Last week, I traveled to the States for my younger sister's wedding. The few days beforehand were a blur of wedding preparation and seeking to calm a nerve-rattled sister. Right up until the moment of truth, she seemed a little panicked. But when she walked down the aisle on our father's arm, she was absolutely beautiful. She and her groom beamed at each other, never losing one another's eyes.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel; I thought maybe I'd cry. But in reality, I couldn't stop smiling. They'd made it through five years and a lot of difficulty to this day, and it was clear they were deeply in love.

It was amazing to see the little sister I once viewed as nothing more than a nuisance, grown into a beautiful, poised, confident, intelligent and funny human being who is one of my best friends on earth. In a strange sort of a way, her getting married makes her seem somehow—not older than me per se, but simply entered into a very grown-up realm of life I have not experienced yet. I'm extremely happy for her and her husband.

In other changes, my first foster kitty, Emerald, has found a permanent home. Her adopter will be coming to pick her up in two days. Again, I'm not entirely certain how I'll feel. I'll miss her, I know. I've grown surprisingly attached to the furry, vocal little bundle of demanding love. I'm happy for her to find a good home, and already looking forward to my next foster cat, Camille. Apparently, Camille is an energetic handful who "needs to learn that play biting is not appropriate." Should be interesting...

I went back to the States this weekend for my sister's wedding shower. Wedding showers are normally something I loathe and despise and avoid like the plague, but this is my sister. So I went, enjoyed the short time I got to hang out with her around the shower, and enjoyed the shower for her sake. Particularly because I got to be the photographer and not take part in the games. There's nothing wrong with wedding showers per se, it's just "too much estrogen in one room", as I like to say.

I also got some exciting photos of dead fish. Very exciting photos of dead fish. We went for a walk along a pier on the lake and it was scattered with small, dead, dried and/or bloated, blackened dead fish. We were puzzled. We were mystified. We were mildly horrified. But, it made for a great photographic subject. I shall post the best one or two on Flickr for you to...enjoy.

And lest this post be simply frivolous, I add that I read a book this weekend that I believe everyone should read. OK, that's a sweeping statement, but I believe it.

I started out by reading Boundaries in Dating by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend. I don't date, but it is applicable to any romantic relationship, with principles also applicable to any relationship, period. I found myself wanting to read their seminal work, Boundaries. Voila, my wish was granted this weekend as my sister lent me her copy. I finished it on the bus on the way home, and let me say, it is revolutionary. It will change the way you think, the way you view life, and the way you view relationships. I feel I have grown about ten feet tall from it, and I will be recommending it to many people. I also hope to review it in detail here someday, once my first loanee friend finishes it. Summary: get it, read it.