Okay, here goes.... clear throat...
There are so many friends here that I feel truly honoured to be doing this- Thank you Craig for being funny so that I don't have to.
I'd just like to share some thoughts about Mel....
I think when we think of Mel, we think of her as outgoing and sparkling with a real thirst for life. Mel has always been like this. Ever since we were kids, she had a great imagination that has been lived out later in art and travel. We grew up building huts, climbing trees, swimming in the river and THEN she grew up to build a home, a garden, a beautiful relationship and instead of swimming across rivers, she's crossed and is crossing again oceans to see the world. Instead of riding on the back of her mother's bike, she's taking the handle bars and pedalling her way across New Zealand.
Always one for the actors.... Charlie, of course.... Mel herself has played and continues to play many starring roles- not just because of her Marilyn Munroe looks and glamour. She hasn't just played a role in my life but more importantly in that of her close family who she cares for deeply. She's also played a prize role in the lives of her friends, a lot of whom are here today as a testimony of how fabulous she is. And this isn't even mentioning the HUGE role she plays in the life of her gran who she loves and supports with a maturity and sense of responsibility that I can only admire and just adds to the overall respect we all feel for her and is one great example of how she touches and betters those around her- sometimes just with her beamer smile!
I just want to read from a touching email from one of Mel's close friends, Fran, who describes these many roles she juggles...
I picture Mel running in the park with Millhouse, while blue-toothing her gran's solicitor, meanwhile in the oven at home a pie made with
homegrown gooseberries is baking in the oven for friends coming round for tea, folks all over the world are bidding on Ebay for Mel's furniture, and a dozen artists are following Mel's instructions
about an exhibition she has organized. And this is just a 15 minute snapshot.
And this is all 'Action Mel'. When the cameras are off, she's incredibly thoughtful and deep. A thinker and reader at heart, she's quite private but to those who are privileged to be her friend, she's open, spontaneous and really caring. When I told my parents Mel had sent me an email to make sure I hadn't been caught in the landslides in Sicily, my dad said, "Oh really, we didn't know there were any!"... yet Mel was on the case!
And now she's FINALLY marrying Charlie- how long have you been trying to get her to say 'yes'?
And they're brilliant together- you know with some couples you phone YOUR friend and the boyfriend picks up and you have to live through some awful stammering small talk? Well, with Charlie, when he picks up you feel as loved and valued as if you'd got through to Mel herself..... Gives good hugs too. This couple are great, they've been tried and tested and they've come out stamped with the GFI mark on them and 5 stars. (Let me explain, GHI Good Housekeeping Institute GFI Good Friends Institute).
We are all thankful to them both for being so fantastic...and, for me, particularly, to Mel, who's been in my life for, at least twice a year, for the last 24 years and has made my life a better experience. I'LL MISS HER! As will her friends for, quote Fran, for being such a 'frigging unbelievable guru', a willing ear, a helpful hand and a beautiful and lively presence in our lives.
Just to bring this cheese to an end, I was reflecting on Mel and the more I said her name, the more I thought of the words that rhyme and I thought I would share a poem with you....
Every time a word rhymes with Mel, my assistant here will ring the bell.
Apologies, I've changed it because I now have 3 beautiful assistants, Mandy, Laura and Rowena and please feel free to join in when you get how it goes...
Every time a word rhymes with Mel, my assistantS here will ring the bell...s
I can't write speeches very well, (ping...first time was crap, they timing was well off!)
But what the hell, (ping etc.)
Let me tell you about Mel.
She's the pearl in the shell,
Her beautiful smile and winning chat cast the spell,
There's no doubt why Charlie fell,
for such a belle,
And they really gel.
No-one else runs parallel...
Or maybe Millhouse, if he didn't smell.
This marriage will go swell,
Across the oceans, they will tra-vel,
and in each other's love, they will re-vel,
As they ride life's carousel,
And I wish you both very well,
Let's all raise a glass,
TO CHARLIE AND MEL!
