Family Reunion

So this past Saturday was the reunion for Bob's Dad's family. Frank comes from a Slovakian family, and his parents were the ones who came over here (as children), settling in a very small town in PA. Frank had 2 brothers and 3 sisters, just like Bob does, and now he is the only one surviving. We went to the reunion last year too, and a lot of the same people were there then too. I got the impression both years that everyone else socializes during the rest of the year too, whereas our branch of the family only sees the others once a year at this reunion. 

 The reunion was at the house of Mark and Debbie, who live in this small PA town. Mark is the son of Frank's brother John, and he has 3 grown children who all live close and have grandchildren. They live in a house that used to belong to one of Bob's cousins, Peggy, who is actually old enough that he always called her "Aunt Peggy". She is the daughter of Bob's Aunt Mary, who is the only sibling of either of Bob's parents that I ever met. She was able to come to our wedding in Ohio, but she died a few years back. Before that the house was somehow in the family too; I got lost on all of that. I need a flow chart or something. Literally everyone in this tiny burrough is related somehow, and the houses must not have changed ever. Peggy's son and daughter-in-law were there too, along with their 2 children. They actually live near us, in Falls Church, VA, and are even looking at buying a bigger house out this way! Peggy has a younger sister named Helen, who must be about 60. 

Everyone else seemed really comfortable around each other, laughing and joking and dancing the polka (no, really!). But Bob's Dad doesn't totally fit in, though, and I'm not exactly sure why. Once, he came back to the table and said he missed the kielbasa, and Helen says, "Dumb Slovaks". Now, of course, she is one herself, so she must be joking, right? But he about knocks over his chair to stand up and glare, and people quickly say stuff about how she always was the one to joke around like that, etc. Awkward. You would think Bob's parents would be like the honored elder couple, the last link to the past, but they're not. I think it's because they are just so weirdly prickly about little things, and I'm sure they must have gotten mad at or offended these relatives at some point in their lives too. The wife of Franks' brother George, Aunt Augie (short for Augustina maybe?), is also still living, and she also came last year and this year. She seems to be more included and liked, even though she is not really mobile anymore, and she can't move her neck. People make an effort to go over and talk to her, and she seems like a really nice older lady. I wish I could have met more of Frank's siblings, because it would have been interesting to see how they were. Some of them were weird too--Bob tells a story of how, when he was maybe Caleb's age, he went over to Aunt Aggie's house on Easter, and she said she had hidden a lot of candy for a hunt. He got all excited, and then she told him it was all for her cats. He was really upset, but that's exactly what happened, and he didn't get any candy. That's a bit odd, wouldn't you agree? But Aunt Mary seemed perfectly nice and normal at our wedding.

So, as a summary, there was a lot of drinking and smoking. In fact, Uncle Mark has rigged up this refrigerator in this outside shed connected to a nice covered patio area with a beer spigot so he can have cold beer on tap. He just drilled a hole in the side of the fridge, and then there are tubes inside to the keg. But people were not rowdy and drunk, so it was a nice time. It just smelled like beer and smoke, which was hard for a newly pregnant woman! There was lots of food. I brought my spinach strawberry salad, and it was almost completely eaten. I also brought my cookie-dough brownies, which have a layer of cookie dough spread over the brownies, and then a layer of chocolate frosting. They are very good, and they all went too. So at least people think I'm not a bad cook! 

 They also have some different traditions at these things. One is a gift pass event, sort of like a cake walk, except that everyone is sitting in a row, men on one side and women on the other. Then each side gets a present, and they pass it up and down the row until the music (polka of course) stops. Then that person takes of the first layer of wrapping paper. The game continues for about 15 more layers of wrapping paper, and finally someone gets to the box itself and gets to keep the present. There also is an auction where everyone donates some piece of junk they don't need anymore. People bid up these things to raise money for the meat, etc. at the reunions, and you also have to take home the junk you bought. I'd really rather just pay a few more dollars at the get-go! Bob restrained himself and only bought a set of 3 car air fresheners for $1.00. We brought 2 very cheap and ugly little Christmas towels that don't match, and each one got around $3.00. Believe me, they were both not worth half of that together! It was fun, though.  I also got to talk with several of the women, and they even asked about homeschooling, so we talked some about that. We also told people we were expecting again--always nice to be able to do that in person, and we certainly got better reactions than over the phone with Bob's family! Next year it will be at Aunt Peggy's house. Maybe I'll have some more of these relationships straight by then.