Tuesday, June 26, 2007

50th / past / blast






I attended yet another "family affair" this past weekend.


A 50th wedding anniversary.


I wasn't feeling too well so I missed the big part where they renewed their vows.


(Curse you McDonald's! I know it was something I ate and I ate YOU! ...shakes her fist, wildly, in the air! ...considers stirring clear of Micky D's from here on out...)


I was at the shindig just long enough to: fork over the congratulatory card I'd thought to bring, grab a slice of cake and a shot of punch (A wonderful soothe for an upset tummy, btw - hahaha!) and ferret out a story or 2 from a childhood crony of my Uncle's.... which means... he also knew my Dad..... hummm... ;-)

The curious thing about the old man and family history is that he claims to remember "nothing". I've asked him, periodically for stories, family information, bla, bla, bla...

He'll look me straight in the eye, get a bit of an up curl going on around the corner of his mouth, open, said mouth, and say just that,
"I remember nothing."

And then he smiles.

('The end.')

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SOooOO... Hehehee, I probed his boyhood buddy, for a little info at the party.

His family name was "Fuller".

I've been wondering ever since, if that aint just about as apropos as it gets... but I digress!

(ahem)

My storyteller perked right up!

"Your Uncle and I used to hang out all the time and I knew your Daddy too."

I nod-in; indicating that he's got my full on attention.

"Me and your Uncle had a place we built down by the river. "

(that would be the Republican River, for reference sake)

"Oh, a little dug-out?" I prod on.

(I knew early settlers had dug outs along the river, including members of this family line.)

"No. A cabin. We had everything. We even had a cook stove."

He makes hand gestures, indicating a camp-size version, of such.

"Wow! That must have been a cool fort!"

"CABIN," He corrects me, again, "We dug into the ground and went up to McCook Ice - so we'd had ICE down there, we had food - we hung out there all the time.

Then one time, I remember, I was hanging out with your Uncle down there and we heard your Dad was coming down too.

Your Uncle didn't want him to hang out with us, So HE GETS HIS RIFLE, (emphasis added by me, now, hello!?) and goes out to keep him from coming on down. When he sees him, he starts shooting at him, about this far away from his head," Mr. Fuller holds his hands up, about a foot apart from each other, to indicate the approximate closeness of the shot from the head. "Boy! Ol' (my dad's name) hit the ground and he started belly crawlin'. And your Uncle kept shooting, and your dad kept belly crawlin' - all the way back home!" Yes. It seemed like my storyteller had been momentarily transformed and transported back to boyhood himself and at just that particular point in time - he looked rather gleeful - for the record - I felt a bit horrified and a whole lot dismayed! Just as I was about to express a big fat "Yeowza!?" ... Mr. Fuller pressed on...
"Well," he said, "It wasn't very long after that, maybe the next day, even or a day or two later, that me and your Uncle found out 'somebody' had blown our cabin up with a stick of dynamite. We always thought it was your Dad but we could never prove it."

LOL!

"Well, humm, he might have done it. I wouldn't put it past him, or blame him too bad if he did - under those circumstances! The only 'boyhood memory' he's ever claimed to have 'surfaced' involved dynamite. Only that was a story about him and my Uncle blowing up a tree stump with the stuff! Who knows huh?"

"Yah. We could never prove it. We always thought it. We could never prove it, though."
(Big smile, from Mr. Fuller to me.)



Sunday, June 24, 2007

SO...TP?

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From the one picture is worth 1,000 words file...
Hummm.
Run right through this... (then count how many that other motorist has to say)... lol!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Family Ties...

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Ah.
Family. =)
My Mother has been all a flutter over the approach of this past weekend for quite sometime.
The youngest of my living, Great-Aunts was coming to town for a visit, with her daughter, over this 'Father's Day' weekend.
Quite a remarkable few of the extenuating family members were also gathering.
Several of us have been murmering for some time that we've been long over due for a "reunion".
I warmed slowly to the concept - because I've been so busy collecting my thoughts and all the needful data for what's next for me. (a shot at my Bachelor's degree) not because I don't love my family - believe me, I've been blessed! Most especially by the ones that went the distance and attended this time - all good natured souls - they are great people! Funny, without having to try too hard to be.... you know? Once I got there - I had a wonderful time! Yesterday especially, watching over some old slides put onto VHS tape and narrated by this Great-Aunt was a 'whoot'! She did an excellent job (amazing, really when it came to remembering names!) and those side story narrations - some of those were just a kill. Most especially because, she wasn't necessarily trying to be funny, however, I laughed and laughed - at just the way some of it came together for her, and for those of us, watching it through this time.
We all laugh so easily... we all like the idea of sharing a good meal together, (o.my.golly. there was a ton of food there!).
There's a growing interest in the gathering of the family geneology, too.
We're thinking in terms of both stories and photos, both historical, and the latest information on 'new arrivals', and archiving as much as we can in 'IT formats' to share universally.
Several have been seriously working on it and doing an astounding job.
(I did my best to straighten out the mis-information on just who my brother-in-law is, lol! Information on one family group sheet had my sister married off to one of her former boyfriends... hehehee.)
I'm not prepared just now for this, but one day....
I have visions of "story boarding" on the foundations already laid and making DVDs and or manuscripts/books that put the photos and stories in to contextes that generations not yet conceived will be able to have and enjoy having - I'd love to capture a little bit of the magic that is our good family fellowship - that which my generation has enjoyed and send it on... up the ol' DNA ladder.

Love and love s'more people....
D.




1 Corinthians 12:31

... covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.