June 1979 part 1

Nancy updates Jeff on Annie’s recent wedding to Danny Kelly, who remarkably resembles Jeff. She details the chaotic preparations at her home, including a massive nine-layer cake baked by Molly and George falling for Roberta’s supposedly broke boyfriend. Nancy recounts Dan’s funny rehearsal mishap, Ann’s emotional tears, and giving the couple a kitten named Baby Kitty. Despite Jeff’s allergies, he wanted to keep the cat. The night ended with friends partying on the patio, playing beer bottle toss, while Nancy apologized to neighbors for the noise. Well, good night. Friday night. And I was just getting ready. Well, we were sitting here tonight, George and Julie had come in this morning. Karen was over this afternoon, and she and Chris did a big job. This is a big project. They had the map all laid out, the pictures on the wall, the chairs where they used to have the place settings worked out. That was very sweet of them. It was very touching. You had everything so cleverly lined up that that was really tremendous. It seems so long since I've talked to you. Well, I probably have a lot to say, so I'll remind you. Oh, Friday night, I'm going to have a lot of fun. But anyway, the big wedding was two weeks ago. Annie's wedding. And you asked who did she marry. She married a guy by the name of Danny Kelly. Now she didn't bring him home one time before. But I don't, I don't think you met him at this time. I think you would have recognized him. The strange thing about this is, Jeff, everybody says, that looks like your son. He looks so much like you, he acts so much like you, it's unbelievable. And we're always wondering when you see him, I go, hey, by the way, what's one kid you let slip away, one you didn't get? He is your favorite boy. Anyway, George and Julie came down for the wedding. Wouldn't you know, George had stopped seeing that Roberta girlfriend. They fell madly in love. Now this guy's been telling Roberta for months. Now this is a guy that slept in the bed. I'll tell you about that guy. The guy slept in the bed. This guy keeps telling Roberta he doesn't have any money, he's broke, he's got no money, he's got a daughter, a daughter, a wife, two sons dying to be doctors, doesn't have any money, never has any money, never spends a cent. Meets George at the wedding, falls madly in love. And they're just doing the dance and just happy. Takes George out for drinks, comes over the next day, picks him up, takes him to Christine's workplace, pays for lunch, buys him lunch. Now Christine said he just came in the place, how sweet. Took Christine's car up to Chicago last week. Now, but this poor guy keeps telling Roberta all along the line he doesn't have any money, he's so broke. All of a sudden he met George and he's got this money you wouldn't believe. I wish you would have seen this house during the whole wedding episode. Well, first there was Ann, Ann dressed up as Annie's shower. Because Ann was making a lot of arrangements. And she couldn't have it down at her house because her mom and dad are not well, and they're just not up to all this taking off. So naturally the couple can't wait for me to have it at our house. So they had the shower here at our house. And then Annie, Ann's sister-in-law, plays window. By the way, she was robbed, so we don't, she ain't having her store. Can't make fun of Molly, but I'm very attracted to the thought of Molly. She does cakes as a hobby. So that was her wedding gift to Annie and Dan. She was going to make a wedding cake. Well, Roberta's stove was too small, so naturally she had to make the wedding cake here. They told me it was going to be a one-tier cake. It turned into a three-tier cake. And she's baking the cake here. And it turned out it was nine layers with little towers and flowers and everything. It was really beautiful. But she was on the second day of the cake when George and Julie showed up. And George walked in the house and she, oh my God, Nancy, why always your house? Why does everything have to happen at your house? I'm like, well, you told me this cake was only going to be one tier. And anyway, George said, well, it wouldn't be you and Mary. You guys, you open your house to anybody on the street. It wouldn't be the Kelleys if the house wasn't open. Not to belabor the subject of the wedding, but do you know what an episode your father is? Reminded me of myself. Well, as I told you, previous to, Dan gave Annie away because both had just gone years and couldn't afford it. The only kids that ever made anything themselves. He couldn't buy the actual ring, they just picked them up for the wedding. So Dan's giving Annie away. We're at the rehearsal. Dan has a big line, one line. The minister says, who gives this woman away? Dan's supposed to say, I do. Now that's all he rehearsed the last day of the wedding. So Dan, being a person who has such a captivated audience, he started out, the minister said, who gives this woman away? Dan said, twitters, noblers, and blinding men. To suffer the slings and arrows of misfortune. I believe Andy said your name twice and then she, well, she knew he couldn't make it. But you know, I think it'd be real nice if you sent her a little sign. Andy's always so adorable, so funny, but she knows. But I think she likes it better when it's written. To back up a little bit in time, this was a big wedding. Andy did graduate from college, so Roberta and I went up to the graduation. I had promised Roberta a long time ago, and I promised Andy I'd go to the graduation. So Roberta and I drove to Foxborough for the graduation. Now I want to tell you, I could see people staring at us from the second we got in. I said, who in the hell are those two women? Where did they come from? Jeff, I'm skipping back and forth from one thing to the other. Now I'm back to the wedding. Okay, the day of the wedding. Your sister cried. I knew I was going to cry at the wedding because weddings just break me up. And Ann was not only the maid of honor, but she was the mother of the bride. And I knew she was going to sing some song, some sort. So I don't know if you're familiar with my song or not, so I'll give you a little verse. It was little girl, I can't hide. It was little girl, the first time. I knew she was going to sing that song and I knew it was going to break me up. But your sister cried. I knew I was going to cry, but she cried unbelievable. I felt so sorry for her because Ann was thinking Andy got it all. And it should have been her. It was Andy got it all. If you hear scratching in the background, that's Charlie, the little dog. I told you a couple days ago, Charlie had one kitty. Now we call Charlie Miss Kitty. I'm sure you probably get the laugh at the word here. You know, Miss Kitty. So now we call Charlie Miss Kitty because she won't eat outside. She had that one baby. We call it Baby Kitty. We just call it Baby Kitty. And