The Family Reunion

The trip to see our family met all my criteria for a good time: lots of family, food, and laughter. (I now sadly realize that I have just paraphrased one of McDonald’s short-lived slogans: “Food, Folks, and Fun.” But I’m going to ignore that and continue on…) Most of the visit consisted of sitting around and eating, while telling stories that started with “Remember when…?” and ended with everyone laughing in unison. We picked and ate fresh blueberries. And we ate every possible recipe that included blueberries: blueberry muffins, blueberry scones, and blueberry pancakes. (It’s no wonder that we didn’t turn into blueberries ourselves, like Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) My grandparents looked so happy at the anniversary party. They were surrounded by lots of family and friends, and my Dad gave a touching toast about how much they mean to all of us. One fun surprise at the party was a video that my uncle put together of all their old home (silent!) videos. There was actual footage of my grandparents’ wedding! And, it was in color! (Who knew that my grandparents were on the cutting edge of technology at that time?) It was fun to see the younger versions of them, smiling and waving at the camera. In one particularly funny scene, my grandfather (who is usually very quiet and reserved) dramatically dipped my grandmother and gave her a big kiss, followed by a big smile. Everyone loved Husband. Even though he had met most of my extended family at the wedding, this was his first chance to really talk to everyone and get to know them. My grandfather took a particular liking to Husband, giving him a personal tour of the farm. He even remarked to my mom that Husband was “top shelf.” (I think that means that he’s top notch. Or, maybe it means if Husband were a dust-collecting knick-knack, he’d be placed with honor on the top shelf. Really, it just means that he likes Husband.) It was a great trip. The only complaint could come from my running shoes, who sat in my suitcase completely neglected (except for use during a short walk with my cousins). But, after the long run this week, even they can’t complain.