Isn't it funny how life goes on?
Connor doing Connor things,
Dr appointments for the geriatrics.
Wedding plans for those adorable Tulsans.
Roger running.
Ian traveling.
You unpack after the reunion trip and start to pack up for something else.
Carpet cleaning needs planning.
Work.
Oil changed.
Dogs walked, petted.
Go to school, play.
The rhythm of days.
Lives lived out in the smaller moments.
Necessary moments.
The dinners cooked and shared with family.
Onions peeled.
No one aspires to onion peeling, but we do it often, regularly, for the fellowship and feeding of our family.
Rocking babies, gardening, fishing.
Yes, the big moments arrive, Costa Rica anyone?
But big moments are tied together with a string of day in - day out.
Destination weddings still need underwear packed.
Many conversations we have had around the kitchen table included,
"Let's have another cup of coffee and talk about it."
It doesn't have to be big and grand to be meaningful.
Many conversations led up to picking green beans, painting fences.
Grand only in sharing, experiencing, helping, loving.
One step at a time, one day at a time, one life at a time.
We flow through gentle rains, down country lanes.
We see things; small things;
colored leaves, colored glass, colored birds.
No Grand Canyon every day.
Even multiple re-runs of I Love Lucy.
Small times, laughs, mundane days
Baby steps to bright new beginnings.
Baby steps to the next day, the next love, bed, night time sleep.
Small things.
Sun rises, sun sets, a moon every night.
Nothing special.
A heart full of love for small things.
Like Jeff's flag line. One flag at a time.
Reunion. People gathering one person at a time.
Look at Amber's FB post today, the poem about What Will Matter, by Michael Josephson.
Small things,
Small things matter.
Friday, October 30, 2015
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Taylor Family Reunion part Deux
Ooops, I forgot and age has nothing to do with it.
Absolute Master of the Flag Line, Captain Jeff
...and
His Sister Julia.
...and the freaking delicious Pizza Bread.
Is everyone happy now? Mike's Pizza Bread has been mentioned, high-lighted, showcased, praised, and immortalized. If you know Mike Noland -- insist, INSIST, he make it for YOU.
Goodie Box and Ghost Stories
Sit down and relax, I have a lot to say and it might take a while.
Goodie Box and Ghost Stories:
How did the kiddos keep emptying the goodie box? How many $20.00 refills did it take? How far could Branson crawl inside? How many goodies could Branson eat? Connor? How many adults had their fair share of Oatmeal Cream Pies?
Goodies came in handy during night time ghost stories. Connor went on a fact finding mission to ascertain the truth of the "scary Annie doll with red eyes who goes oooh oooh waving her hands" while sitting in the dark time tent" It was real he said, Michael saw it. He was not satisfied with the it is just-a-ghost-story theory" He was satisfied with the report that it might have been taillights going up the hill. Sounded logical enough. Who said Michael told a ghost story good enough to scare himself?
Snakes and Zombies:
Jackson wasn't too sure about hiking up the hill,
at night,
in the dark,
past where the snake slithered up the tree over his tent,
and after all the zombie movie talk around the campfire.
Two scary things was one scary thing too much. Auntie Ber came through, of course. It think it was even worse than being kissed by his sister.
His tent was abandoned for that night.
Until it was moved.
In the daylight.
Away from the tree.
Flag Lines and Fish Fries:
The biggest success had to of been the flag line. There were a few gaping holes but they will be filled next year. California was missing. Jeff said people got so excited about the flag line he went out and bought another 100 feet of rope.
From Tibetan Prayer Flags to a Hogwarts Banner, everything was pretty much represented; three countries, four states, sports teams to numerous to enumerate. Well, actually I can enumerate them, I made a list in anticipation of this moment:
Tibetan Prayer Flags -- wafting prayers heavenward
full of peace, compassion, courage, love, tranquility, happiness.
If it hadn't of been me it would have been somebody else.
Jeff's original inspiration.
They worked.
Birds and prayers fly free.
Hogwarts -- Chris and Nora
Stark Banner -- Chris and Nora
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
Costa Rica -- Julie and Tal
Arkansas State Flag -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" -- Jerry and Jane, good call
Turtle -- Jan's itty bitty turtle doo-dad
American -- Lynn
Boy Scout bandanna -- Jeff
Dogs at Cards -- Jeff's tapestry
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Jeff
Oklahoma University -- Jeff
England -- Jeff
do-rag 51 -- Jason's football bandanna from Springdale High School -- Jeff
Do you know how long the Taylor's can talk about the correct spelling of do-rag?
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jeff
Small flag little faces??? sorry can't read my notes???
and another I can't read my notes???
Greenleaf T Shirts -- Jeff
Starbucks -- 2013
Crossword Puzzle -- 2014
Survivor -- 2011
Welcome Garden Flag; Frog -- Jean and family
Washington State -- Jan, it only cost me $53.00
Oklahoma T Shirts -- Jan
Scissor Tailed Flycatcher
Rose Rock
Do What You Can bananna, for the Earth and the animals that live on it -- Jan
Christian's 10th Birthday Capture the Flag flag -- Jan
American -- Jerry and Jane, the one flown over the National Capitol in his honor.
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jerry and Jane
Oklahoma Thunder Flag -- Jerry and Jane
late comers;
Washington University -- Roger, go Huskies
Han Solo's Millennium Falcon -- by Connor
The Old Red Barn -- by Roger
Oklahoma State University -- Blaine
Were there others?
Kansas State -- ???
Were there others?
Next year it will be bigger and better, Jeff promises. He already has a box marked Greenleaf Flag Line. Go Jeff go. Hum, maybe we need a "Go Jeff" flag or "Jeff, Every Bodies Favorite".
Marc outdid himself with the fish fry. All the expertise, all the equipment, all the fish and french fries you could eat, all the gawkers. He works deliciously under pressure. I mentioned to Roger that with all the fabulous food one of my favorites is still Jeff's Tub-O-Stuff. Roger said, I don't know the fish fry was pretty fantastic -- yes it was. Thank you Marc. You will do it again next year I presume. And Mary Lee what can I say about the tarter sauce except Christian brought me the wrong kind at first and I made him go back. I love how prepared you were for this annual event. You will do it again next year I presume.
Photos and Fishing:
Speaking of fish fries, there wouldn't be one without fish. The fishing dock was a big fat bust. Days and days of fishing yielded no fish. Not no one, not no how, so Marc to the rescue and off to Lake Eufaula for a guided fishing event. Fish aplenty. You would have thought it was the miracle of five loaves and two fish. We are always grateful for miracles, and fish, and family, and fish fryers, and equipment, and gawkers,
Mike was a genius at photographs. A GENIUS! He planned, ran, busted his head, and delivered the most outstanding group of family pictures ever. He even outdid himself. What can I say, he just keeps getting better and better, besides he is a GENIUS.
Bumped Heads and Dizzy Spells:
Besides Mike's bumped and bleeding head, yes, he got the shot before he received medical attention, Tal had the dizzy spell. A trip to Muskogee Hospital couldn't find anything apparently wrong. Hopefully he was just off his feed; diabetic, outdoors, fishing to no avail, different environment, sleep patterns, and water, etc. Nurse Jane, wife Julia and future son in law accompanied him. Jane as the expert, Julia as the concerned loved one, Chris as the one who had to face Nora if he did it wrong. Nora was a long, long, long ways away and Chris had to keep her updated. Nora was at a Yellowstone Valley business retreat.
