Community & Clubs:

Last week was a long, yet wonderful week. Our daughter, Stacy, married Kyle Howard on Saturday, but the bad weather on the East Coast caused a lot of worry. Kyle settled in Southern California two years ago, having been born and raised in the Boston area.

First, Father Joe, the priest who was to marry them, couldn’t get out of Pittsburgh because of the snowstorms. Fortunately, the family’s priest from Boston arrived Tuesday to attend the wedding and enjoy the desert weather. He was able to lead the marriage ceremony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Palm Desert on Saturday.

Stacy’s aunt Harriet was snowed in at her home in Washington, D.C. Kyle’s parents, John and Nancy Howard, had their Wednesday flight from Providence, R.I., canceled and rescheduled several times before I picked them up at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday night and drove to Rancho Mirage, in time for John and I to attend the final minutes of spur of the moment bachelor party at the Tilted Kilt.

Kyle’s two brothers and sister and their children’s flights did depart on time, and they arrived at the Palm Springs airport as did many of their friends and family members Thursday and Friday.

We lost the attendance of 18 wedding guests because of the weather or health problems at the last minute. We were blessed to have in attendance many of our longtime family friends from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

Other than the East Coast weather, the wedding went off without a hitch. Daughter Jodi Drysdale was the maid of honor. Stacy’s high school classmates, Lev Gorla Schneider and Kelly McGuy Harrison, were the bridesmaids. Our grandson, Parker Drysdale, and Kyle’s nephews from Norfolk, Mass., served as ring bearers, and Ashley Harrison and twins Mollly and Kylie Lindo were the flower girls.

Our neighbors at Rancho Las Palmas Country Club opened their homes and patios to host more than 80 guests to the rehearsal dinner. The Sacred Heart Church is a busy one. Right after the wedding service finished, congregation members started to arrive for the late afternoon Mass. The church will hold 3,500 people for worship service, so people arrive early to get a seat.

The Indian Wells Country Club was a great setting for the wedding reception and dinner. And more than 100 guests attended brunch Sunday morning at the Rancho Las Palmas Country Club.

Because so many of the guests came from the East Coast and decided to make a vacation out of the trip, the couple decided to stay in the desert. They will honeymoon this summer.

NEWPORT-BALBOA FUNDRAISER

The Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will hold a fundraiser Feb. 27 at the Tee Room. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with complimentary champagne, no-host bar, hors d’oeuvres, music and dancing, casino games, poker tournament and auctions. Tickets can be bought for $50 at (949) 721-8223.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

— Mother Teresa

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TODAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s Restaurant, 290 Bristol St., Costa Mesa.

Noon: The 20-member Exchange Club of Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

5:15 p.m.: The 10-member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Ramada Inn & Suites, 1680 Superior Ave., Costa Mesa. Visit www.costamesarotary.org.

6 p.m.: The 65-member Rotary Club of Newport Balboa meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a program by Tarig Shama, who will speak about his visits to Amman, Jordan; Doha, Qatar and Dubai. Visit www.newportbalboa.org.

6 p.m.: Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor meets at Zonta Clubhouse, 245 Fisher Suite A & C, Costa Mesa for a program on Women In Philanthropy and New Member Reception. Visit www.soroptimistnha.org.

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Wednesdays. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com .