we gave one to Andy and Dan for a present. That was the main present that we gave. But Andy wanted cats, so we gave her Baby Kitty. And believe it or not, your father, who was always so allergic to cats, he wanted to keep that cat for himself. He said, everybody gets half of the cat but me. Why can't I keep this one for my own? Jeff, I know this tape is probably really long, but I'm going to throw it anyway. You know me. When you came into town, I was like, this time we're not going to just be a two-week away. We came up to the top of the hill, sat on the patio, George and his wife were making out. So we came down to the house. And people hadn't turned on the air conditioning, so it was hot. So everybody had their beer and wine and soda. We're sitting out on the patio, drinking beer, and they're having a pitching contest, who can hit the wastebasket with the beer bottle. Well, that was, you know, fun last night. Then when I saw the two of them up together, oh my god, the neighbors. So I went over and apologized to Bonnie and Bob, and apologized to the girls for drinking beer. What I was trying to say there was long-winded. First of all, I kept apologizing, I was saying, first of all, I thought I was 13. And I was saying, George, why couldn't you be a little bit older? But I think that's the new trend today. Girls are going for young guys. I'm 20, you're a guy, 23, you're already married, you're 18. Morning, Jeff. This is Saturday, June 9th. Sitting here in the play, just taped up. last night. And I realized that I had this whole big blank space here. Now for some reason or other, when you turn this over, you'll see a part of last night's letter right here. I don't know how I did that, but I guess because I was sitting here in the dark talking and drinking all by myself, that's probably how I made the mistake. But anyway, I got up this morning and I was going through your pictures again, and I was looking at the top one of you, of you, uh, seeing the pink dress. What on earth happened, darling? There was none of this girl's idea of a little dress like that for days. You didn't mention on your tape that you heard from, uh, Jenny Cram. She told me she wrote to you long ago, it must be a month ago now, that, you know, she really wants that blue wraparound dress you sent me for Christmas. And I know I told you earlier, I thought it was a little out of its way, being that wraparound is a summer wear, of course. Needless to say, it is out of the way. But, uh, I can't part with that. I can't let my have that. So I told her, I said, well, I gave her your address. I said, well, just write to Jeff. I'm sure he won't mind sending you one. Jeff, I could definitely tell the change in your voice when you last taped from when you started out, and then when you got on the subject of, uh, the kids you did a favor for, and almost ended up in a court martial. There was a definite change in your voice. Uh, Jeff, you're just too damn good. You ought to be the military man in the world, and I'm going to make sure someday you get that award. I've never seen anyone as good as you are. It's a beautiful, beautiful trait. But in this world, it's really, I know you think you should be that way, and that's the way everyone should be, but for some reason or other, the way people are nowadays, you do everybody a favor or a whole favor, and it seems like if you have to do it again, they just want to turn around and hurt you. But anyway, well, the only reason I'm telling you about this is because I noticed your voice was so bad after this ordeal. Uh, don't let it get to you, sweetheart. You are in the right. Like I say, you've got the world's patience and understanding. You are doing the right thing. If somebody wants to turn around and hurt you, that is going to be enough for them to settle it. It's not the world about it. So you get those spirits back up there. Super Fidelio, you know that stuff. I realize Super Fidelio is the daddy for engine service, and I hear it. I don't know what the name of the mother is. It takes anger away, but anyway, the point I was trying to get across is, you know, it's not the first person I've heard carry a cutlass in a modern life. It's not going to be the last person I've heard, which is disgusting as it is. Some people are naturally right. So all I can tell you is, get your spirits up there. Don't let it get you down. I wish I had some good juicy gossip for you, but honestly, there's not much happening around here. No, Richard and I just do a little bit on the slow side. The big thing now is that, uh, Roger and Terry, you know, Roger got out of the service. He's going to start a whole new life, get a new woman, and all this. Well, that lasted about a month. Now he's so insanely jealous of Terry, he can't see straight. And she was down here the other night with Neil up here, and she was here about five minutes before Neil was on that telephone. So I know you're down there picking up a story. Neil, just get up here right now. That's him getting married and stuff. Oh, what would dance clubs without me? Fluffy playing cards and I'm not even there. The world's greatest card player. Well, hey, listen, if I still have a couple of minutes here, I want to tell you. I have come up with the most beautiful, perfect occupation for you. I know you're interested in planes and airplanes and all that. I think you would be the world's greatest announcer. You, um, I think you'd be fantastic as a sports announcer. You're pretty to look at. You have a great speaking voice. And I think you should really give that a lot of consideration. Me too. But, oh, baby, stop. Let me tell you who was there. Mike Dow, Mike Sloan, Denny Petrullo, Steve Strong. Right. I hope you can make it different to you, but it was a little bit of last night on there and now a little bit of today on there. You figure it out. I got so many. But this house is so hot. I think damn the torpedoes or damn the electric bill. We are not closing up until the end. I can't, old woman, I can't take this heat. Hi, handsome. Well, now since it's Sunday, June 10th, see, we have three days on here. We went out to Roberta's this afternoon and lunchtime. We had brunch over there. It was really nice. And she talked Dad into letting me go to the air show with her for five days. I don't know, we just really took a little time off. I can just imagine what five days in the air was. Dad, I know you're sick and tired of my voice by now, but believe it or not, Dad is going to be on the stage someplace. I believe it's at the very end. But he had to come home and take his nap. He had a rough day today. But I was saying, yeah, I was wondering about Princess. She went out with a guy today that has an airplane. So he picked her up in his plane, and they were flying someplace to go to an air show today. But one of those little crummy planes, I bet she's scared to death.