After the concern for Tal's health subsided, all the Costa Rica fear rose. Everyone was watching everyone else so closely trying to maintain everyone's health and fitness that I started feeling the pressure to stay healthy until after the Costa Rica trip, oh, and wedding. Never forget the wedding. Jeff finally came to the proper conclusion that it would be really sad to leave anyone behind as they flew away on a magnificent Costa Rican vacation, but it would be done.
Michael inquiring after Tal's health the following morning told Julia, "I have to have him, I have to." "I don't want him to get dizzy and pass out." He then went on to plan, in detail, what he would do if it happened under his watch. If they were in a car, if they were drifting, which brake to use, how to call 911. Michael has Tal's back.
Mimosas and Mamma's
Chris and Nora made a return performance of mimosas, well, probably Chris, Nora was in Yellowstone. It was almost mimosas in bed as they delivered to all early in the morning. Generously bringing cups, ice, OJ, and champagne. We were happy to see them also, it wasn't just the mimosas.
Great mamma's graced the stage, and one daddy. Cara and Summer are stellar parents as attested by their adorable kiddos. And Roger did a mighty fine job of letting Connor run with the big boys, eat out of the goodie box, climb, hike, play, paint, pout, and swing glow sticks to his heart's content. When Connor was getting ready to leave he said he wanted to come to Greenleaf every day, actually he wanted to live there.
I cannot express adequately how precious, kind, helpful, generous, loving, entertaining, funny, smart, witty, creative and adventurous all these young ones are. From Sun up until after Sundown they were amazing. Here's to Jackson, Avery, Maddie, Michael, Connor, Branson, and Tripp the trip. How lucky and blessed we are to have them in our life. And then along came Isabell...
Isabell does not think she will come next year, she knows she will. It has been decided or is that decreed? That long-legged beauty has plans. What started as a diversion became absolute. No such thing as long lost cousins to her, we are all family.
Dutch Ovens and Dogs:
In just about equal measure. All those good Mamma's I mentioned can be extended from kids towards their dogs.
All the goodness I mentioned can be extended from kids, to dogs, to dutch oven cooking. What would we do without all those dutch ovens fired up and cooking delicious awesomeness. I noticed two new converts perusing the methods of our resident masters; Jeff, Mike, Tal, Chris M, anyone else. I think Marc gave it a go. And now Mark and Chris Taylor are hooked and will be back next year, probably with a few pounds more travel weight and a dollar or two poorer, but cooking with the big boys.
For clarity, Christian named our three Chris's; short hair, long hair, and no hair, the three Chris's.
A bit of this and that:
Flags, food, pulled pork, sausage and veggies, heat, breezes, coffee on the porch, community, Branson, fleet Michael, big cabin, skinny Mark, Mike alone with the one and only responsibility -- to fish, Julia walking, biking -- carefully, Tal scare, he has a heart and a brain, short timers disease, don't screw up Jeff's Costa Rican vacation, helping hands; Chris, Jackson, Taylor had Jean's car unloaded in the time it took me to sit down at the fire ring, cookies, Jane fell, Chibi runs, Apollo weighs five pounds, No hair Chris cut himself with a knife, Mike banged his head on the cabin trying to get the shot, correction getting the shot, Clark had walking pneumonia and couldn't come, Jeff plays with or without family there, tent city Taylor style, no one and I do mean NO ONE can eat more junk food than Branson.
Speaking of Branson, when I arrived he said, "ooh, goo." I asked Summer what is he trying to say? She shrugged her shoulders and said, "ooh, goo." By the time reunion was over I was pretty proficient in Branson Speak, but Christian had the hug. Don't tell Christian but Ian received a hug also.
When Maddie was lamenting she didn't have a t shirt, Christian asked her; Did you order one? "Noooo" Did you pay for one? "Noooooooo."
Christian swears he went to The Taylor Family Reunion and food just kept appearing as if by magic. I'm sorry it didn't work for Maddie and a t shirt.
It was a great big fat do nothing reunion. Everyone came and nothing happened. Michael likes math. Jean is amazing; she cooks, walks pain free, picks up, drives, delivers, plans, helps, accepts help, is the matriarch, keeps the coffee flowing, and loves us all.
Well, Roger ran. Jackson has a goal of going the twelve mile distance to Braggs and back with Roger. Next year Jackson, next year.
A bit about Michael:
Besides being nine years old, nature's most perfect human being age, I told Michael he was going to rich and famous some day so he needed to learn how to be interviewed, He told me, "I don't know about being famous, but I'm sure going to be rich."
Favorite color -- yellow, subject -- math, flavor -- chocolate, wants to become rich working for and/or at The Ford Plant, likes cats because they are fuzzy, soft, and cuddly, everything is awesome especially family, he likes his Aunt Jan, discovered at the showers that girls get the hot water, boys get the cold. there were two levels; cold and colder, you Google to learn about stuff, you Youtube to learn how to do stuff, likes muscle cars.
Then I listened to a lot of talk about cars, trucks, suspension, and retained very little. This is just about the time Michael heard the magic word, mechanic. He raised his smart head, looked around and asked "Who's a mechanic?" Quotable quote; "Christian is my kind of guy.
A bit about Taylor:
What does your mom worry about you?
She doesn't worry she just wants me to be happy.
Other quotable quotes:
"Dance, monkey, dance." Branson to his staff.
"I can't help with that chore, I'm feeling dizzy."
"I'm not talking politics on this trip."
"There is loveliness in the world and you are part of it."
"It's nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice."
"Did you bring fruit salad?" Seventeen times, at least, to Karolyn.
"Jan, tell Mary this is the kind of book I delight in. I now think of her as a sister. Please remember to invite me to all family get togethers at Flathead Lake."
Greenleaf State Park office check out lady;
"I came in early to get all this paperwork done before you all started checking out. This year was hard, really hard." Maybe we owe her a treat or a least a place of honor on the flag line.
We had success and failures:
Flag line super success
Pink Flamingos super failure
Jean's Speech:
2016 reunion will be October 9 - 16, 2016. The second week not the third.
Thank you Jeff for maintaining the fire, camp chairs, and family circle.
Thank you Jeff, Julia and Tal for all the paper/eating utensils.
Made clean up a breeze.
Thank you Jerry, Jane and the Marc Taylor family for all the firewood.
Thank you Mark and Amber for all the t-shirt work; the design, execution, sorting, delivering and exchanging. They were great.
Thank you new family and friends for joining:
Kenny, Chibi, Ed, and Chris and Isabell Taylor.
Welcome Jan's three sons. First time all three were here at the same time.
Jan had the most children attend. Hee Hee.
Congratulations to Nora and Chris Miller on their upcoming nuptials.
That would be short hair Chris.
Thank you Mike for always taking such stunning photographs.
You always make us look good.
Christian then thanked everyone for making him feel like he had never been away.
And I might add, Thank you Jean for being the most awesome matriarch.
And a reminder, Chris, no hair Chris, has started a countdown clock.
Please post it occasionally on FB Chris.
Intense campers unite the count down has begun from one mighty fine time to the next mighty fine time. Counting down, counting down.
See you at Greenleaf.
A bit about aging:
Anything I have two of, one of them hurts.
Best son's dinner ever.
Goodie Box and Ghost Stories:
How did the kiddos keep emptying the goodie box? How many $20.00 refills did it take? How far could Branson crawl inside? How many goodies could Branson eat? Connor? How many adults had their fair share of Oatmeal Cream Pies?
