony Caitlin & Bruce had decided and told us a few days earlier they would like the immediate family join them at the Menemsha Beach after they completed their “first look” pictures. They said they wanted to actually get married in an informal immediate family setting on the beach first, to – in their words… “Take all the pressure off ” before the formal ceremony and theatrics… Another idea that was brilliant and made for such an intimate moment for us all!

As we stood in the door to the main house, getting ready to walk down that isle, Caitlin turns to me and proclaims : “Were’ doing this ….!”  The next 6 hours were a blur of emotion, excitement, gratefulness, happiness, and Fun that WE will ALL never forget!

The Vows had me nearly calling an emotional timeout during the ceremony, our son Sean doing the first reading and crushing-it, Kelly & Mari’s readings, and then the I-Do’s…

Caitlin had a huge Pre-tent/post nuptial drinks & hors d’oeuvres get together in the field right after the I’Do’s, though I really didn’t get to participate, as I needed a few moments to collect my thoughts and emotions prior to my toast/speech under the tent. Caitlin had warned me, more than once, not to ramble or end up with a toast that her Stonehill girls would be laughing about at get togethers the rest of her life…. (You have got to know the Stonehill Girls, We love them all though they can be brutally honest….)

Now as a professional speaker (in another life) I usually don’t get nervous, though this was a big deal. I finally relaxed and just spoke from the heart, thanked the people that needed to be thanked, and told a few stories of Caitlin & Bruce leading up to this special day. I had fun, the crowd had fun, Caitlin & Bruce (The New Dew’s) laughed & cried, and most importantly I won’t have to bear the wrath of the Stonhill girls for perpetuity – for my performance…

Dancing & the Band was a priority for the remainder of the night with friends, family, and THE NEW DEW”S… The Mike Benjamin Band was incredible. My father daughter dance with Caitlin was a modified Van Morrison song “Daddy (instead of Momma) told me their would be days like this…” Bruce and his Mother danced to “You are my sunshine” , and Caitlin & Bruce’s first dance was to another Van Morrison Classic “Into the Mystic”!

The dance floor was packed the entire night.  One time when I looked to the tables I only counted 6 people sitting out of 128 in attendance… Even though we were all exhausted and had drank & eaten plenty, no one wanted to leave the floor when the last song was completed. What a day, night, week, and wedding!!!

Sunday morning we all helped with clean-up  & packing. Caitlin & Bruce had one last treat for anyone that wanted to attend before their ferry departures… Breakfast Buffet at the famous Vineyard Haven “Black Dog Bakery” … Caitlin had worked for Black Dog back in 2007 and it was fitting to close out the celebration at this spot. Also, we all got time for some last minute family & friend pics, and of course MV Black Dog souvenirs…

So with the wedding over we now have 2 full weeks left on the East coast. Week one heading to our old home town Clinton, CT for scheduled yearly Doctors appointments along with a visit to some old stomping grounds and then the second week on to Plattsburgh, NY for our 40th college reunion at Plattsburgh State University….

So it’s been 40 years since Joanne & I graduated from the State University of New York Plattsburgh, NY. Where did that time go??? We met there, her in a Sorority & me in a Fraternity. We met our friends there. We got our Degrees there. We both have so many great undergraduate memories from those years 1975-1979.  Having the wedding now behind us we were thrilled to finish our time back East connecting with so many great friends & classmates now living all over the country for homecoming/alumni weekend. We all got time to reminisce, tell stories, look at old photo scrapbooks, and make a toast to those good times.

So I know this was a long post which most won’t get to the end of. No worries, we write it as our journal and anyone that wants to follow along THANKS… I could have broken it up though when I started it I thought I could do the Fall all in one post.

So many once-in-a-lifetime moments:….

• Going back to visit my hometown from over 45 years ago
• Caitlin & Bruce’s wedding (Incredible)!!!!,
• and finally our 40th college re-union at Plattsburgh.

 

Yes we have been on this Revolutionary Journey a long time and these were definitely some big time milestones this Fall…