Uncle Eddie and cousins Melodi, Carol, Dustina and Jessica at a reunion.
“List each of your aunts and uncles and tell one thing about each of them,” the slip of paper says.
Hmmm. My grandparents were rather prolific and I’m not sure about reader interest here in my family members, but the paper has spoken. I’ll do blood relatives first, spouses later. If you are journaling, this is the topic for the day. Please feel free to take a whack at it.
On my mother’s side:
JoEllen — She painted amazing seascapes and landscapes, many-colored strokes of chalk that could take you right to Pleasant Valley or the Oregon coast.
Patsy — She never learned to sauté the onions in the stuffing, but she relieved my mom of all but the most meager holiday duties (canned yams baked with butter and marshmallows) for many years, ensuring that we had holiday traditions.
Mary — She rescued Macaroni at a past family reunion, giving a big, smelly, homeless black dog a second chance.
Eddie — His personal life often seemed inexplicable and I have sometimes felt curious about his personal moral code.
My dad’s side:
Willis — He wrote poetry and made violins, and I would have liked to have known him better.
Orvis — I saw him once in an airport with my dad, but he did not recognize my dad. My dad wished him Merry Christmas as he stared in bafflement at dad, me and my friend Emel.
Ada — She struggled greatly with personal demons and an unfortunate marriage.
Vernon — He looked like a movie star from his time, handsome and debonair with a bit of the swashbuckler about him.
Merrill — He walked with long strides and had no idea how to talk to kids, making him a particularly likeable if mostly absent uncle.
Arthur (Art) — A bit bombastic, he lucked out in his marriage to Aunt Susie, a patient and tolerant woman.
Delois — Hoarding complicated her life enormously, but she always had style, grace and wit and retained vestiges of a young beauty until the end.
My maternal family has been integral to my life, my paternal family mostly absent. I was glad to recently rediscover my cousin Joan from dad’s side, a large group of relative strangers now mostly long-gone. I did know Vernon and Delois who visited sometimes. My father’s twin, Vernon, came out with my Aunt Betty every year during my childhood. Joan is the only paternal cousin I’d recognize. Those other cousin-strangers could be in Timbuctoo for all I know. Another maternal family reunion is coming up this month, one more large gathering by Mineral Lake. I’m excited to see everyone.