Goodies came in handy during night time ghost stories. Connor went on a fact finding mission to ascertain the truth of the "scary Annie doll with red eyes who goes oooh oooh waving her hands" while sitting in the dark time tent" It was real he said, Michael saw it. He was not satisfied with the it is just-a-ghost-story theory" He was satisfied with the report that it might have been taillights going up the hill. Sounded logical enough. Who said Michael told a ghost story good enough to scare himself?
Snakes and Zombies:
Jackson wasn't too sure about hiking up the hill,
at night,
in the dark,
past where the snake slithered up the tree over his tent,
and after all the zombie movie talk around the campfire.
Two scary things was one scary thing too much. Auntie Ber came through, of course. It think it was even worse than being kissed by his sister.
His tent was abandoned for that night.
Until it was moved.
In the daylight.
Away from the tree.
Flag Lines and Fish Fries:
The biggest success had to of been the flag line. There were a few gaping holes but they will be filled next year. California was missing. Jeff said people got so excited about the flag line he went out and bought another 100 feet of rope.
From Tibetan Prayer Flags to a Hogwarts Banner, everything was pretty much represented; three countries, four states, sports teams to numerous to enumerate. Well, actually I can enumerate them, I made a list in anticipation of this moment:
Tibetan Prayer Flags -- wafting prayers heavenward
full of peace, compassion, courage, love, tranquility, happiness.
If it hadn't of been me it would have been somebody else.
Jeff's original inspiration.
They worked.
Birds and prayers fly free.
Hogwarts -- Chris and Nora
Stark Banner -- Chris and Nora
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
Costa Rica -- Julie and Tal
Arkansas State Flag -- Julia and Tal, I think. Maybe Jeff.
"It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" -- Jerry and Jane, good call
Turtle -- Jan's itty bitty turtle doo-dad
American -- Lynn
Boy Scout bandanna -- Jeff
Dogs at Cards -- Jeff's tapestry
Arkansas Razorbacks -- Jeff
Oklahoma University -- Jeff
England -- Jeff
do-rag 51 -- Jason's football bandanna from Springdale High School -- Jeff
Do you know how long the Taylor's can talk about the correct spelling of do-rag?
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jeff
Small flag little faces??? sorry can't read my notes???
and another I can't read my notes???
Greenleaf T Shirts -- Jeff
Starbucks -- 2013
Crossword Puzzle -- 2014
Survivor -- 2011
Welcome Garden Flag; Frog -- Jean and family
Washington State -- Jan, it only cost me $53.00
Oklahoma T Shirts -- Jan
Scissor Tailed Flycatcher
Rose Rock
Do What You Can bananna, for the Earth and the animals that live on it -- Jan
Christian's 10th Birthday Capture the Flag flag -- Jan
American -- Jerry and Jane, the one flown over the National Capitol in his honor.
Oklahoma State Flag -- Jerry and Jane
Oklahoma Thunder Flag -- Jerry and Jane
late comers;
Washington University -- Roger, go Huskies
Han Solo's Millennium Falcon -- by Connor
The Old Red Barn -- by Roger
Oklahoma State University -- Blaine
Were there others?
Kansas State -- ???
Were there others?
Next year it will be bigger and better, Jeff promises. He already has a box marked Greenleaf Flag Line. Go Jeff go. Hum, maybe we need a "Go Jeff" flag or "Jeff, Every Bodies Favorite".
Marc outdid himself with the fish fry. All the expertise, all the equipment, all the fish and french fries you could eat, all the gawkers. He works deliciously under pressure. I mentioned to Roger that with all the fabulous food one of my favorites is still Jeff's Tub-O-Stuff. Roger said, I don't know the fish fry was pretty fantastic -- yes it was. Thank you Marc. You will do it again next year I presume. And Mary Lee what can I say about the tarter sauce except Christian brought me the wrong kind at first and I made him go back. I love how prepared you were for this annual event. You will do it again next year I presume.
Photos and Fishing:
Speaking of fish fries, there wouldn't be one without fish. The fishing dock was a big fat bust. Days and days of fishing yielded no fish. Not no one, not no how, so Marc to the rescue and off to Lake Eufaula for a guided fishing event. Fish aplenty. You would have thought it was the miracle of five loaves and two fish. We are always grateful for miracles, and fish, and family, and fish fryers, and equipment, and gawkers,
Mike was a genius at photographs. A GENIUS! He planned, ran, busted his head, and delivered the most outstanding group of family pictures ever. He even outdid himself. What can I say, he just keeps getting better and better, besides he is a GENIUS.
Bumped Heads and Dizzy Spells:
Besides Mike's bumped and bleeding head, yes, he got the shot before he received medical attention, Tal had the dizzy spell. A trip to Muskogee Hospital couldn't find anything apparently wrong. Hopefully he was just off his feed; diabetic, outdoors, fishing to no avail, different environment, sleep patterns, and water, etc. Nurse Jane, wife Julia and future son in law accompanied him. Jane as the expert, Julia as the concerned loved one, Chris as the one who had to face Nora if he did it wrong. Nora was a long, long, long ways away and Chris had to keep her updated. Nora was at a Yellowstone Valley business retreat.
After the concern for Tal's health subsided, all the Costa Rica fear rose. Everyone was watching everyone else so closely trying to maintain everyone's health and fitness that I started feeling the pressure to stay healthy until after the Costa Rica trip, oh, and wedding. Never forget the wedding. Jeff finally came to the proper conclusion that it would be really sad to leave anyone behind as they flew away on a magnificent Costa Rican vacation, but it would be done.
Michael inquiring after Tal's health the following morning told Julia, "I have to have him, I have to." "I don't want him to get dizzy and pass out." He then went on to plan, in detail, what he would do if it happened under his watch. If they were in a car, if they were drifting, which brake to use, how to call 911. Michael has Tal's back.
Mimosas and Mamma's
Chris and Nora made a return performance of mimosas, well, probably Chris, Nora was in Yellowstone. It was almost mimosas in bed as they delivered to all early in the morning. Generously bringing cups, ice, OJ, and champagne. We were happy to see them also, it wasn't just the mimosas.
Great mamma's graced the stage, and one daddy. Cara and Summer are stellar parents as attested by their adorable kiddos. And Roger did a mighty fine job of letting Connor run with the big boys, eat out of the goodie box, climb, hike, play, paint, pout, and swing glow sticks to his heart's content. When Connor was getting ready to leave he said he wanted to come to Greenleaf every day, actually he wanted to live there.
I cannot express adequately how precious, kind, helpful, generous, loving, entertaining, funny, smart, witty, creative and adventurous all these young ones are. From Sun up until after Sundown they were amazing. Here's to Jackson, Avery, Maddie, Michael, Connor, Branson, and Tripp the trip. How lucky and blessed we are to have them in our life. And then along came Isabell...
Isabell does not think she will come next year, she knows she will. It has been decided or is that decreed? That long-legged beauty has plans. What started as a diversion became absolute. No such thing as long lost cousins to her, we are all family.
Dutch Ovens and Dogs:
In just about equal measure. All those good Mamma's I mentioned can be extended from kids towards their dogs.
All the goodness I mentioned can be extended from kids, to dogs, to dutch oven cooking. What would we do without all those dutch ovens fired up and cooking delicious awesomeness. I noticed two new converts perusing the methods of our resident masters; Jeff, Mike, Tal, Chris M, anyone else. I think Marc gave it a go. And now Mark and Chris Taylor are hooked and will be back next year, probably with a few pounds more travel weight and a dollar or two poorer, but cooking with the big boys.
