Mid-September
Sep. 18th, 2012 05:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sinistraIn New London for the afternoon, a combination of errands and catching up with two of my sisters. It is amazing how quickly things fall into place after just a week or two back at school, really - I’ve been working tidily through my list and plans, and it’s so satisfying to see things checked off.
The weather, alas, not so much - we’ve had some glorious stargazing weather the last week, but I’m afraid it’s the last gasps before the far more uncertain days of the fall and winter.
Temp - thanks again for rounding more of those up. And for the other set of used-book searching, too. Gilly - no worries that you had to cancel, I found other company, but next week? Could do lunch at one.
The weather, alas, not so much - we’ve had some glorious stargazing weather the last week, but I’m afraid it’s the last gasps before the far more uncertain days of the fall and winter.
Temp - thanks again for rounding more of those up. And for the other set of used-book searching, too. Gilly - no worries that you had to cancel, I found other company, but next week? Could do lunch at one.
Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-18 10:23 pm (UTC)Anyway. The first was all hearty and .. well. Elaborate office, best of everything, and the grandest plans imaginable. Winged chariots descending from the sky, tulle draped cherubs, out of season flowers individually charm tinted to match the attendant robes. Daft proposals involving falcons. More than that, I think a number of her suggestions would be security nightmares (and she just brushed past that).
The second one - well, Pomona, do you remember Briony Fleet? She was about a year behind Diane. Not improved by age and all wanting to push her friends and connections. Except that - well, Temp gave me a list of caterers I absolutely must avoid. Among whom were the ones Briony recommended. (Temp has a ranking system of the kitchens most likely to treat their female and muggleborn staff badly, and they’re near top of the list.)
Beyond that, there was something off in her approach to accounting - all the language that makes it easier to hide skimming that Dad’s taught me. And that was before she got to the bit about product placement. All shiny and modern and sharp, but entirely lacking any sense of history in more than one way.
The last one, though - you might both remember Tallie Powell, left school in 86. She’d been doing event planning for Harrod’s, struck off on her own this spring. She’s young, and this would be her first big wedding, but - she’s the only who made me feel like she’d actually thought about the specifics. Us, as opposed to some generic couple. Yet. She is really young. And it’s not as if I really know what I’m doing. And I’m quite sure Narcissa - and various others - will make a meal of it if anything goes wrong.
Poppy: Can I put off my obligatory annual visit to you till Friday? I’m free 3 till supper. And Pomona, thank you again for Sunday. Right. Sage’s here. I’ll be back tonight, if you need anything, though Raz is expecting me as soon as he’s done with duelling club.
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 03:01 am (UTC)Not that staging spectacles replete with winged chariots is any less ridiculous, mind. But that's a matter of taste rather than basic business sense.
Product placement? What in Merlin's name? In any case, I'd say that following your sister's recommendations with respect to catering is an excellent idea if for no reason other than her direct experience of the matter.
So the last one was Miss Powell? Well! I do remember her. Bless.
I do see your dilemma. It would be lovely to support a young business witch, but perhaps not at the cost of one's peace of mind. I sense, though, that your instinct is to trust her. You might, at least, invite her to make a proper, detailed bid for the job--and see whether it all looks in order?
And, yes, of course, you may shift your visit with me to Friday. Particularly if you'll agree to tea, as well.
By the way, I thought it best to reply first to Dolores first, rather than appear to be conspiring with you on my answer to her query. Not that it would have changed my response a jot or tittle, of course.
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 03:06 am (UTC)On that note, I have an appointment next week to try on robes from the rack, with all sorts of codicils about how anything I picked would need extensive alterations, and so on and so forth. I'm rather treating it more pragmatically: a chance to be more certain of what I want, and then arranging exactly the thing made to specification. (Especially since nine in ten of the robes I've seen so far are far too ornate for my tastes, and the half the remaining ones wouldn't suit me at all.) Narcissa, thankfully, is amused by the errand, and at least if I trust to her advice, I'll look good in the end.
Back to the planners - no, quite. The first two are entirely impossible, I entirely intend to trust Temp's advice on catering. (She's given me three names so far, and is checking on details for a few others).
