It’s Monday of The Week My Family Gets Together in One Place and i am giddy with anticipation. This week-end we changed sheets, knocked off the dust, and stocked up the upstairs living quarters for the jose’ family. The tasks were interrupted with news that an old friend of ours had died friday: wayne, wayner, melissa’s godfather and general good-example-of-what-meth-will-do-to-your-brain-even-after-you-stop-using. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer about 5 weeks ago. at the funeral home, i learned from his nurse-sister-in-law that his cancer was “everywhere” and that it had taken awhile to learn the primary, so it is good that he died without more suffering or lingering. however, i am tearful over the loss to his mother and daughter and wife. these things renew my ambition to live each day fully alive.
still no idea when the jose’s will be here, but i do know that my aunt thelma, aunt shirley and cousin linda will be here sometime tuesday for a visit. aunt thelma is 89 and a good-example-of-what-Godly-living-will-do-to-your-brain-if-you-never-stop-praying. i’m looking forward to seeing them; shirley’s been here before, the others haven’t. they call the place my “estate”, a phrase coined by my cousin kim; i’m not so sure it’s all that, but i’m thrilled to share it with them.
though our Family Fest will be sunday, don’t forget that ALL are welcome ANYTIME to drop in. oh, la, we have a hillbilly golf, too, but were a little concerned over uncontrolled golfballs flying around. casey will be happy to find that i’m just being paranoid.
nobody’s gonna get this smile off my face.
sorry for the absence; trying not to bore you with the griping, frankly. however, i know you’re all anxiously awaiting your invitation to sonnystone for the Homecoming Festivities. i don’t know any more than you do about when melissa will arrive, but by next friday we’ll all be together and you are invited to drop by anytime, honestly.
Family Day will be sunday afternoon, not sure what time, but don’t plan anything else for next sunday after church. Pictures, Food, Kids, Drinks, you name it, we’ll have it. oh, and we’re putting up the croquet set, getting out the washers, and filling up the pool.. i’ll let you know details later. have a great smiling day.
this year the freedom fest broke away from the boat races and we all know that the freedom fest sucked: no cameras, no coolers, no alcohol, no fun. this thunder event is better than ever with a bbq sponsored by rib america. it’s just lots and lots of bbq and we’re determined to try them all. last night we had to figure out what was where and it was unbelievably better and bigger than any fest on the riverfront we’ve ever been to. the opening band was marshall tucker, a long-time fave of mine and the area around the bandstand had even more bbq shacks and several beer areas. we got a refillable pitcher and were lovin’ the music until the wind blew in a downpour. the crowd ran for cover and we made it over to the museum, soaked. it’s been years since i walked, clothes drenched, through the rain and i felt very young and happily smiling.
check out our new baby swing. i’d spotted one up at the haubstadt antique mall that i thought was $15, but when i got back up there it was $39, so i didn’t buy. this one was marked $10, but the lady immediately brought down the price to $5! we’ll have it in great shape for olivia’s visit. i’m not sure if emma is big enough for the tire swing yet, so we’re going to find a nice tree for the “big girl” swingseat, too.
i’m puffy from the heat and a little grumpy, sleepy, and dopey—3 dwarves in one. too bad there wasn’t a dwarf named smiley, i’d be him, too.
in fact, let me tell you: in 1969 i was only 16, so all i heard of woodstock was that something happened with a bunch of hippies on the east coast–something about a rock concert. it was when the album and movie were released (simultaneously) that we ALL went to woodstock. i saw it at Theatre A, an arts theatre down by The Pub, and was entranced. it was the forerunner of music video; the interviews with the naked, high audience were forgettable and the music and performers impressed me as if i were a child. i had 2 jobs, plenty of money to blow, so i bought the $12.98, 3-record album during the summer before my senior year of high school. my dad loved the “fish cheer” and when my mom heard him playing it over and over downstairs, she had a hissy-fit. during spring break that school-year (1971) we went down to florida and i ended up in ft. lauderdale where there was a movie theatre that played woodstock 24hrs-at-a-time; you could pay $2 and spend the night (or afternoon or morning, depending on when you needed to sleep) with the movie looping around you. that was my woodstock.
but what’s this got to do with 29 years of marriage? just throw that peace sign up into the air and yell: HIGHER!!! (it’ll do you no harm)
