Thanks for sharing this momentous occasion..... What great fun and great reading.......families are so very very important.....Remember you roots......... Delores John Blair wrote: > > THE FAMILY REUNION > > by Cheralynn (Charlee) Wilson <charwil@nmia.com> > > > > It's summer, which means family reunions. Every other year, we > > have a reunion for my parents' descendants. My folks live in > > what was a "shelter over a picnic table" in New Mexico's Jemez > > mountains. It's grown to a 3-story permanent residence and has > > slept more than 50 people, 18 dogs, and a cat in a single week- > > end. This is where we congregate. > > Our reunions are not dull. The first one (1994) was so exciting > > we almost decided to cancel further reunions, figuring (hoping?) > > we'd never top it. Among the memorable events was the rappelling > > incident in which my eldest daughter caught her hair in a > > carabiner, and was suspended mid-way down a cliff. My brother, > > the ex-Marine, went down on a safety rope to free her. To do > > this, he required "The One Who Doesn't Hug" to entwine her legs > > and arms around his body. He planned to lift her enough to free > > her hair, but in doing so, managed to slip and get his T-shirt > > caught in his carabiner. Now they were both caught, and to make > > matters worse, his rope had slipped snugly around the most > > tender part of his anatomy. To free his T-shirt, he opened his > > pocket knife with his teeth and began sawing away at the > > material which was about two inches away from my daughter's > > face. Cut free, the added weight dropped them further, painfully > > tightening the noose on his nether regions. The sensation caused > > him to drop his open knife which fell point down into the > > ground, narrowly missing a nephew. At this point, my sister-in- > > law, who was filming the whole thing, ran out of tape, so we > > missed seeing how Brother and Daughter got out of the mess. > > Brother sang soprano for a few hours. A nearby rock-climbing > > class witnessed the proceedings open-mouthed. Some of them quitthe class. > > That night, after getting hordes of offspring to bed in tents, > > cars, lofts, etc., the adults settled down for a cup of hot > > chocolate. It began to rain -- a real frog-strangler, complete > > with sound and fury. Lightning struck, rattling windows. I > > yelled and grabbed a passing teenager, causing her to throw hot > > chocolate on several relatives who yelled and stampeded. Lights > > flickered. Another bolt hit with a loud crackle-boom. The lights > > went out. Mojo (our St. Bernard/Great Pyrenees puppy) went > > cracker-dog, yelping and running hysterically over and under > > furniture, triggering a round of the "Howlelujah Chorus" from > > the other dogs, whose owners began to shout and chase their > > dogs, stomping on people & critters and waking the children > > in the loft who began to scream because the lights were off. > > The Tent and Car People ran inside, wet and shaking. I crawled > > under a bed with one of the Siberian Huskies. Next morning, we > > found that a huge pine tree next to the cabin had been hit, > > exploding bark in all directions. To commemorate the occasion, > > the ex-Marine carved the date and event into a piece of the > > bark. It hangs in the family room today. > > During outdoor church services, one Siberian Husky found a > > porcupine, which goes to show what happens to dogs who don't > > attend church. What a mess! Hubby, who had found a semi- > > legitimate excuse to miss this reunion, got to share in the last > > part when we drove into town and picked him up on the way to the > > vet. When he heard about all the fun he'd missed, he got tears > > in his eyes, and we could tell he was sorry. > > Reunions are a lot of work, both for those planning and those > > attending. The ultimate test of family endurance happens when > > Mother's clan camps for four days in southern Colorado. There > > are more than 250 of us, not counting dogs and friends. It is > > not my idea of fun to pack everything we own and sleep in a tent > > with wet, cowering dogs inside and vicious wild animals and > > sneaky teen-aged relatives outside. I do not enjoy port-a- > > potties, especially by the fourth day when the pre-school boys > > in camp have figured out that the basin on the side is not for > > washing hands, and consider it a matter of honor to use it as it > > was intended. I am not fond of cooking on a Coleman stove, > > although, in the mountains, people expect all meals to taste > > basically the same -- burned or raw. I do not relish being hit > > with five gallons of water traveling at 30 miles per hour in the > > traditional water fight, although my sons-in-law tell me this is > > their favorite part. It's the only time they may abuse me with > > impunity. I do not like the 3 a.m. hike to the outhouse because > > I can't resist the bedtime Peppermint Patty (hot chocolate made > > with peppermint tea). It either rains, or it is dry and the > > talcum powder dust coats everything. > > So, why do I go? Maybe it's because I love to see all the little > > kids call each other "Cousin" -- they never bother to learn > > names. Maybe it's because we have kids with every shade of skin > > and hair, and two hours after we arrive, they're all the same > > color -- dust or mud. Maybe it's the demonic giggle from a five- > > year-old throwing a cup of water on his Nanny during the water > > fight, knowing this is the only time he'll ever get away with it. > > Maybe it's the clusters of teenagers plotting to put Ora-Jel in > > someone's toothpaste. Maybe it's the family church session or > > the visits around the campfire when we hear new jokes and old > > ghost stories. But, mostly, it's the magic it works on kids. In > > these troubled days, when families are crumbling, reunions give > > our children security in belonging. Whether they achieve great > > things, whether they are "just folks," or rotten as year-old > > eggs, they know that they are loved unconditionally. My kids > > don't want to miss a reunion and that's pretty impressive. > > * * * * * > > > > > > _______________________________________________________________ > > Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com > > > > > > ==== BLAIR-JACOB Mailing List ==== > > "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers" > > -----------------------------Proverbs 22:28---------------------- > > John Blair / Listowner / jblair@kalama.com > > ==== WALEWIS Mailing List ==== > Scan those PHOTOS, identify in writing who they are > and Protect Them for future generations! > John Blair/Listowner/ jblair@kalama.com