There are so many friends here that I feel truly honoured to be doing this- Thank you Craig for being funny so that I don't have to.
I'd just like to share some thoughts about Mel....
I think when we think of Mel, we think of her as outgoing and sparkling with a real thirst for life. Mel has always been like this. Ever since we were kids, she had a great imagination that has been lived out later in art and travel. We grew up building huts, climbing trees, swimming in the river and THEN she grew up to build a home, a garden, a beautiful relationship and instead of swimming across rivers, she's crossed and is crossing again oceans to see the world. Instead of riding on the back of her mother's bike, she's taking the handle bars and pedalling her way across New Zealand.
Always one for the actors.... Charlie, of course.... Mel herself has played and continues to play many starring roles- not just because of her Marilyn Munroe looks and glamour. She hasn't just played a role in my life but more importantly in that of her close family who she cares for deeply. She's also played a prize role in the lives of her friends, a lot of whom are here today as a testimony of how fabulous she is. And this isn't even mentioning the HUGE role she plays in the life of her gran who she loves and supports with a maturity and sense of responsibility that I can only admire and just adds to the overall respect we all feel for her and is one great example of how she touches and betters those around her- sometimes just with her beamer smile!
I just want to read from a touching email from one of Mel's close friends, Fran, who describes these many roles she juggles...
I picture Mel running in the park with Millhouse, while blue-toothing her gran's solicitor, meanwhile in the oven at home a pie made with
homegrown gooseberries is baking in the oven for friends coming round for tea, folks all over the world are bidding on Ebay for Mel's furniture, and a dozen artists are following Mel's instructions
about an exhibition she has organized. And this is just a 15 minute snapshot.
And this is all 'Action Mel'. When the cameras are off, she's incredibly thoughtful and deep. A thinker and reader at heart, she's quite private but to those who are privileged to be her friend, she's open, spontaneous and really caring. When I told my parents Mel had sent me an email to make sure I hadn't been caught in the landslides in Sicily, my dad said, "Oh really, we didn't know there were any!"... yet Mel was on the case!
And now she's FINALLY marrying Charlie- how long have you been trying to get her to say 'yes'?
And they're brilliant together- you know with some couples you phone YOUR friend and the boyfriend picks up and you have to live through some awful stammering small talk? Well, with Charlie, when he picks up you feel as loved and valued as if you'd got through to Mel herself..... Gives good hugs too. This couple are great, they've been tried and tested and they've come out stamped with the GFI mark on them and 5 stars. (Let me explain, GHI Good Housekeeping Institute GFI Good Friends Institute).
We are all thankful to them both for being so fantastic...and, for me, particularly, to Mel, who's been in my life for, at least twice a year, for the last 24 years and has made my life a better experience. I'LL MISS HER! As will her friends for, quote Fran, for being such a 'frigging unbelievable guru', a willing ear, a helpful hand and a beautiful and lively presence in our lives.
Just to bring this cheese to an end, I was reflecting on Mel and the more I said her name, the more I thought of the words that rhyme and I thought I would share a poem with you....
Every time a word rhymes with Mel, my assistant here will ring the bell.
Apologies, I've changed it because I now have 3 beautiful assistants, Mandy, Laura and Rowena and please feel free to join in when you get how it goes...
Every time a word rhymes with Mel, my assistantS here will ring the bell...s
I can't write speeches very well, (ping...first time was crap, they timing was well off!)
But what the hell, (ping etc.)
Let me tell you about Mel.
She's the pearl in the shell,
Her beautiful smile and winning chat cast the spell,
There's no doubt why Charlie fell,
for such a belle,
And they really gel.
No-one else runs parallel...
Or maybe Millhouse, if he didn't smell.
This marriage will go swell,
Across the oceans, they will tra-vel,
and in each other's love, they will re-vel,
As they ride life's carousel,
And I wish you both very well,
Let's all raise a glass,
TO CHARLIE AND MEL!
Our wedding ceremnony was yesterday in Brisbane, photo's to follow soon but it was really a perfect day - Charlie will add his blog about it soon...
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