For clarity, Christian named our three Chris's; short hair, long hair, and no hair, the three Chris's.
A bit of this and that:
Flags, food, pulled pork, sausage and veggies, heat, breezes, coffee on the porch, community, Branson, fleet Michael, big cabin, skinny Mark, Mike alone with the one and only responsibility -- to fish, Julia walking, biking -- carefully, Tal scare, he has a heart and a brain, short timers disease, don't screw up Jeff's Costa Rican vacation, helping hands; Chris, Jackson, Taylor had Jean's car unloaded in the time it took me to sit down at the fire ring, cookies, Jane fell, Chibi runs, Apollo weighs five pounds, No hair Chris cut himself with a knife, Mike banged his head on the cabin trying to get the shot, correction getting the shot, Clark had walking pneumonia and couldn't come, Jeff plays with or without family there, tent city Taylor style, no one and I do mean NO ONE can eat more junk food than Branson.
Speaking of Branson, when I arrived he said, "ooh, goo." I asked Summer what is he trying to say? She shrugged her shoulders and said, "ooh, goo." By the time reunion was over I was pretty proficient in Branson Speak, but Christian had the hug. Don't tell Christian but Ian received a hug also.
When Maddie was lamenting she didn't have a t shirt, Christian asked her; Did you order one? "Noooo" Did you pay for one? "Noooooooo."
Christian swears he went to The Taylor Family Reunion and food just kept appearing as if by magic. I'm sorry it didn't work for Maddie and a t shirt.
It was a great big fat do nothing reunion. Everyone came and nothing happened. Michael likes math. Jean is amazing; she cooks, walks pain free, picks up, drives, delivers, plans, helps, accepts help, is the matriarch, keeps the coffee flowing, and loves us all.
Well, Roger ran. Jackson has a goal of going the twelve mile distance to Braggs and back with Roger. Next year Jackson, next year.
A bit about Michael:
Besides being nine years old, nature's most perfect human being age, I told Michael he was going to rich and famous some day so he needed to learn how to be interviewed, He told me, "I don't know about being famous, but I'm sure going to be rich."
Favorite color -- yellow, subject -- math, flavor -- chocolate, wants to become rich working for and/or at The Ford Plant, likes cats because they are fuzzy, soft, and cuddly, everything is awesome especially family, he likes his Aunt Jan, discovered at the showers that girls get the hot water, boys get the cold. there were two levels; cold and colder, you Google to learn about stuff, you Youtube to learn how to do stuff, likes muscle cars.
Then I listened to a lot of talk about cars, trucks, suspension, and retained very little. This is just about the time Michael heard the magic word, mechanic. He raised his smart head, looked around and asked "Who's a mechanic?" Quotable quote; "Christian is my kind of guy.
A bit about Taylor:
What does your mom worry about you?
She doesn't worry she just wants me to be happy.
Other quotable quotes:
"Dance, monkey, dance." Branson to his staff.
"I can't help with that chore, I'm feeling dizzy."
"I'm not talking politics on this trip."
"There is loveliness in the world and you are part of it."
"It's nice to be important, but it is more important to be nice."
"Did you bring fruit salad?" Seventeen times, at least, to Karolyn.
"Jan, tell Mary this is the kind of book I delight in. I now think of her as a sister. Please remember to invite me to all family get togethers at Flathead Lake."
Greenleaf State Park office check out lady;
"I came in early to get all this paperwork done before you all started checking out. This year was hard, really hard." Maybe we owe her a treat or a least a place of honor on the flag line.
We had success and failures:
Flag line super success
Pink Flamingos super failure
Jean's Speech:
2016 reunion will be October 9 - 16, 2016. The second week not the third.
Thank you Jeff for maintaining the fire, camp chairs, and family circle.
Thank you Jeff, Julia and Tal for all the paper/eating utensils.
Made clean up a breeze.
Thank you Jerry, Jane and the Marc Taylor family for all the firewood.
Thank you Mark and Amber for all the t-shirt work; the design, execution, sorting, delivering and exchanging. They were great.
Thank you new family and friends for joining:
Kenny, Chibi, Ed, and Chris and Isabell Taylor.
Welcome Jan's three sons. First time all three were here at the same time.
Jan had the most children attend. Hee Hee.
Congratulations to Nora and Chris Miller on their upcoming nuptials.
That would be short hair Chris.
Thank you Mike for always taking such stunning photographs.
You always make us look good.
Christian then thanked everyone for making him feel like he had never been away.
And I might add, Thank you Jean for being the most awesome matriarch.
And a reminder, Chris, no hair Chris, has started a countdown clock.
Please post it occasionally on FB Chris.
Intense campers unite the count down has begun from one mighty fine time to the next mighty fine time. Counting down, counting down.
See you at Greenleaf.
A bit about aging:
Anything I have two of, one of them hurts.
Best son's dinner ever.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Pack Up the Babies...
Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies The Taylor's are having a party. The sit around a campfire and food and fellowship kind of party, I'm bringing flags and pink flamingos. What about you?
Besides going to Greenleaf joy, I don't have to cook for next weeks work lunches, more joy. I don't have to commute, pay downtown parking, hike up the hill, heck, I don't have to work next week. I'll play, jabber, watch Autumn play in the trees, sit under the trees, look at the lake, the sky, the clouds, the dogs, the kids playing, growing, see the smiles, the fishermen, the biscuits come out of the oven. I'll be real busy.
Family, just what the doctor ordered when you are feeling down and troubled. Does anyone else have cataracts? Who knows anything about cataract surgery? I told my doctor my glasses sucked, he told me, "It isn't your glasses." How can one body have so much fall apart? My trick knee is tricked out! Curses! An artificial lenses? I don't know. Guess it is better than going blind.
I think I have plucked my last two tomatoes from my tomato farm. Had one for dinner last night with Roger and The Connorman, who are coming to Greenleaf, and it was delicious.
I have an idea for a Taylor Family Flag -- I'm still working on it. Roger went to four stores, Ian went to four stores -- a Washington State flag just wasn't to be found. Amazon here I come.
Did I mention all my family will be there? All three sons and one fine specimen of a grandson. For now; Connor is busy being busy, Roger is running, Ian is socializing, who knows what Christian is up to, but by next Wednesday they will all be at the lake. Cabin 5 I think.
Janice will be absent, Kathy might not make it, it depends on a certain new grandson's arrival. Has anyone heard from Verla? Kenny will be there, Summer will be there, Chris will, Jean will, I will. Hey, Summer, is Ed coming?
Big G Gathering? Greenleaf? Clan Gathering? Gathering of the Tribes? Family Reunion? Happy family reunion? Does it get any better than that?
People often look at me funny, and back away, when I mention how happy I am to be going to a family reunion. "Oh, that's nice," they say in a bored, backing-up, oh well, I can't believe it voice. It's not like it's Las Vegas, it's not Europe, those destinations would be okay and worthy, but a family reunion? Get real.
Don't people like families?
Don't people like their families?
I have two new turtles, one from Hawaii and one from Mexico. God I love friends. I've had a pedicure, I'm not getting a haircut, Netflix is tucked away for the next two weeks. I'm in full preparation mode. I have a small family heirloom for Summer. Is she already there? Is Jeff? I think Jerry and Jane have or will be arriving momentarily.
