We Are Family

It only occurs once every two years. It is the gathering of an eccentric and elusive species that is most rare. These beings flock from the darkest plains of Kansas, the wildest prairies of Iowa, the deeply forested hills of Missouri. One tribe even ventured all the way from the jungles of New York! It is...my family reunion!

My mother's family meets every two years in a different location to renew our commitment to each other as a family. We eat, talk, laugh, play games and enjoy each other's company. This year's destination was Branson, MO. Or, as my soon-to-be son-in-law calls it: Hillbilly Disneyland!

Really, we had a great time. The Hubster and I were so glad that both our daughters and their wonderful fellas were able to take the time to come with us. We rented a three-bedroom condo at Thousand Hills Golf Resort. When we weren't hanging out with the whole group, we cooked together, shopped, went to an IMAX film and watched old movies. There's no lack of things to do in Branson.

The condo was beautiful and spacious. It featured three bedrooms and bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, dining area, nice living room with TV and DVD player, and a pretty patio table and chairs with a great view of the pool and golf course. The jacuzzi tub was just icing on the cake. The Hubster made full use of this bonus to soothe his aching back.

My sister, Donna, did most of the planning and organization of the family meeting. I helped with correspondence, and put together an updated family phone book. My mom made sure that everything went smoothly. We make a pretty good team, I think. We held the luncheon meeting at the resort's hospitality room, then took off for a lakeside barbecue supper.

The feedback we received on the event was very positive. Our family seemed to enjoy all the activities, although Branson was crowded and traffic was a problem. The resort was beautiful and large, although two of our family members had items stolen from their cars overnight. Everyone liked that it was at a vacation destination, although we were all tired when we returned home. All in all, it was a very successful weekend. I am so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with the people I love.

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Don't forget! Creativity Night: An Arts Showcase is this Friday night! We have updated the time to include families with children: 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 16, 2010 at the Cherokee Strip Land Rush Museum. The Ark City Public Library is hosting, along with Cowley County Writers Guild. Our generous sponsors, along with the Museum, are Country Mart and Ark City Senior Citizens Center. Admission is free; bring the whole family. This isn't a stuffy art gallery affair, we'll have lots of great music, writers sharing their craft, refreshments and plenty of cool things to look at: wood carvings, paintings and photographs. Some of our published authors will offer their books for sale, too. Please come!

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Momala's Book Club Pick: I just started reading Pat Conroy's "South of Broad" and already I'm in love! It's about a misunderstood young man living in Charleston, SC. Conroy is a master wordsmith. The pictures he paints in my mind are lush, full-colored works of art. I'll give a full report when I finish the book.

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Female in Motion Exercise Update: Even though I was out of town part of the week, I did three aerobic workouts and walked a couple of miles around the Branson Tanger Outlet Mall! Take that, burger and fries!

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Notable Quote:

"Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts."--Author Unknown