Yesterday was when my sister hosted the extended-family Christmas party.
Mom died two years ago and Dad died in 2019. Last two Christmases were not particularly festive as the family regrouped.
Five siblings and our spouses attended.
Seven of the next generation + five of their spouses attended.
Eleven "little ones" were in attendance.
I got to hold a couple of babies and feed one a bottle.
White Elephant gifts were exchanged by random-lot and then the gift stealing followed.
The older geezers talked about our new knees, hips and issues with vision and spines. We also talked about the exceptional mobility of athletes in college sports and how that impacted recruiting, talent retention and program success/failures. In many ways it mirrors the issues on the productive side of the economy.
The oldest man sported hearing-aids and he turned them off when it got loud. Then he smiled.
The mature women talked about family matters.
The young guys talked about jobs, the complications of home-repairs in hold houses, wood stoves and the cost-of-living.
The girls (about third-grade) retired to the bedroom where we had left our coats and talked about "boys".
We watched a couple walk across the frozen lake from north-to-south. It has been several years since December was cold in southern Michigan to where anybody dared attempt that in December (much less in the first half of December). They made the crossing without going swimming.
They were not walking side-by-side. The man was walking about 7 paces in front of the woman. Maybe the ice had started hissing-and-cracking. Ice will usually "tell you" when you are being stupid and spreading out reduces the risk of falling through. If you are alone and you hear that, spread out your feet and shift only part of your weight as you move rather than lifting them. Slide each foot in-turn. Oh...and head back to shore.
Or maybe it was just a case of the man was in a hurry.
I ate too much and moved too little and we stayed too long. It was a magnificent party and it had a splendid turn-out. The crowd is a testament to what a great hostess my sister and her husband are. I am sure there are tens-of-millions of parties across the US that are nearly identical, but this is the party I attended.
Sounds like a good time was had by all - and you were deserving of your 'excesses'.
ReplyDeleteOf late, reassemblage of my extended family (30 first-cousins and at least some of their offspring) has mainly been tied to the passing and funerals of the last of our parents and their siblings.
LAt the most recent, we all affirmed that we need to do it again, and regularly, for reasons other than funerals. I hope that we can accomplish this.
Nothing is better than a pleasant and sane family holiday with babies around.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteI am glad that it went well. A Merry Christmas to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI left Michigan long ago but I recall walking across Lake Orion between Christmas and New Years to get to a friends house on an island (is it an island if you can walk to it without getting wet?)
ReplyDeleteEverything requires maintenance, especially family ties.
ReplyDeleteSo many of our current woes are from ignoring the family ties.
Turning OFF the hearing aids, Brilliant!
Hopefully none of your elders find themselves alone when they need to be in a multi-generational home. Grands make GREAT Babysitters :-)
Sounds like a successful family gathering, ERJ.
ReplyDeleteHaving been through what seems like a round of less than successful ones over the last few years, it is always good to have a win.
Time with family is precious. Enjoy it while you can!
ReplyDeleteGreat that you have a family like that. Congrats !! Having hearing aids I can say that when you turn them off what you hear is usually much funnier than what was said so now I leave them home. --ken
ReplyDelete