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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
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Dear Reader,
When I was a kid, every few years the Shappell clan (my grandmother's side of the family) would reunite underneath one of the park shelters in Dubuque, Iowa. Everyone in the family brought a dish to pass. My grandmother loved to cook and always brought a picnic basket-full. There must have 50 aunts, uncles, first and second cousins (some once removed), I never really understood how the lineage tree worked (still don't), and I didn't know anyone except my grandparents, but the gathering made me feel like I had family. Family who automatically took a shine to me, and cared about me because we were "kin."
I never formed any lasting relationships with anyone on the Shappell side of the family, maybe because I was just a kid when the reunions were held. But the experience and feeling of family gathering together has stayed with me, and it's one of the things that inspired me to organize a family reunion this past Thanksgiving. It was an amazing experience. Fourteen of us gathered together for the six day reunion, and it was everything I'd hoped for and more. The best part is that unlike the Shappell reunion, our family coming together has indeed formed closer bonds. So even though we're miles apart, email, SKYPE, text messaging and speed dial, will make it easy to stay in touch and continue our conversations.
When I was planning the reunion I knew it was important to me, but I never had a clue, until everyone went home, how spending time together would change my life. If my grandmother was still here, I would thank her for setting the example of how important family really is, because the memories we created at our Thanksgiving reunion will forever be my own personal storybook--one that I'll love to read again and again.
*The foot poster painting was one of the activities I'd planned. Some people were leery at first, but eventually everyone took off their shoes, and dipped their toes in the paint. Don't miss the photos. You'll find them at: http://tinyurl.com/reunionfps
(A cab driver did run over my bubble machine, but thankfully it survived and I'm still in the bubble business.)
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
www.muffinsandmayhem.com
* This month's Penguin Classics book is AN AFRICAN MILLIONAIRE by Grant Allen. Start reading now and enter to win a Penguin totebag. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/12NovClassics
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