Posted by COMF [COMF] on November 28, 1999 at 09:03:48 {hcnmikA.Fk8btmTRbiCQoRa3VCcycQ}:
Hi, friends and potential friends,
it was a delightful, rewarding holiday period for me. In Portland for Nickie's family reunion, I got to see a family that has held onto its bonds of love through years of tests and strains. Nickie's mother is one of three sisters and four brothers who have been having family reunions every year for the last 33 years. Although there were three generations represented at the get-together, one of the brothers announced that he had just become a great-grandfather. One brother has been very sick with heart trouble, and is generally expected not to be alive next year at this time. A prayer was said before the meal, and it was such an emotional time for them that three folks had to try before anybody could actually articulate a prayer instead of just crying.
Never having had close family ties, and being an outsider to this group, I was able to observe them from a detached perspective. There was a lot of awkwardness, because the younger members of the family don't know each other, and I could see that it was the original brother-sister group that formed the cohesion for the whole thing. But there was a closeness and genuine love there that I could only wish I had known in my life.
I suggested to Nickie that she have each family group tell everyone who the members of that group were, because we were all sitting in little clusters of close family... sons and daughters with parents, by generation. So Nickie suggested that the original brothers/sisters stand up and introduce each of the members of their immediate family. The idea went over fabulously, and led to a long period of storytelling and laughter over things that had happened in years gone by. Afterward several people said they enjoyed it so much they want to make it a tradition and do it every year at the reunion. Happy, happy, happy.
In Austin, we visited with Nickie's son, Chris. Chris is a programmer who was in the right place at the right time to become every programmer's envy. He was writing computer games up in Massachusetts when he received a call from some former business associates to come join them in forming a new company. As an incentive, they offered him a vast amount of stock in the fledgling company. We don't know exactly how much it was, because he hasn't told... but the stock was worth $5.00 a share at the time. Presently it's at $62, and Chris has just bought his second Corvette (the first one didn't have a heads-up display).
If you H2O regulars who live in Austin were down on Sixth street Friday night and chanced to drop into Fat Tuesday's after 10:00 PM, then you know that a three-piece band was onstage: Brian on guitar, Andrea singing, and Chris on cello. Yep, that was our Chris on the cello, and that was Nickie, his sister Carrie, and me sitting at the first row of tables with the proud looks on our faces.
While we were down there, Nickie and I met with the manager of one of the Sixth street clubs about the specifics of a new website we'll be doing for it. Looks like we'll be using Flash for the first time. Ahah, a challenge! Bring it on!
I had a good visit with my own family yesterday. Once again there was so much food that there wasn't room in me for one helping of everything. We were able to finalize some old procrastinated business regarding some property the family owns jointly, and Barney, my brother-in-law, and I took care of a few repairs around mom's house, bathroom faucets and such. My nephew Jimmy wasn't there because he was "home sick" (actually, over at his girlfriend's house) with strep throat. I went by to see him before we left for home. He had shaved his head to a mohawk and dyed his hair green. I told him it looked cool, and admired his earring. He proudly showed me the massive pair of pants he was wearing... there was room for the whole family in one leg. :) On the back of one leg, he had sewn the label from a pair of pants that I bought for him last year. He outgrew the pants, but they meant enough to him that he kept the label as a remembrance. I was genuinely touched. Jimmy's had a very hard life in his 15 years. I'm glad I'm a bright spot in it for him.
It was great to see so many folks and enjoy so many activities, but it's good to be home again, too. I miss my computer when I'm away too long. :)
Hope you all had a pleasant holiday period and felt warm, well-fed and happy. Hello again!
COMF