Memories of 2006
People at the reunion- 48
Marian ( and Harmon, unable to attend) Cropsey: Carolyn Cropsey-Toomey; Alan, Erika, Gabriel and Evamarie Cropsey; Lindsay Jo, Andrea, Zach and Liz Eddy
Bryce and Dorothy Lindsay: Curt Lindsay; Carol, Ron, Jeremiah, William and Thomas Begley
Targe and Jo Lindsay: Tom, Susan, John and Jake Lindsay; Kelly and Diana Lindsay; Camilla, Isaac and Thea Layman; Eric and Kylie Lindsay; Nancy and Siena
Elizabeth Lindsay Tatum (1920-1964) and Lyle Tatum’s (1918-2006) family: Steve Tatum; Susan Taylor and Mike Murphree; Laura, Geoff, Brennan, Claire and Eva Kinnel; Peter, Lily and Abby Taylor; Amy and Maya Rose Brooks; Jeremy and Jevon Taylor.
(Provided by Sue Taylor)
Uncle Targe's account
Thanks to the Kinnels for all of those great pictures. You captured a lot of what went on there.
I have tried to describe what I saw of it below. If I left someone or something out...I apologize... same for spelling. Corrections can be mailed by clicking on reply all.
Another reunion...some more rising stars. How good can it get? Thanks to Sue, the whole thing came off as smooth as silk, but she had good help from Steve and Carolyn.
Who would have thunk that Brennan would come up with the whole program for Friday night ...or that we would be playing Jeopardy with our own relatives and their experiences as the players and the game...for almost two hours? And who would have guessed that he would enlist his whole family in order to make it happen? It was impressive, Brennan, Geoff, Claire, Laura and Eva, who delivered the numbered cards to the winners so efficiently.
And who would have guessed that we would have continuous tumbling throughout the evening programs...courtesy of Claire...or that anyone could be so supple, skilled and poised? You rocked, Claire!
Then there was Abby singing with a voice as clear as a bell, singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game from the depths of the Philly blanket...a ten for sure. Following her was Jevon with the same act, but with a little help...sweet beyond words also.
The Begley Boys were Big, really Big, all three nights...or was it four. In fact they were both amazing and prolific, with repertoires you would not believe if you had not seen and heard them, but only Thomas scored kisses on both cheeks by Andrea and Liz (Sweetie.) Never again will you have it so good, Thomas. Get that picture from Carolyn. so you can prove it to your unbelieving friends at school.
Thursday night’s songfest was in danger of foundering when Diana, Carol Begley and Camilla (as a backup singer) came forth and led the singing and all the singers, of which there were many, followed their leads. Teaching all of us to sing new songs in rounds was not easy, but they pulled it off...feeding off of each other with no previous preparation. Methinks that they have been there and done that before at various times. Of course they had Evamarie on the violin and Eric on the piano playing all those tunes ...all of which, he told me later, were pretty much the same chords only in different keys...or something like that. Anyway, it turned out to be a wonderful evening. ( Advice to you kids: Learn how to play the piano, and you will always be popular at parties. It is almost as good as dancing.)
Comedy Hour Sat Nite Live by the Canadians, Lilly and Peter, along with his two sisters, Laura and Amy, kept us in stitches and now we are all clear on first, second and third cousins...some of whom are once removed and some twice depending on who your grandmomma is.
Zack and Ande strutted their stuff as dancers...good ones...maybe great, considering Zack’s size and age...an age when few, if any, six foot five fourteen year old boys are capable of remembering, let alone making those many moves. Of course not many such teenage boys have sisters who could or would go to dancing lessons with them. Anyway, they were phenoms. If I had it to do over again, I would take dancing lessons at age thirteen or so.
Evamarie, who took up the violin after our reunion twelve years ago and who is now a virtuoso, played a wonderful violin solo that confirmed her expertise. Nice going Evamarie!
Then there was the Itsy Bitsy Spider number with all of the itsy bitsy kids: Abby, Eva, Thea, Maya, Claire, and Jevon, plus Siena and Brennan and some other helpers who were not so itsy bitsy. How do you spell C U T E?
