Can I be a lost family member and come next reunion??? :o) I loved the story.. don't think that my family can top that but we do have a great time together ... Dina (woods) Werho Stockton Ca -----Original Message----- From: John Blair <jblair@kalama.com> To: WALEWIS-L@rootsweb.com <WALEWIS-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, August 04, 1999 10:47 PM Subject: [WALEWIS-L] An interesting reunion > >> 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 > >