A Delightful Announcement

My brother Timothy, the hirsute gentleman at left, is now engaged to the charming Abbie (who actually looks better with her eyes open, but that was the best picture I had). *claps hands and squeals excitedly*

It was Timothy's concerns about the logistics of proposals that inspired my earlier post on the subject. In the event, however, the questions proved irrelevant, as he proposed more or less accidentally. He was planning to propose next month, but, in the course of one of those long rambling conversations about life, the universe, and *us*, the beans were spilled, so he decided to just go ahead and ask. Which being accepted, the two of them went to her parents' house to ask permission, and then to the breakwater to watch the stars, and only the next day got around to thinking about buying a ring.

I am rather afraid, though, that the poor boy has no idea what he is getting himself into - not regarding the marriage, but the wedding. When I last talked to him, he seemed somewhat disturbed by the fact that Abbie's best friend, within two minutes of hearing of their engagement, had pulled out her bridal magazines and was poring over them with Abbie. I assured him that this was a normal female reaction, and that he should merely resign himself to being an acessory to a relentlessly feminine event.