Don't people like their families? Our family is messy, like other families. Liberal to conservative, like others. Fat/thin, tall/short, rich/poor, reader/gammer, married/single, biker/jogger, those who sit at the fishing dock/those who sit at the campfire, you know, like other families -- messy. But somehow we don't' ask each other to be perfect, to be like us, we only ask each other to be family. What is not to like with young Branson, biking Michael, geeky Connor, chatty Cathy?
I've been thinking of mother and how her big old fat arms embraced everyone, all her family. Black, brown, red, or white her arms knew no boundaries. Her spirit is imbued in our everyday lives and most especially at family reunions. Her spirit scooped up Tal and Jane and all the other errant spouses the rest of us had for a while. She loved food, camping, get togethers, parties -- family. She was "game on" for just about any experience. She would go to a mountain top or the middle of the desert and find joy, beauty, have a wonderful experience. She loved us all with or without bad hair days, with children with drippy noses and beyond. Like I said, no boundaries.
I see a bit of Mother shine in everyone. Everyone who loves, who jokes, who's ornery, who's intelligent, sassy, game, accepting, cooking, rocking or holding a baby, hugging, laughing, sighing crying, going into jail or coming out, even run-a-way teenagers. Sigh, how did I ever survive. Mother wrapped us up in her big ole' non-discriminatory arms.
Julia and I were talking about Mother recently and I wondered if the younger kiddos know what a wonderful, wacky, silly, intelligent individual they are descended from. We don't have to keep her spirit alive, it is alive and well and living in her progeny. Lucky us.
How do folks get along without families? Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, a special cousin or two, how do families get along without gathering at Greenleaf, or its facsimile? A family blooms from a mother and a father. A family supports and loves and cherishes each individual through sorrow and joy. How can you go through life not sharing joy and sorrow? Mother loved her children, we love our children, and our children love theirs. A legacy of love.
I wanted to write more academically about families; scientific definition, affects and effects, studies done, conclusions drawn, but I failed miserably, all that love just kept oozing out. Families -- there's the good dog, the bad dog, and all the dogs in between. To quote a famous author, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," and family was there.
To quote a famous brother,"See you at Greenleaf." Now only hours away.
Those missing will be missed.
Besides going to Greenleaf joy, I don't have to cook for next weeks work lunches, more joy. I don't have to commute, pay downtown parking, hike up the hill, heck, I don't have to work next week. I'll play, jabber, watch Autumn play in the trees, sit under the trees, look at the lake, the sky, the clouds, the dogs, the kids playing, growing, see the smiles, the fishermen, the biscuits come out of the oven. I'll be real busy.
Family, just what the doctor ordered when you are feeling down and troubled. Does anyone else have cataracts? Who knows anything about cataract surgery? I told my doctor my glasses sucked, he told me, "It isn't your glasses." How can one body have so much fall apart? My trick knee is tricked out! Curses! An artificial lenses? I don't know. Guess it is better than going blind.
I think I have plucked my last two tomatoes from my tomato farm. Had one for dinner last night with Roger and The Connorman, who are coming to Greenleaf, and it was delicious.
I have an idea for a Taylor Family Flag -- I'm still working on it. Roger went to four stores, Ian went to four stores -- a Washington State flag just wasn't to be found. Amazon here I come.
Did I mention all my family will be there? All three sons and one fine specimen of a grandson. For now; Connor is busy being busy, Roger is running, Ian is socializing, who knows what Christian is up to, but by next Wednesday they will all be at the lake. Cabin 5 I think.
Janice will be absent, Kathy might not make it, it depends on a certain new grandson's arrival. Has anyone heard from Verla? Kenny will be there, Summer will be there, Chris will, Jean will, I will. Hey, Summer, is Ed coming?
Big G Gathering? Greenleaf? Clan Gathering? Gathering of the Tribes? Family Reunion? Happy family reunion? Does it get any better than that?
People often look at me funny, and back away, when I mention how happy I am to be going to a family reunion. "Oh, that's nice," they say in a bored, backing-up, oh well, I can't believe it voice. It's not like it's Las Vegas, it's not Europe, those destinations would be okay and worthy, but a family reunion? Get real.
Don't people like families?
Don't people like their families?
I have two new turtles, one from Hawaii and one from Mexico. God I love friends. I've had a pedicure, I'm not getting a haircut, Netflix is tucked away for the next two weeks. I'm in full preparation mode. I have a small family heirloom for Summer. Is she already there? Is Jeff? I think Jerry and Jane have or will be arriving momentarily.
Don't people like their families? Our family is messy, like other families. Liberal to conservative, like others. Fat/thin, tall/short, rich/poor, reader/gammer, married/single, biker/jogger, those who sit at the fishing dock/those who sit at the campfire, you know, like other families -- messy. But somehow we don't' ask each other to be perfect, to be like us, we only ask each other to be family. What is not to like with young Branson, biking Michael, geeky Connor, chatty Cathy?
I've been thinking of mother and how her big old fat arms embraced everyone, all her family. Black, brown, red, or white her arms knew no boundaries. Her spirit is imbued in our everyday lives and most especially at family reunions. Her spirit scooped up Tal and Jane and all the other errant spouses the rest of us had for a while. She loved food, camping, get togethers, parties -- family. She was "game on" for just about any experience. She would go to a mountain top or the middle of the desert and find joy, beauty, have a wonderful experience. She loved us all with or without bad hair days, with children with drippy noses and beyond. Like I said, no boundaries.
I see a bit of Mother shine in everyone. Everyone who loves, who jokes, who's ornery, who's intelligent, sassy, game, accepting, cooking, rocking or holding a baby, hugging, laughing, sighing crying, going into jail or coming out, even run-a-way teenagers. Sigh, how did I ever survive. Mother wrapped us up in her big ole' non-discriminatory arms.
Julia and I were talking about Mother recently and I wondered if the younger kiddos know what a wonderful, wacky, silly, intelligent individual they are descended from. We don't have to keep her spirit alive, it is alive and well and living in her progeny. Lucky us.
How do folks get along without families? Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, a special cousin or two, how do families get along without gathering at Greenleaf, or its facsimile? A family blooms from a mother and a father. A family supports and loves and cherishes each individual through sorrow and joy. How can you go through life not sharing joy and sorrow? Mother loved her children, we love our children, and our children love theirs. A legacy of love.
I wanted to write more academically about families; scientific definition, affects and effects, studies done, conclusions drawn, but I failed miserably, all that love just kept oozing out. Families -- there's the good dog, the bad dog, and all the dogs in between. To quote a famous author, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," and family was there.
To quote a famous brother,"See you at Greenleaf." Now only hours away.
Those missing will be missed.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Big G Gathering, Family Flag Line, Family
The Big G gathering is about to commence.
As we prepare to come together to celebrate family, well, not exactly celebrate, more experience. Yes, experience family, our hearts are lifted in joyful anticipation, and Jeff has captured the perfect way to symbolize that. A flag line.
A flag line that excludes no aspect of our family, from Marines to rainbow your flag is welcomed, as are you. Political - team Bernie, religious - Christian, affiliation - Girl Scouts, sport - I don't dare, hobby - what ever it may be. Signs we are all alive, active, participating, thinking, feeling humans.
We have survived no scourge, no racial cleansing, we've had no barriers put up to impede our progress through life. We have moved freely and easily from state to state, marital or geographical. Our intellectual ideas can be cleanly and clearly followed, affiliated with any ideal we chose. We don't have to risk our life to follow Christ or be born gay.