And Brennan following up his big Jeopardy Nite as a stand up comedian the next. Ribbet, ribbet. Bad joke but gutsy performance...as was his Dad’s when he joined Jeremiah and Will in a trio...a trio which was better than my memory of its title.
The Hot Chicks, Lindsay Jo, Nancy and Carolyn came through on the talent show after an afternoon of preparation and shopping. Their recognition of the four generations of hot chicks was inspired and thoughtful as they recognized and awarded T shirts, boas and crowns to the descending generations. The youngest hot chicks (most of them) loved their crowns and Eva even wore hers to breakfast on Sunday.
Eric played a CD with his fine unfinished piece for a quartet with us...a piece that is now finished and will be played by a quartet in San Francisco this Fall...a piece that reminds us how far he has progressed since he began writing music when he was in seventh grade.
A star studded quintet of Evamarie, Carol, Camilla, Jeremiah and Diana sang something wonderful.
Each night Abby, Jevon and Eva gained courage and and got better at tumbling as they worked on following Claire’s lead, but they still have a ways to go. Next time...maybe.
Camilla and Siena teamed up to sing a beautiful duet...the title of which escapes me...but it was good.
Courageous Curt did a remarkable stand up version of a scene from Mash...playing four or five parts...showing us all a previously unknown aspect of this son, brother, uncle, cousin, lst cousin once removed, 2nd cousin twice removed, or just plain kissin cousin ...one which earned him some points all around.
Marian, Bryce, Dot, Jo and Targe went down memory lane about life and times with Pop and Mom Lindsay and Grandma Mandt (Mom Lindsay’s mom and great, great, great grandma to the third cousins...I think.) Bryce embarrassed me a bit when he choked up once or twice...I never saw him do that before...must be in the genes :).
Then there was horse back riding for the kiddies and white water rafting for the adventurous, but we could see neither from our station on the porch. Tough job, porch sitting for three days.
Could not see the hikers either, but I know for a fact that they did not go out of sight of the YMCA grounds or Mike would not have gone with them. Curt, Steve and Jeremiah took a longer one a day or so later...in the rain coming back. Others took shorter ones along the river or creek.
A biggee this time was Texas Holdem, now possibly a national pastime by virtue of TV. It was/is a great mixer for teenagers, pre teens and post teens, and each night the table was full until eleven o’clock closing time. Not sure who the winners were, chipswise, but the players were all winners inasmuch as the game broke down any reticence they might have had prior to playing. A good time was had by all as they ate their way through chips, nuts and drinks provided by Susan.
Every night the table with the beads and stretch cord was a busy place with people making Diana bracelets...and some guys picked up polished pink touch stones for their pockets. Also each night pictures of absentees, weddings and such were shared amongst the various families and displayed on the mantle as well.
The food in the cafeteria was good...generally speaking....maybe better the first day or so...but who is complaining?
The dorms were quiet...enough.
Alan gained rock star status with a conference of Joshua‘s Vanguard...teenage kids interested in politics...mostly home schooled and all conservative (more or less). When they found out that Alan was a State Senator from Michigan, they mobbed him for photo ops. He looked senatorial, but when asked by an advisor if she wanted a photo op with him, Aunt Jo (Nana) declined, saying that he was her nephew, and although she loved him to pieces....she would not vote for him! Smart woman!
On that note, there was more discussion re politics and religion at meal times this time...depending on who you ate with. We kept it pretty light and uninformative...at least apparently so...and no one came away mad....or uncertain in their previously held beliefs...which run the gamut from right to left.
So, I thought it was pretty amazing when we got home yesterday and opened an email explaining who believes what about what...an email from outside our extended family. So since you all know how to tell cousins apart now, here is another gem to add to your collection of priceless knowledge:
Five Religious Truths:
1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen People.
2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
3. Catholics do not recognize that Jesus was Jewish.
4. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the Leader of the Christian World.
5. Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.
Don’t blame me. I am just the messenger. Love, UT/T/Twith a hard “g”/Dad/Dadro