2017-07-12 “Family Gatherings”

Growing up, there were times of the year when our extended families would come together…one of them being the summer picnic. Because we didn’t travel far or often back then (going to London was a big thing), the summer picnic was a significant event.  Everybody who came was well dressed…my mother and my aunts all wore dresses, my father and uncles wore trousers and pressed shirts.  Everybody brought lots of homemade food in picnic baskets and it all tasted great.  We played games and nobody lost…there were penny candies for prizes and the winners probably got two candies instead of one…we were all happy.  Sometimes our family picnics were held at Rondeau Park but more often they were held at my aunts and uncles houses.  I read a book a while ago that reminded me of our family picnics…as the author stated, “the date was carefully chosen to accommodate the work routine of the farmers.  By that time, the first cutting of hay was put in the mow of the barn…”  I remember the tables being set up and bales of straw for seats!  As a young teenager, one of the things my cousins and I liked to do was to wander around and check out the cars and since my mothers side of the family was large, there were lots of cars to see…one time two of my Uncles bought the exact same car and my cousin Stuart always could be counted on to have one of the latest and best cars like his orange Pontiac GTO “The Judge”.  Those times all seem so simple now and family reunions are fading.  I’ve heard so many people say that their families only get together at weddings and funerals…that’s unfortunate, but I understand that.  Many nights we are here past visitation times while people “catch up” and it’s all good.  We’ll never make you feel uncomfortable regardless of how long you stay.

Until next week,

Marc