The Band Got Back Together

On Memorial Day weekend, we made Tony's favorite trek -- the eight-plus hour drive to the Garden of Eden, aka Oregon. The occasion was my grandmother's 80th birthday party, and most of my mother's family was there. It had been a long time since so many of us had gathered all at once.

Whenever Tony grumbles about how depressing old age will be, I remind him of my grandmother who is still going strong at 80. I expect to celebrate her 90th birthday in 10 years :).

Being Memorial Day weekend, we decorated graves of our family members. None of the in-laws came along, so it was just the six of us (plus little Elsa who fell asleep on the long drive to the cemetery).

There's not too many occasions anymore where we adult siblings hang out with our parents without our spouses and our kids. It was fun. It kind of felt like old times -- except that we were cruising around in my brother's minivan, and we never imagined any of us owning a minivan. (For crying out loud, our parents stuffed us into a four-door sedan for more than a decade.)

Speaking of bands, my mother insisted the four of us pose like this -- all standing apart instead of close together. We felt like we were posing for an album cover.

A tribute to the men in my life, who have done a lot for me since I don't have any sisters to listen to all my thoughts and validate my feelings. Evidently a conversation between the four of them out in the yard went something like this:

Brother 1: How did your blackberry bushes die?

Dad: They're not dead. I just sprayed them for bugs.

Brother 2: They look dead.

Dad: They're not dead. Look at the green leaves.

Brother 3: There seem to have been a lot more leaves before you sprayed them.

Dad: They're fine.

Brother 1: Does Mom know you killed the blackberry bushes?

Sometimes my poor dad gets it coming and going....

But, my dad has an ally in Afton. She helped her grandfather pick rocks out of the garden, walk around in the dirt, look at mud puddles, ride around the farm in the truck (where she sat on the pop-down armrest so she'd be tall enough to see out the window), and, of course, cruise around on the four-wheeler. She wouldn't make eye contact with, speak to, or smile at him during these excursions (and maybe that was a relief after my dad's talkative children and wife), but she definitely wanted to go. Especially if she could take along her pink purse.... When we got back home, Afton would say, "Appa Reed" and then just laugh.

Afton also connected with Grandma Debbie during their dance parties. I believe Grandma Debbie is teaching Afton a Zumba move here. Evidently they had a good time together at a park (sans Tony and I), as Afton now reminds me that Grandma Debbie "wing" (swings) on occasion.

It was a fun visit with our family that's now spread out across four states. We can't wait until the band gets back together next year!