But it is Tallie's age that's a concern, yes. And she hasn't nearly the business connections for all the various necessary things (well, everyone else seems to think they're necessary) yet. But I am inclined to trust her, yes.
First, she actually looked at the specifics - had a decent idea of the necessary size of the thing, some recommendations for spaces that would hit the right note (elegant, but not overdone), a way to balance the various obligatory events. She's the only one who recognised the complications of creating an event that might be vaguely comfortable for both some of my family and friends, and Raz's.
But she comes well-recommended too, through an odd connection. You might remember I passed a very pleasant summer with Chimera Powell in 89, when we were doing research together? Tallie's his cousin, and he says she's got his eye for detail and his knack for implication, and I honestly can't think of higher praise than that. (In contrast, what I get out of him about Miss Clearwater, whom he hired as an assistant after she left school, is that she's diligent, and he supposes she's learning quickly enough. Not unhappy, but nowhere near the praise Tallie got.)
Friday it is, and tea, certainly. And thank you for threading that needle with Dolores - both because I want to save the 5ths difficulty, and because I'm hoping it works her round to being a bit more reasonable with me.
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 03:37 am (UTC)At the end, even if every piece of the planning goes awry and every detail falls short, the point is to marry Rabastan and to begin your life together in the presence of people you care about (and any number of other people you also feel obliged to ask along as spectators). And, yes, if the decorative bits all go pear-shaped, there will be articles in the gossip rags, and people will talk, but you'll be no less married to the wizard you love. And you'll have stories to tell and retell across the years. Particularly the ones at the expense of any of your acquaintance with the bad grace to act sour about petty details.
I'm quite looking forward to it.
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 03:54 am (UTC)You are very right that the point is to be married, and to Raz. (And I said as much to him myself earlier today.) There's just so much idiocy people seem to try and attach to the whole thing, and I gather that's only going to get worse. I intend to fling myself on the twin pillars of family tradition and Raz's preferences. (Raz's preference is that we arrange this thing with minimal misery to both of us. He'd be happy to elope, except that's clearly not possible if we want anyone ever to speak to us again.)
I am going to rely on both of you, you know, to help me keep my good humour, mind you.
Right. Quick note to him, and then I'm teaching.
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 11:55 am (UTC)Many happy returns to you, and I hope the day treats you wonderfully. I have a little something for your office - we can figure out when I should bring it up later today. So sorry I didn't get a chance to reply last night, but we had the usual round of first year wobbles one expects. (Overwhelmed by the work, and scared they're going to fail everything miserably, nothing difficult) and it took a while to sort out.
Poppy has, I see, been her exceedingly sensible self. I do remember Briony Fleet, yes, and i must say, that doesn't quite surprise me. She always was one of those girls who wanted to know everyone's family connections so she could make use of them. (And there was always something a little unsavoury about - was that her brother or her cousin - anyway, one of our slightly more distant exam potion mishaps.
(You'd told me about Tempest's list. Is she still doing well, then, at her current place? You'd mentioned she was hopeful.)
I did also have a - well, productive - conversation with Antonin. He promises to ask you further about a number of topics relating to recent history, as we were so short on time. Do let me know if there's things you don't get to, though, as we want to get him up to speed as quickly as we can. And I'd like to discuss him and his class a little further with you when we get a chance, and get your impressions in more detail.
Right. I should wander to breakfast. Do take joy in the day, my dear, and we'll try to keep tonight's meeting short for you. (Well, ourselves, too, but.)
Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey and Pomona Sprout
Date: 2012-09-19 03:55 pm (UTC)And yes, on the wedding plans - Diane sent one of those huge photographic books that illustrates the kind of overblown thing we're quite hoping to avoid. (Large wedding, yes, but surely that needn't mean unending spectacle? Or am I just deluding myself?)
As to Temp - she's doing a lot better, actually. Worked off her feet, mind you, but she's loving the current place and they're treating her well. For a change. (Until she started this cooking thing, I had no idea how many places treated their staff that badly.)
Right. Down for lunch, see you there.
A.