Family Reunion

We went down to eastern Oregon to the Rucker family reunion this weekend. It was great fun and too much food! John and I stayed in a cabin by the lake with Grandpa where we had to be careful not to walk into a deer as we went outside. Unfortunately, our camera is gone so I have no pictures to share. Perhaps I will be able to link to some that my cousin Andy took!

There is a Blues, Brews and Bronze festival in Joseph every year that corresponds with the weekend of the reunion. John & I did not go to the festival since it was $25 to get in - didn't think it would quite be worth it.

It's funny to watch family dynamics in play. Watching my dad and his sister together was really interesting - he's quite quiet around her most of the time. At times I could almost see what they must have been like growing up together - something I haven't thought too much about before.

Grandpa Jack was in rare form. His hearing has gotten much worse and his eyesight is pretty bad - he says this gives him an excuse to practice his Braille technique on the women around him! Ruth says that it's dangerous to let him drink as his jokes get raunchier - he says he doesn't need to drink to tell the raunchy ones at all. I think a trip out to Olathe to take him out for a beer is in order soon.

My sister Sheri was not able to go to the reunion, but many times people mentioned the last one she attended. A branch of the family (the Lathrops) still operate a farm in the area so we all troop out for lunch every year and Sally puts on the biggest ranch feed I have ever seen. In previous years this has always included fresh fried chicken and lamb - which is raised on the farm. The last time Sheri was there she was in high spirits and loving the chicken until someone pointed to the pile of feathers and let her know that she was eating REALLY fresh chicken. She then decided to only eat the "roast beef". It wasn't until after we got back to the campsite and she was praising the great roast beef that someone told her it wasn't beef - "remember those cute little sheep out back?"