Family Fun

This past weekend was Family Reunion Weekend. Smile!


Long lost relatives from small towns in North Dakota, big towns on the west coast and everywhere in between converged on Bismarck for some good 'ol fashioned visiting.


Of course, the reunion agenda revolved around food. Dinner at noon, supper at six, and just free time in between to sit and shoot the breeze.


Check out those cherries. Aunt Lynn brought those all the way from Washington state. Picked 'em herself.

Menus revolved around brats and burgers, chips and baby carrots, lemonade and the ever-present coffee. Crock pots of macaroni and cheese and sloppy joes (or "slushburgers", as my hubby calls them) made frequent appearances. Everything was served on paper plates with plastic silverware. And you know what? It was great.


I stopped focusing on the food and just focused on the people. I went for a pontoon cruise with my brother and cousins, enjoying a swim in Marina Bay and afterwards munching on Doritos with the first beer I've had in ages. Busch Light. Not usually the discerning person's first choice in snack and beverage, but a microbrew and an antipasto platter wouldn't have brought any more pleasure to the moment.

So in the spirit of summer, let's raise our glasses of cheap beer or high-fructose corn syrup beverage and offer a toast. To old friends and new. To being grateful for full plates and full hearts. To enjoying this blissful, fleeting moment.