It had been nine years since we had last seen my brother Mike, at our Daughters wedding,, so when we decided to visit my sister in Illinois, she called Mike and asked if he could visit while we were there. I then called him, and we both were surprised as it had been nine years, and we were long overdue for a reunion.
The plan was to meet him on the 20th of September. We of course drove from Wyoming, and he would fly from his home near Raleigh, North Carolina. We arrived on time, but the government’s idiotic shutdown was so screwed up that the air traffic was either delayed or cancelled across the country. He was lucky that he made it only eleven hours late on the 21st.
We were all staying at Connie and Gary’s house and so the next morning we started to catch up. Of course, we do call each other often but so much is missed. The first few days were almost nonstop visiting as we shared memories of our parents and of growing up in Iowa.
I, being the youngest, learned the most as Connie and Mike told me of things before I was born and talked of relatives I would never meet. Neither one had anything good to say of my Great Uncle George. I didn’t even know he existed.
Mike told about having a paper route and having his papers stolen by another paper boy. My dad took Mike to the boys house, knocked on the door and when the father asked what the hell he wanted, grabbed him, thrashing him against the door. The man then apologized, and Mike got the money for the papers. I knew Dad was a fighter, after all he had seven brothers….
I made some of the breakfasts, and Renita and I also did the dishes. One of Connies favorites are my crepes and so I made several days’ supply. She, and Gary, then made Monkey Bread. It’s made from bread dough, sugar, cinnamon, and butter, in a bunt pan. She next allowed it to rise in the fridge and baked it the next day. It was great and I ate the most!
On another day my nephew Danny and his wife Janelle drove us to a smokehouse in Springfield, it was perfect! We also ate lunch at a Maderight, an old Iowa favorite. Its a name for a loose meat hamburger.
The days went by too fast but before we left, we went to a National Cemetery looking for gravestones of great uncles and members of the Iowa Second infantry who had fought and died in the civil war. But that’s another story.
Thank you, Connie and Gary, for the reunion. Every day is a blessing, and these days were the greatest! Love and of course clear skies
