Thursday, November 15, 2007

It's All About Family

Yesterday I had to turn the air conditioner on for a bit when I got home and this morning I heard we're under a snow advisory from noon unitl early tomorrow morning. Go figure.

Last night, the Amazon and I went over to my Uncle G's house for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner. I'd not been back to that house since my aunt died, I even stood outside after her funeral because I couldn't bear to be there if she wasn't.

I was distracted for most of the evening by my half-drunk knuckle dragging neanderthal Uncle C, who likes to think he's a big macho mountain man, when he's really more like Barney Fife. During a very brief lull in his story telling, I let my eyes wander around a bit at the ceramic animals my aunt had made and the curio cabinet she'd had since before I was born. I knew where each and every one of those little knick knacks came from. Over in the corner was a table with family pictures, including a big 8 x 10 picture of the Amazon when she was little and could still be forced into frilly dresses. I felt the tears welling up in my eyes, but luckily Uncle C made it back from his beer run to the kitchen just in time.

The food was good but it wasn't the same. I don't blame Ma for staying home. I really don't think she could have stood it, to be honest. It was good to see my Norfolk cousin, we grew up across the street from each other. He's the closest thing to a sibling I've ever had and probably the only person who can get away with pointing out my graying hair to a room full of people and still live to tell about it.

I'd better get to work. We'll talk more later... taters.

3 comments:

poopie said...

That's a really sad feeling...I know it well. Maybe your uncle would give you something of hers to take home and have with you all the time.

Jeni said...

Egads - a snow advisory? And you're way further south I think than I am! That's downright scary.
As to your visit to your uncle's place, it was nice you got to visit with a cousin you are close to but I can so understand your feelings about going into the home that belonged to a very close loved one. I haven't been in my Dad's homestead for over 15 months now -since before my surviving aunt on that side of my family and her daughter had to move to a nursing home late last summer. I can't go in there now because only one of my cousins has access to the place and he is ticked off at my daughters and me because he feels we don't get over to visit our aunt as often as we should. And he's right about that but he doesn't understand the problems my daughter and I have in trying to get there with her job, crazy mixed up hours and two kids under the age of four who have issues -autism and developmental delays -which create all sorts of other problems then to just leave the house.
And since the house is now up for sale, I doubt I'll ever have a chance to set foot in it again.

kenju said...

I remember well being in my aunt's home after she died, and I could hardly stand to be there since she wasn't.