This weekend, I managed to finagle four teeners to come with me to my folk's 50th anniversary.
Al drove us to The Big Smoke, and we called in on a friend to pick up some cast off PC equipment.
We all talked on the way, with an ipod going of course, not my style, but what ever gets us there...
The girls had returned the previous evening from a week long trip to Canberra. It sounds like they had a great time. I have yet to verify the points of interest visited- there are TWO full camera 1Gb sd-cards to go through, shots and vids... There was the obvious discussions about who's bus stank more from travel sickness, and how many stops for those (poor) people.
Frzledaxxler did not have the brainticklers all the way for once, there was no TURN THAT DOWN I CAN HEAR IT TOO YOU KNOW from me. Amazing. Unless one side was not working. I may have missed that. In fact, maybe the phone music was all he had and could not 'waste' power in case some one TXTD him, or called if they had enough credit!
My friend gave us some old printer and scanner, the printer can be used to make CDs look great too. Only thing was. The poor guy smokes, inside, and all the gear stank the car out for the weekend. I smoked until a while ago, only a pause mind you, so I wonder about how much I put people off back then.
So we got to my brothers' place, and his partner and their kids were just finishing off setting the tables out, waiting for everyone to arrive. I had made up some bolognaise sauce and penne pasta, my two other brothers had brought along their specialties- chow mien, and a lamb stew. One sister had a child starring in a celebration of Bourke and Wills expedition, up in the country, and another on camp, so those descendants were missing, and baby brothers partner was taken out with a migraine, six out, and #2 had three kids working but there were still a LOT of people for lunch. The missing sister supplied cake ingredients for baby sister to make and bake a HUGE slab of mud cake.
We all got stuck into a wine or beer, then soup a la the hosts, then the mains, and all was consumed with relish.
Little sister asked me to say a few words before we cut the cake- I vigorously said NO and pointed at #2 brother instead- he accepted the challenge and he eloquently read from baby sisters card to mum and dad- an off the cuff performance done so well.
We left it at that, short warm words- thanking these two people for being there for us, remaining together in all the adversity and joys that had buffeted them and us. Even Dad kept it short, and Mum was asked to say something too (always hiding) this time, and so she thanked us for being there- short words again. Dad was pretty misty eyed I think as his #2 son read out the card. Not often is that seen.
And so alll departed except me and the kids- we had arranged to overnight with at my brothers place insead of travelling all the way back east- then we could drop Al off at a uni open day, and check it out ourselves too. The kids behaved well, and no canterkerous anti bed time goings on, a good night. Brother #3 got out some DVDs-
To see us all together, getting along, was amazing to see. Two became eight and now is twenty eight. With more to come. Tarnia would have enjoyed it too I think.
Its hard to imagine now what she would have said about a day like that. We all change a bit over time. My bother and sister have achieved twenty years married, little brother nearly the same. Tarn and I would have had thirty years together this year, our marriage twenty years next April. Next month is going to be a bastard.
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