No one will be beheaded at this clan gathering, no one will be knighted or risen in stature. Our life passages are the human ones; marriage, babies, deaths. Human beings living human lives with a hundred divergent flags floating about our heads.
For years we have made this pilgrimage. Many years stand out as special just as some years are lost in the mist of time past. This year will be special for me because for the first time my whole family will be there. Three sons and a grandson. No grand processional parade will ensue, no feasts, festivities or games will honor their appearance, but it makes my heart soar as high as Jeff's Flag Line. What a comfortable sweet spot I will inhabit. No cloud on the horizon except one I would put there. Like I said, no cloud on the horizon.
I am passionate about family, from the Taylor Clan to the family of man. I feel passionate about Jeff's Flag Line. The point isn't the division, the point is the acceptance of diversity. Humans in all their glory, messy diversity.
I took a piece of material to Connor so he could design a flag for the flag line. He worked hard and diligently and drew a beautiful flag (I'm not sure he even understood the concept of a flag line) but he labored over the task. When he was done there was some space still available at the bottom of his flag, I said you can draw something colorful here. He looked at me with shocked disbelief and told me, forcefully, that that space was for his research materials. Research materials. What do they teach in the first grade now?
No, we aren't special, or as I once said about my beloved grandson, "In the history of the world he isn't even in the top ten." yet here we are stretching from some ancient ectoplasm type goo or star stuff all the way to Jeff in an unbroken line of lives, of survivors. To Jeff and beyond to a gaggle of grandsons and gals. Jeff who dreamed up and is executing a flag line from the most distant to now in some kind of congenial human prayer.
God I love family, and soon we will be breaking bread under the Big G Gathering Family Flag Line.
As we prepare to come together to celebrate family, well, not exactly celebrate, more experience. Yes, experience family, our hearts are lifted in joyful anticipation, and Jeff has captured the perfect way to symbolize that. A flag line.
A flag line that excludes no aspect of our family, from Marines to rainbow your flag is welcomed, as are you. Political - team Bernie, religious - Christian, affiliation - Girl Scouts, sport - I don't dare, hobby - what ever it may be. Signs we are all alive, active, participating, thinking, feeling humans.
We have survived no scourge, no racial cleansing, we've had no barriers put up to impede our progress through life. We have moved freely and easily from state to state, marital or geographical. Our intellectual ideas can be cleanly and clearly followed, affiliated with any ideal we chose. We don't have to risk our life to follow Christ or be born gay.
No one will be beheaded at this clan gathering, no one will be knighted or risen in stature. Our life passages are the human ones; marriage, babies, deaths. Human beings living human lives with a hundred divergent flags floating about our heads.
For years we have made this pilgrimage. Many years stand out as special just as some years are lost in the mist of time past. This year will be special for me because for the first time my whole family will be there. Three sons and a grandson. No grand processional parade will ensue, no feasts, festivities or games will honor their appearance, but it makes my heart soar as high as Jeff's Flag Line. What a comfortable sweet spot I will inhabit. No cloud on the horizon except one I would put there. Like I said, no cloud on the horizon.
I am passionate about family, from the Taylor Clan to the family of man. I feel passionate about Jeff's Flag Line. The point isn't the division, the point is the acceptance of diversity. Humans in all their glory, messy diversity.
I took a piece of material to Connor so he could design a flag for the flag line. He worked hard and diligently and drew a beautiful flag (I'm not sure he even understood the concept of a flag line) but he labored over the task. When he was done there was some space still available at the bottom of his flag, I said you can draw something colorful here. He looked at me with shocked disbelief and told me, forcefully, that that space was for his research materials. Research materials. What do they teach in the first grade now?
No, we aren't special, or as I once said about my beloved grandson, "In the history of the world he isn't even in the top ten." yet here we are stretching from some ancient ectoplasm type goo or star stuff all the way to Jeff in an unbroken line of lives, of survivors. To Jeff and beyond to a gaggle of grandsons and gals. Jeff who dreamed up and is executing a flag line from the most distant to now in some kind of congenial human prayer.
God I love family, and soon we will be breaking bread under the Big G Gathering Family Flag Line.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Peaceful, Beautiful, Spiritual
On my first morning at Flathead I had a moving experience. I felt a deep connection to all my loved ones who have gone on before me; Mother, James, Lonnie, Little Lonnie, Mr and Mrs Carrillo, all people I loved but who had no connection what so ever to Flathead Lake. Jerry looked out over the lake and said, "When you are in a peaceful beautiful spot, you can't help but be spiritual." Among all the other things it was, it was profoundly spiritual.
Like Greenleaf, as Jerry said, there were the trees, the lake, and the human beings enjoying themselves. Flathead and Greenleaf a common experience to diverse families.
Jerry and Jane drove me to Flathead Lake and spent the night on their 50th wedding anniversary before continuing their travels the following day, leaving the Gimpy Gang without them. As the book club retreat unfolded we kept going back to wondering where Jerry and Jane had got to. Did they make in into Glacier National Park? Were they home yet? We are a curious lot.
Claire, Mary, Lynn and myself, the gimpy gang, were the original charter members of book club. We barely made a whole healthy person among us. Lynn and Mary limped with bad hips and knees, Claire and I wheezed with bad lungs, but it didn't stop us. Talking or not, eating or not, reading or not, traveling or not, picnicking or not, boating or not, settled in or not, we scattered and came together like fall leaves whirling in the breeze. We always had time for a nap. A perfect book club retreat.
How terribly strange to be seventy (or nearing), book club members for 16 years, charter members, quietly sharing space, time, memories in such a stunningly beautiful location. We cooked in the kitchen with a view of the lake, smoked on the deck with a view of the lake, rocked in the living room with a view of the lake, slept in the bedroom with a view of the lake, read in the easy chairs with a view of the lake, did laundry in the laundry room with a view of the lake. Did I mention there was a view of the lake? The biggest purest lake west of the Mississippi, twenty-six miles long, fifteen miles wide, a big, big lake. Mary and Jerry are the only ones who ventured down the steep hill for a private lakeside moment.
Rain? There was an abundance. One morning it wasn't actually rain at the morning smoke bench, it was water sprinklers that had me fooled, when I went around back to the deck, the deck was dry as a bone. There were Tamarack trees, Mission Mountains, Swan Mountains, yaks, sunshine, a missed boat ride and a successful boat ride, drives into town to Walmart, and to the end of the lake for dinner. Lynn found a vest she wanted to purchase at a local gift shop that was marked free with twenty dollar purchase. Yes she found something to buy, then Mary went back in and got one for herself.
Claire said we could have ten book club meetings and not have as varied conversations as we did on this trip. Lynn cooked creatively. Mary and I reminisced thoroughly our childhoods, and our different lake experiences. Claire asked the questions like a good Claire would. She has always been our question asker.
Claire said she knew Julia and Jean were good conversationalists, and now knows Jerry to be one also. As silly as it may seem one of the things Lynn and I loved about the lake house was the abundance of plates. An endless streaming supply spilling out of the cupboards. Plates and chairs. Chairs across the back deck, around the picnic table, at the dock, around the dining room table. There was room at the table for everyone, no one would have to sit balanced on a ledge somewhere.
Sandy missed the lake experience, she missed the Dragon Boat races, we missed her, but Mary found her some Dragon Boat news in the local paper. I don't want to relive my tumble off the picnic table, nuff said about that.
