COUSINS

We all face that time when we become the older generation and we only have cousins left. The memories must be kept alive and passed down or who would know that Aunt Rose wore a Dolly Parton wig? You mean that wasn't her real hair? (That's Mike.)

I remember she came into the restaurant where I worked and none of the waitresses would wait on her because she was so demanding. (Sue with Ricky.)

 Do you remember the year Camello and Jeanette put on the movie of us as kids meeting Santa while we were playing Santa with our kids?

Oh yeah!  The year I played Santa Claus, I had to wear extra pillows. (Lucy)

Holy Cow! You traveled 7,000 miles in your motor home this year and that's only half way? (Terri.)

Cousins are fun. They welcomed me like a long lost sister even as I struggled to keep new names straight with new faces. (Danny.)

 Camello and Jeanette were celebrating their 57th anniversary. When asked how they met, Camello told us serious stories about his difficult life in Italy during the war, his parents killed, bombings, hunger. And then,  his transition to America and a new life. So much history and great memories in one family.

 I met almost all of Jim's (matriarchal) cousins and identified with the fun of slogging down memory lane, telling stories on each other and laughing a lot. 

Earlier in the day, Jim's cousins Jackie Nicol and Ray Fontenin stopped by the motor home and brought pictures and spent a couple hours reminiscing. Jackie has two grown biological children, and 9 adopted kids. Talk about a powerful accomplishment. She is the keeper of the genealogy and gave Jim some paperwork to help him keep track of everyone. (Men are often not good about that kind of stuff.)

Later that night, we had another great feast with Bob and Donna, entertainers extraordinaire. We ate the two "different" meat pies, French and Portuguese. Both delicious but we gave the Dave Souza meat pie the edge.

Dave's pie is the small one. Recipe later.