Re: OT - If I can get through this - update

You're right, Zem. When I was a kid, I always enjoyed getting together with cousins. But, I think, my generation got very mobile [for a lot of reasons] and moved away, splintering the tribe. I don't think any of my kids have ever so much as met any of their cousins. 

On Jul 31, 2007, at 2:47 PM, Zemuly Sanders wrote:
Auralie, I'm just happy to hear you survived. It's very unfortuntate that your sons do not get along because some of my best childhood memories are of visiting with cousins. I don't think, however, that children do that very much anymore. 
zem
zone 7
West TN
----- Original Message ----- From: <Aplfgcnys@aol.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] OT - If I can get through this - update
Well, once more I got through it. Things have held together pretty well. My #1 son showed up Friday, a day earlier than expected, but #2 son didn't come that day as he had said he would. I was expecting him to bring his son and stepson - both about 20, and his two teen-aged stepdaughters, so had cooked a huge hamburger and pasta casserole. There's still a lot of it left, though folks have snacked on it all weekend. #3 son and family showed up Friday night, so I moved the chicken-salad and gazpacho I had planned for 
the next night up to Friday night.
Saturday, the party at Teatown went very well though it got off to a slow 
start
because #1 son's wife, daughter and boy-friend who flown in from Seattle, didn't get in until 3:30 AM, and #2 son somehow got lost with all his crew and ended up going halfway down to the city - you'd think he had never been here before, instead of growing up here. Anyway, Reka, my Thai friend and Claire, a "floral stylist" friend made a terrific presentation. The Teatown 
staff
had been most helpful and had sent a large bunch of flowers, but Claire had really gone overboard, as did Reka. There were about 40 people, a good 
number of whom took the various tours Chet had arranged for. There had
been rain in the morning, but the skies cleared and there was a good breeze 
to relieve the humidity and 80 degree temperature.
Then, since we had cancelled the party at the house, we had only family for dinner and the evening. Claire stopped by, but didn't stay long. Somehow the house seemed about as full as it could be with the 16 family members. Thank goodness, they all stayed pretty civil. The brothers had not been together since #3 son's wedding 11 years ago, and #2 son has a different wife and family since then, so there was some reacquainting to be done. The two youngest grandchildren - Connor at 5 and Cate at 2, kept people 
amused.  My older granddaughter and one of #2 son's stepdaughters are
both ardent horsewomen, as are their mothers, and they had not met before, so that kept one sector pretty well occupied. I stayed in the kitchen most of the time, so don't really know what went on except that noone came to blows though there were some loud voices a few times. I put food on as quickly as I could, because that always seems to improve their tempers. 
The amount of food they consumed was impressive.  I still had a large
bowl of chicken-avocado salad; another of potato salad; and I had astonished my favorite butcher, from whom I never buy beef, by asking for a 5-lb. rib-eye roast. I really expected to have leftovers for hash. There wasn't enough 
left
to make a roast-beef sandwich. I had to hustle around and refill the large 
salad bowl, and then they demolished an ice-cream cake from Carvel.
I must say I heaved a huge sigh of relief when they all finally left. I was glad to see each of them, but the whole thing has been a bit much, especially 
with the other events of the week.
We are supposed to go down to Cape May tomorrow for a couple of days.
#2 son and family have taken a condo there for the week. I'd rather just stay home and try to get things back on track here, but Chet is keen to go. I love the beach, but do sunburn badly. I find 2-year-old Cate is a charmer, but 5-year-old Connor is a terror. It's not trendy to discipline children these 
days,
it seems.I don't really feel that several days in a condo with them will be 
relaxing.
Thanks for listening to all my ramblings.
Auralie


In a message dated 07/30/2007 10:04:46 AM Eastern Standard Time,
holmesbm@usit.net writes:
I'm just back from a trip, catching up on email. Hope all is ok now. So sorry you lost the tree, plants, and must have roof repairs and so glad that the tree didn't hit the house directly. While they are wonderful in 
providing shade and reducing temperatures, they certainly can cause
problems when they fail.  Are things getting back in order?
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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]

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