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My wife and I took an interesting three hour trip to Texarkana today, to my family's reunion. Let's gloss over the part about how we arrived two hours early, because I had missed the e mail about how it was going to start at 1 and not 11 a.m. Let's also skip over the part in which we were nonetheless a half an hour late, because
I went to the Knights of Columbus hall in Texarkana, Texas, instead of the Knights of Columbus Hall in Texarkana, Arkansas. We can tarry for a moment for the Saturday night users of the Texas side hall, who were fervently working to restore the hall to good working order what appeared to have been a really swinging soul dance party with more cigarette ashes remaining behind than a Marlboro convention in Kentucky.
Let's especially skip over the part in which I needlessly snapped at my wife when she reached the conclusion that I did not see a passing car I did see, as I worked to sort out the directions.
We might even skip how we stopped at the little Texarkana lake park, a favorite of mine, for a morning walk, because its rather algal state was only partially mitigated by the mother duck with her six little ducklings and the amazing number of red-winged blackbirds.
I love my family, because they are in the main kind and interesting people. It was great to see my sister, now living in Alabama, and my niece and nephew. I had not seen my brother in weeks, though we live in the same area. My father and his wife made an appearance, which was great, and we got great family pictures. I saw uncles, aunts, and cousins, although, as if the way of an 80 person family reunion, I did not recognize most of my more distant cousins. I needed a scorecard, I think. It was great to catch up with many people who are important to me, perhaps more important than I actually manage to express.
Two third cousins broke into song with "Every Rose has its Thorn" at exactly the point in which, when I was 15, some cousin would have sung Chicago's "Colour My World", while "Hotel California" occupied the niche that might have been taken by Three Dog Night's "Pieces of April", and a traditional gospel hymn filled the space that in my teen years might have been occupied by "How Great Thou Art". Though the singers and musicians were tuneful and talented, I was pleased when they stopped singing, as I want to visit relatives and not be a concert-goer.
We drove back home tonight, after a very enjoyable afternoon. We headed to Market Street grocery and had huge salads, and then we came home and walked our dogs in a cool breeze. Scissortail flycatcher birds are everywhere. The mallard ducks on the park pond have two ducklings which are nearly grown. Tiny bunnies stood stock-still by the swimming pool. We watched "inspector lewis" on television, and pondered the mail.
I went to the Knights of Columbus hall in Texarkana, Texas, instead of the Knights of Columbus Hall in Texarkana, Arkansas. We can tarry for a moment for the Saturday night users of the Texas side hall, who were fervently working to restore the hall to good working order what appeared to have been a really swinging soul dance party with more cigarette ashes remaining behind than a Marlboro convention in Kentucky.
Let's especially skip over the part in which I needlessly snapped at my wife when she reached the conclusion that I did not see a passing car I did see, as I worked to sort out the directions.
We might even skip how we stopped at the little Texarkana lake park, a favorite of mine, for a morning walk, because its rather algal state was only partially mitigated by the mother duck with her six little ducklings and the amazing number of red-winged blackbirds.
I love my family, because they are in the main kind and interesting people. It was great to see my sister, now living in Alabama, and my niece and nephew. I had not seen my brother in weeks, though we live in the same area. My father and his wife made an appearance, which was great, and we got great family pictures. I saw uncles, aunts, and cousins, although, as if the way of an 80 person family reunion, I did not recognize most of my more distant cousins. I needed a scorecard, I think. It was great to catch up with many people who are important to me, perhaps more important than I actually manage to express.
Two third cousins broke into song with "Every Rose has its Thorn" at exactly the point in which, when I was 15, some cousin would have sung Chicago's "Colour My World", while "Hotel California" occupied the niche that might have been taken by Three Dog Night's "Pieces of April", and a traditional gospel hymn filled the space that in my teen years might have been occupied by "How Great Thou Art". Though the singers and musicians were tuneful and talented, I was pleased when they stopped singing, as I want to visit relatives and not be a concert-goer.
We drove back home tonight, after a very enjoyable afternoon. We headed to Market Street grocery and had huge salads, and then we came home and walked our dogs in a cool breeze. Scissortail flycatcher birds are everywhere. The mallard ducks on the park pond have two ducklings which are nearly grown. Tiny bunnies stood stock-still by the swimming pool. We watched "inspector lewis" on television, and pondered the mail.
