Relatives. Relatively speaking.
I am an orphan. No mom & pop, sibs. Yes, I do have cousins by the dozens, BUT: if you never see them. Have only seen most of them less than 30 times in my life, does that count as family?
Set 1: Used to live in Huntington, LI, NY. Saw them every couple of years until they moved to the West. Then, never. 3 girls, 1 boy. Wouldn't know them if I fell over them.
Set 2: 4 girls, two I have seen as adults and would recognize and am fond of. The others, totally unknown.
Set 3: Their father, my mom's half-brother, I saw during WW2 when he could get home, then post-War, after he was married and before my grandparents died, maybe 2-3 times. After they (2 girls, 2 boys) moved to NH, and my folks moved to NH, I saw them a couple of times a year. Jeannie (the eldest) lived with us one summer while she took advanced courses in PT in NYC). After my parents died, nada. In fact, the only thing I can remember about my uncle during that time was that he asked if I would return the sap yolk that Mom had. It belonged to his dad. And the mahoghany tray, inlaid with mother of pearl with a picture of the Taj Mahal that he had brought back from India from the War. After that, I don't think he was in touch. I got a Christmas card from my cousin Sue (in Feb or March) telling me that he had died in August 2006. Uh huh.
Her other sibs? Heaven knows.
Set 4: Various - Tommy? If alive, in FL. Hooper? Still in Marblehead MA, I think. Skip (Warren) in Chevy Chase, but I haven't heard from him in a few years. He and his wife had 2 sons, but one committed suicide in 1997 - a golden boy who was most likely bi-polar.
So that's it. Family but no family.
I called Roger today to wish him happy Fathers Day. Had a very nice talk with him and Carolyn. We are Matt's family, along with Nancy, his sister, Matt's aunt. Matt may remember the Clarks but he has only seen Jenny Hartley once or twice and I don't think he has met the others at all.
On a completely different note: I am now the Senior Warden of St. Mark's Church. Elected last Wednesday when I was feeling really sick with diverticulitis - but Dr. Kaplan thinks it wasn't, but on Cipro none the less.
This is a learning process. I was thinking of designing a shirt with the graphic of a pair of cut off blue jeans with wings - Flying by the Seat of Your Pants. But wearing my adult persona I think that asking questions and taking guidance, I may be able to help St. Marks.
Last Sunday I took lots of pictures of the arborist in the tree (about 5 stories up) and the parishioners reaction to that and also snaps of the church people. Today I posted them on the church bulletin board. I will be interested to hear the reaction.
After church I had breakfast and COFFEE, lounged, then went to the craft store to buy artificial flowers for the fire place. Otherwise it just stares at me - a black hole.
Yesterday I went into Manhattan to buy more nylon storage cubes for my laundry. Instead of a hamper, I have a cube in the closet, but realize I could pre-sort my laundry if I had one for dark and mixed as well as white. Now I do. Wash time will be easier, as long as I have quarters.
Tomorrow a 6:30 meeting. Tuesday 8:00 AM:11:30AM. Wednesday, Doctor at 2:15, church at 5:00 and hopefully music at Novo at 7.
Things to do: Laundry, Space Bagged storage to basement, Bose set up, Mauricio call, notes to Judy and Susie, Rummage/Flea Market sorting down in basement.
Hmm, almost midnight - pumpkin or bed. Tough decision.
Set 1: Used to live in Huntington, LI, NY. Saw them every couple of years until they moved to the West. Then, never. 3 girls, 1 boy. Wouldn't know them if I fell over them.
Set 2: 4 girls, two I have seen as adults and would recognize and am fond of. The others, totally unknown.
Set 3: Their father, my mom's half-brother, I saw during WW2 when he could get home, then post-War, after he was married and before my grandparents died, maybe 2-3 times. After they (2 girls, 2 boys) moved to NH, and my folks moved to NH, I saw them a couple of times a year. Jeannie (the eldest) lived with us one summer while she took advanced courses in PT in NYC). After my parents died, nada. In fact, the only thing I can remember about my uncle during that time was that he asked if I would return the sap yolk that Mom had. It belonged to his dad. And the mahoghany tray, inlaid with mother of pearl with a picture of the Taj Mahal that he had brought back from India from the War. After that, I don't think he was in touch. I got a Christmas card from my cousin Sue (in Feb or March) telling me that he had died in August 2006. Uh huh.
Her other sibs? Heaven knows.
Set 4: Various - Tommy? If alive, in FL. Hooper? Still in Marblehead MA, I think. Skip (Warren) in Chevy Chase, but I haven't heard from him in a few years. He and his wife had 2 sons, but one committed suicide in 1997 - a golden boy who was most likely bi-polar.
So that's it. Family but no family.
I called Roger today to wish him happy Fathers Day. Had a very nice talk with him and Carolyn. We are Matt's family, along with Nancy, his sister, Matt's aunt. Matt may remember the Clarks but he has only seen Jenny Hartley once or twice and I don't think he has met the others at all.
On a completely different note: I am now the Senior Warden of St. Mark's Church. Elected last Wednesday when I was feeling really sick with diverticulitis - but Dr. Kaplan thinks it wasn't, but on Cipro none the less.
This is a learning process. I was thinking of designing a shirt with the graphic of a pair of cut off blue jeans with wings - Flying by the Seat of Your Pants. But wearing my adult persona I think that asking questions and taking guidance, I may be able to help St. Marks.
Last Sunday I took lots of pictures of the arborist in the tree (about 5 stories up) and the parishioners reaction to that and also snaps of the church people. Today I posted them on the church bulletin board. I will be interested to hear the reaction.
After church I had breakfast and COFFEE, lounged, then went to the craft store to buy artificial flowers for the fire place. Otherwise it just stares at me - a black hole.
Yesterday I went into Manhattan to buy more nylon storage cubes for my laundry. Instead of a hamper, I have a cube in the closet, but realize I could pre-sort my laundry if I had one for dark and mixed as well as white. Now I do. Wash time will be easier, as long as I have quarters.
Tomorrow a 6:30 meeting. Tuesday 8:00 AM:11:30AM. Wednesday, Doctor at 2:15, church at 5:00 and hopefully music at Novo at 7.
Things to do: Laundry, Space Bagged storage to basement, Bose set up, Mauricio call, notes to Judy and Susie, Rummage/Flea Market sorting down in basement.
Hmm, almost midnight - pumpkin or bed. Tough decision.