Ok, last week THIS went down:

The ceremony was held outdoors at the “Del Favero Oasis” orchid garden in Tampa, at 5:30 in the evening, after a COLD front blew in, so all the lovely ladies wearing sexy dresses were freezing to death, including my wife!

Claire and Paul wrote beautiful vows, Paul’s best friend officiated the ceremony. This was the first wedding I’ve been to in which ZERO scripture was read, but that reflects Claire and Paul’s wishes. LOVE was certainly present, so I know that GOD was there as well, he just wasn’t mentioned. Oy.

I made these 2 videos from recent pics of my January wedding and Claire’s last week:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/7osxueJm-Lo

also …

That’s the Famous Ormond there dancing with Mom, Ormond has been Claire’s friend going back to high school, and he also worked for Balloon Distractions well into his college years. As you can see from the video he’s gone full Dame Edna, especially at the reception.

The entire extended family came down, both my sisters and my brother and all the kids, who are now grown up. Last night we got word that 15 yr old COLE had a seizure after he got home.

Please keep Cole in your prayers, or as I call him; “Coolio”.

As I write this on Monday morning it’s dark and rainy here in Florida, matching my mood as I pray for Coolio and wish him the best.

My sister Dani was blessed with three sons, and they were pretty rambunctious growing up! As their REALLY impatient uncle I never really got to know them (I also moved 1,000 miles south). I was too hard on her boys when I saw them.

Now her oldest son Alex is almost done with college, while Lucien and Cole are in high school. I’ve begun to appreciate how kind and gentle these boys truly are.

I feel bad for being annoyed by them when they were kids, they turned out to be great.

My twins are high energy and a lot to take sometimes, so I have more empathy for what Dani went through with THREE high energy boys in her house!

I hope everyone has a good week, I gotta get up and do stuff now.

Ben Alexander

March 10 : 2025