Family photographs filled the house top to bottom from one end to the other. You could feel the years of family fun and activities that imbued the house with spirit and love. Children growing up, old ones passing away. The life that ebbs and flows like the shoreline of the lake, sometimes crashing like an tsunami other times peaceful as a dove.
Susan Carstensen provided us with so much more when she gifted us a week at the lake house. It all added up to more than food, fellowship, laughter, and a few tears. It added up to an experience of profound depth; as elusive as love, as grandly magnificent as the stars. An experience that cannot be weighed or measured by human standards. I think I got to know Susan a little bit on this trip. Her house is organized enough for Julia, pots and pans enough for Jean, historical enough for Jerry, I know Susan loves heart shaped rocks, cuddly throws, clean sheets, and sharing with her family. I know she loves her family.
She had a quote displayed by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce that I found meaningful: "Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself -- and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty."
Thank you Susan and family who provided the rocking chairs, bear locked trash cans, books, beds, smoking sections, and plates. I'll never forget the plates, somehow metaphorical for abundance, sharing, family, food and fellowship. Somehow metaphorical for love. You made Mary all warm fuzzy and teary.
Asides to the trip:
I fell in love with the Columbia Plateau.
I saw more camouflage clothing in those five days than I think I have seen in my lifetime; Jackets, shoes, sweaters, purses, and sundry other articles. Not to mention boats, trucks and motorcycles.
It has been a long time since I did a three state road trip. I remember Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas on one food fest drive.
I still haven't looked at a map to see how the Missouri River flows.
I remember camping at Greenleaf when Ian was a baby and cranky and asleep. James and Linda were making campfire cherry turnovers, everyone was laughing too loud. I kept telling everyone "hush, don't wake up Ian." But Jeff told a joke that made everyone laugh loud enough to wake up our side of the lake, yes, he remembers the joke. Ask him.
I love those memories, that laughter, that fellowship.
That was the year Jean made all the apple pies, the year the older newly wed gentleman kept digging bottles out of the trash, washing them then filling them with wildflower arrangements. One for every table, camp, group. I love those memories.
And now Susan's book club retreat, lake house memory, is mine. I love those memories.
Blessings be with Jane and her family as they continue to watch over Joe.
Love to all.
Like Greenleaf, as Jerry said, there were the trees, the lake, and the human beings enjoying themselves. Flathead and Greenleaf a common experience to diverse families.
Jerry and Jane drove me to Flathead Lake and spent the night on their 50th wedding anniversary before continuing their travels the following day, leaving the Gimpy Gang without them. As the book club retreat unfolded we kept going back to wondering where Jerry and Jane had got to. Did they make in into Glacier National Park? Were they home yet? We are a curious lot.
Claire, Mary, Lynn and myself, the gimpy gang, were the original charter members of book club. We barely made a whole healthy person among us. Lynn and Mary limped with bad hips and knees, Claire and I wheezed with bad lungs, but it didn't stop us. Talking or not, eating or not, reading or not, traveling or not, picnicking or not, boating or not, settled in or not, we scattered and came together like fall leaves whirling in the breeze. We always had time for a nap. A perfect book club retreat.
How terribly strange to be seventy (or nearing), book club members for 16 years, charter members, quietly sharing space, time, memories in such a stunningly beautiful location. We cooked in the kitchen with a view of the lake, smoked on the deck with a view of the lake, rocked in the living room with a view of the lake, slept in the bedroom with a view of the lake, read in the easy chairs with a view of the lake, did laundry in the laundry room with a view of the lake. Did I mention there was a view of the lake? The biggest purest lake west of the Mississippi, twenty-six miles long, fifteen miles wide, a big, big lake. Mary and Jerry are the only ones who ventured down the steep hill for a private lakeside moment.
Rain? There was an abundance. One morning it wasn't actually rain at the morning smoke bench, it was water sprinklers that had me fooled, when I went around back to the deck, the deck was dry as a bone. There were Tamarack trees, Mission Mountains, Swan Mountains, yaks, sunshine, a missed boat ride and a successful boat ride, drives into town to Walmart, and to the end of the lake for dinner. Lynn found a vest she wanted to purchase at a local gift shop that was marked free with twenty dollar purchase. Yes she found something to buy, then Mary went back in and got one for herself.
Claire said we could have ten book club meetings and not have as varied conversations as we did on this trip. Lynn cooked creatively. Mary and I reminisced thoroughly our childhoods, and our different lake experiences. Claire asked the questions like a good Claire would. She has always been our question asker.
Claire said she knew Julia and Jean were good conversationalists, and now knows Jerry to be one also. As silly as it may seem one of the things Lynn and I loved about the lake house was the abundance of plates. An endless streaming supply spilling out of the cupboards. Plates and chairs. Chairs across the back deck, around the picnic table, at the dock, around the dining room table. There was room at the table for everyone, no one would have to sit balanced on a ledge somewhere.
Sandy missed the lake experience, she missed the Dragon Boat races, we missed her, but Mary found her some Dragon Boat news in the local paper. I don't want to relive my tumble off the picnic table, nuff said about that.
Family photographs filled the house top to bottom from one end to the other. You could feel the years of family fun and activities that imbued the house with spirit and love. Children growing up, old ones passing away. The life that ebbs and flows like the shoreline of the lake, sometimes crashing like an tsunami other times peaceful as a dove.
Susan Carstensen provided us with so much more when she gifted us a week at the lake house. It all added up to more than food, fellowship, laughter, and a few tears. It added up to an experience of profound depth; as elusive as love, as grandly magnificent as the stars. An experience that cannot be weighed or measured by human standards. I think I got to know Susan a little bit on this trip. Her house is organized enough for Julia, pots and pans enough for Jean, historical enough for Jerry, I know Susan loves heart shaped rocks, cuddly throws, clean sheets, and sharing with her family. I know she loves her family.
She had a quote displayed by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce that I found meaningful: "Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose, free to choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to talk, think and act for myself -- and I will obey every law or submit to the penalty."
Thank you Susan and family who provided the rocking chairs, bear locked trash cans, books, beds, smoking sections, and plates. I'll never forget the plates, somehow metaphorical for abundance, sharing, family, food and fellowship. Somehow metaphorical for love. You made Mary all warm fuzzy and teary.
Asides to the trip:
I fell in love with the Columbia Plateau.
I saw more camouflage clothing in those five days than I think I have seen in my lifetime; Jackets, shoes, sweaters, purses, and sundry other articles. Not to mention boats, trucks and motorcycles.
It has been a long time since I did a three state road trip. I remember Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas on one food fest drive.
I still haven't looked at a map to see how the Missouri River flows.
I remember camping at Greenleaf when Ian was a baby and cranky and asleep. James and Linda were making campfire cherry turnovers, everyone was laughing too loud. I kept telling everyone "hush, don't wake up Ian." But Jeff told a joke that made everyone laugh loud enough to wake up our side of the lake, yes, he remembers the joke. Ask him.
I love those memories, that laughter, that fellowship.
That was the year Jean made all the apple pies, the year the older newly wed gentleman kept digging bottles out of the trash, washing them then filling them with wildflower arrangements. One for every table, camp, group. I love those memories.
And now Susan's book club retreat, lake house memory, is mine. I love those memories.
Blessings be with Jane and her family as they continue to watch over Joe.
Love to all.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
On the Road, On the Move
On the road with -- EVERYBODY!
