roots and still waters

Well I'm starting to think maybe that drive was worth it. What a bunch of beautiful, funny, good-looking and fun-loving people I'm related to. Watching sections of the family that I've only met individually interact was fascinating. "Oh wait, you two are both my uncle on my mom's side, so that would make you brothers, right..." Julie Goldgrabe, one of my great-aunt's daughters (no idea what that makes her) made a huge family tree that served as a handy map to all the people I met, and in many cases had met many times but never understood my relation to them. So yes, there was lots of badminton and polish rummy and wine-tasting and talking talking talking and I really just had a fantastic time. We visited my grandmother's niche at the masoleum, which was very educational. I knew her as a child, but she died of pancretic cancer when I was about 8. Her husband Alvin - my grandfather - died in 1979. I've mostly heard of his later years, in which he turned to the drink something heavy. But apparantly there was much more to him, as his kids who were with us talked a lot about what a hard worker he was and how people in the area still track them down and ask about Alvin, and it just tears them up that both he and Roma are gone. It was good to hear about what cool people I'm descended directly from.
Anyway today is church and lunch back at the Brockmann's, then who knows what. I'll probably leave real early Monday to avoid any hint of traffic after Friday's hell drive.