Family Gathering

Easter Sunday found the Chesapeake Bay Family gathered once again around the dining table. In attendance were the CB Parents, Baby Sis, CB Daughter and me. Son was kicking up his heels in the city called New York. Middle Sis, who lives in Georgia, phoned in to announce she was spending the afternoon at a Mexican restaurant for brunch.

Adherence to tradition, especially related to holidays, is not something this family is known for. In fact we seem to subconsciously go out of our way to spurn tradition. (That's a polite way of saying we're crazy a little bit different-- but in a fun way!)

For example, for the duration of my Easter Food Fest, a Bob Marley CD played in the background. As she entered the house and heard the tropical tunes, my mother said it felt as as though we were on a cruise--without the hassle of mechanical problems, Norovirus, untimely deaths, or other unpleasantries. Baby Sis was quick to point out, however, that if we were to find ourselves in such a predicament, we'd be sure to receive another free cruise, so that was reason enough to overlook any potential risks of modern day cruising.

Norovirus? Who cares. "Free" cruise? Free cruise!

Anyway.

A Bob Marley CD played the whole time.

And here, of course, is the traditional (?) Easter tree. This one's a heckuva lot easier to haul from the basement than the Christmas tree, that's for sure.

Speaking of trees, while I had managed to drag the artificial Christmas tree back down to the basement by the time Easter rolled in, I had not moved some of the lingering decorations from the dining room. Lest anyone enjoying Easter dinner be confused about which holiday it was, I moved the last of the Christmas stuff to the kitchen to lie in state wait next to the basement door.  They'll either be scooped up on my next visit downstairs or not.

And since they probably won't make it back down to the basement, at least they'll be conveniently located within easy reach this Christmas decorating season! There are benefits to laziness procrastination.

I'd like to say once again for the record that the beach chairs I took on July 2012's vacation are still in the back of my vehicle. At this point there is absolutely no need to remove them since this year's summer vacation will be here in two bats of an eye. I saved myself the trouble of having to take them out, then locate them in the rubble of the garage and pack them again this year. It's all about efficiency.

A Santa Claus hat and the makings of a lighted tabletop Christmas tree
now sit in plain view in my kitchen instead of hidden in the dining room.

Again adhering to traditions of Easter or not, we dined on grilled tuna for the main course. This very tasty tuna was given to my father free and clear as part of that barter deal he has with the neighbor. He cuts the grass and receives savory seafood in return.

Naturally, because we've had nothing but precipitation of some sort for months and I wanted to use the charcoal grill for an important family gathering, it rained! During an intermission in the showers and two thousand at least an hour and a half of stress, the hickory and mesquite coals were finally hot enough to cook the fish.

(I couldn't decide whether to use hickory or mesquite, so I tossed both in. Decisions are not my forte, but epicurean experimentation is.)

Also in attendance at the festivities was Saturday's wheelbarrow still full of weeds. After umpteen thousand loads of weeds and sticks and pine cones and pine straw and leaves, I declared the whole yard work event  a disaster over and done mid-way through the project. 

This was the last of forty thousand loads of weeds I pulled on Saturday.
It was not, however, the last of the weeds needing to be pulled.
Take a gander to your left at what is supposed to be a flower bed.
See how it blends in so nicely with the rest of the yard?

When I declare something done, even if midway through a project and nowhere near completion, I leave everything where it is and stomp go into the house, usually with an attitude of some sort.  In addition to this half-laden wheelbarrow soaking up the abundant rain, I also left a rake, a hoe, a pair of gloves, and a partridge in a pear tree several water bottles strewn hither thither and yon all over the yard. Now lying in the rain.

Based on the beach chairs, the leftover Christmas decorations, and the gas can which has been in the front yard since last summer's grass cutting, I'm sure the weeds and tree limbs will linger in the yard for years weeks to come.

Above, Buddy the dog tries to nose his way into the food my mother is unwrapping.

Below, CB Daughter, Mother, Father, and Baby Sis wonder when in the world the food will be served. The first estimate from me was one or two o'clock.  (Precision is not my forte.).  Then I called (after the rain delayed the charcoal lighting) and announced 2:30 for sure.  I'm pretty sure it was well after 3 when everything was finally ready.

In other words, it wasn't just the dog who was starved to death hungry.

Although we missed Son and Middle Sis, it was great to have everyone else together.

Remnants of grilled shrimp, asparagus, spinach and sweet potatoes.
The leftover tuna steaks, salad and rolls had already been put away.
My father's fried oysters were to die for. Not  a crumb was left.

Traditional or not, a good meal was had by all.