Tal, Julia, Chris and Nora went to Osage Hills. I saw one picture on Facebook but never heard another word. Anybody know how that excursion went? They never tell me anything.
Jeff rolls with his mighty grandsons. Always. Along with smiling boys; bikes and parks are usually included. Jeff always posts pictures on FB, bless you Jeff, you are everybody's favorite.
Connor rolled into first grade after rolling home from his legendary trip to Legoland.
Roger and Connor did the Southern California loop with lots of family and food. I think Connor was a wee bit spoiled. They stopped over for a visit with Art and Janice, but didn't make it to the beach.
Janice said her and Art's about-town travels have been hampered by the miserable heat. Tropical winds, drifts, somethings, have rolled in that bring far to much humidity. The kind of humidity that means you can breathe eight glasses of water a day. Too hot even for dog walks. I know, I know, I can't believe it either.
Ian rolled down to Arizona for a buying trip. I asked him if he had checked how hot it would be in Tucson. He had; 100 plus degrees. So don't whine Janice. Never mind, you can whine all you want. This is a case of air conditioning versus no air conditioning. Before the advent of my air conditioner I was a master whiner.
Jean gets released to roll independently today, a driver will no longer be needed or required. She also said she is rolling around her home sans cane, and she walked the entire grocery store sans cane just depending on the shopping cart. I told her don't get cocky.
I assume Marc is still rolling around in his science lab.
All the kiddo's big and small went back to school.
Christian didn't go anywhere because he was curled up with a bad back. The bane of the Taylor men. He said it only hurt when he moved.
And all you others? Brittany, Summer, Claire? Where have you been rolling?
Jerry and Jane are rolling up the highway, next stop Mukilteo, soon, today, after lunch. Actually they have been rolling EVERYWHERE. What I know of for sure is New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and now Washington. I will get the complete scoop - soon.
Monday Jan will be on the road to Flathead Lake in Montana. With friends and family. This is for a trip that has been a long time coming. Mary has invited me to the lake house for years, Years, and I could never go, usually due to not enough accrued vacation time to go to Montana and then Oklahoma for reunion.
The one year I said Mary, I have enough time to go to Flathead with you, she said, Oh, you can't this year we are having a big reunion. Like I said, this trip has been a long time coming. I can not express how excited I am. I'm barely squeaking by with the vacation time, but I'm not missing out again, and I'm not saving any time to go to Costa Rica like some folks I know.
In a perfect world we are all different. On the road with rainbows and smiles to many destinations and experiences. Look for my toes, on the deck, at the lake, watching a sunset, smiling.
My old toes. I can't believe how old I have become. Old fart that I am I listen to old music with old ears. Climb old hills with old knees. Old habits, old sleep patterns, old books, old dust, old complaints, and old dreams coming true. Ain't life grand.
In a perfect world we are all different. Our differences amaze and entertain me. Besides the obvious of short/tall, fat/thin, it is the amazing diversity of everything else. Jobs, loves, pets, Judy and her martial arts, Ian and Brittany Spears, Hannah and her, well, her everything. Her smile, her boyfriend, her job/jobs, her puppy, her spunk, her enthusiasm, her hair. I used to tell Christian he had hair that could eat Chicago, I think Hannah's hair could eat Illinois with out a burp.
Rolling down the road of life I have lived many places; from San Diego CA, to Rochester NY. I've lived in the mountains, the dessert, at the ocean, and all of them have been beautiful, special, spectacular, and the people so very diverse. One of the biggest blessings of my life is learning to live with, appreciate, and accept human diversity. I never had the opportunity to travel world wide, but I imagine it would have exponentially been even more breathtaking to observe other cultures.
In a perfect world we are all different and all belong to the family of man -- Mexican or Syrian.
The world is so wide and I am so small.
Tal, Julia, Chris and Nora went to Osage Hills. I saw one picture on Facebook but never heard another word. Anybody know how that excursion went? They never tell me anything.
Jeff rolls with his mighty grandsons. Always. Along with smiling boys; bikes and parks are usually included. Jeff always posts pictures on FB, bless you Jeff, you are everybody's favorite.
Connor rolled into first grade after rolling home from his legendary trip to Legoland.
Roger and Connor did the Southern California loop with lots of family and food. I think Connor was a wee bit spoiled. They stopped over for a visit with Art and Janice, but didn't make it to the beach.
Janice said her and Art's about-town travels have been hampered by the miserable heat. Tropical winds, drifts, somethings, have rolled in that bring far to much humidity. The kind of humidity that means you can breathe eight glasses of water a day. Too hot even for dog walks. I know, I know, I can't believe it either.
Ian rolled down to Arizona for a buying trip. I asked him if he had checked how hot it would be in Tucson. He had; 100 plus degrees. So don't whine Janice. Never mind, you can whine all you want. This is a case of air conditioning versus no air conditioning. Before the advent of my air conditioner I was a master whiner.
Jean gets released to roll independently today, a driver will no longer be needed or required. She also said she is rolling around her home sans cane, and she walked the entire grocery store sans cane just depending on the shopping cart. I told her don't get cocky.
I assume Marc is still rolling around in his science lab.
All the kiddo's big and small went back to school.
Christian didn't go anywhere because he was curled up with a bad back. The bane of the Taylor men. He said it only hurt when he moved.
And all you others? Brittany, Summer, Claire? Where have you been rolling?
Jerry and Jane are rolling up the highway, next stop Mukilteo, soon, today, after lunch. Actually they have been rolling EVERYWHERE. What I know of for sure is New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, and now Washington. I will get the complete scoop - soon.
Monday Jan will be on the road to Flathead Lake in Montana. With friends and family. This is for a trip that has been a long time coming. Mary has invited me to the lake house for years, Years, and I could never go, usually due to not enough accrued vacation time to go to Montana and then Oklahoma for reunion.
The one year I said Mary, I have enough time to go to Flathead with you, she said, Oh, you can't this year we are having a big reunion. Like I said, this trip has been a long time coming. I can not express how excited I am. I'm barely squeaking by with the vacation time, but I'm not missing out again, and I'm not saving any time to go to Costa Rica like some folks I know.
In a perfect world we are all different. On the road with rainbows and smiles to many destinations and experiences. Look for my toes, on the deck, at the lake, watching a sunset, smiling.
My old toes. I can't believe how old I have become. Old fart that I am I listen to old music with old ears. Climb old hills with old knees. Old habits, old sleep patterns, old books, old dust, old complaints, and old dreams coming true. Ain't life grand.
In a perfect world we are all different. Our differences amaze and entertain me. Besides the obvious of short/tall, fat/thin, it is the amazing diversity of everything else. Jobs, loves, pets, Judy and her martial arts, Ian and Brittany Spears, Hannah and her, well, her everything. Her smile, her boyfriend, her job/jobs, her puppy, her spunk, her enthusiasm, her hair. I used to tell Christian he had hair that could eat Chicago, I think Hannah's hair could eat Illinois with out a burp.
Rolling down the road of life I have lived many places; from San Diego CA, to Rochester NY. I've lived in the mountains, the dessert, at the ocean, and all of them have been beautiful, special, spectacular, and the people so very diverse. One of the biggest blessings of my life is learning to live with, appreciate, and accept human diversity. I never had the opportunity to travel world wide, but I imagine it would have exponentially been even more breathtaking to observe other cultures.
In a perfect world we are all different and all belong to the family of man -- Mexican or Syrian.
The world is so wide and I am so small.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
