More of my family

Four cousins - Hear no evil, see no evil, but no way do we shut up!

The family picnic last month was actually for my father's family.  When I organise it I invite all descendants of my paternal grandparents.  

Everybody smile!

 But of course I had a Mother as well as a Father and we have family get-together for that family too.  I have been involved in organising picnics for them too but in recent years one of my cousins and his wife (Jack and Sarah) have been the main instigators.  They've got four daughters and the baptisms of their five grandchildren have been great occasions for us all.  Two cousins don't live locally and aren't usually involved but the other four surviving cousins are very fond of get-togethers.

Jack and Sarah's daughter has been home from America and, as she and one of her sisters both had a birthday last Friday, we had a family barbecue.  

The Family Picnic

There's not a lot to be said in favour of going to family funerals except that it's a time when families get together.  In ours it's also a time when someone always says, "We really should meet other than at funerals" and then forgets all about it until the next family obsequies.

After my sister's funeral in 2011 I decided to organise an annual family picnic at Clumber Park, a National Trust property in Nottinghamshire.  Organise is maybe too strong a word for what I do - I choose a date, specify where we will go and tell everyone to bring their own food, chairs and anything else they want.  I can't say it's ever well attended but those who come enjoy it.

Last Sunday was "The Day" and six of us met up.  There would have been eight but Clumber was very busy and two managed to get lost in the park.  Three hours non-stop chatter, a lot of sandwiches and quite a bit of lemonade later we all went home but not before someone took this charming photo of yours truly.  I think I would make an excellent standard lamp.