Has fall weather finally arrived? I am really hoping that it has as the endless days of heat and summer have really hung on this year. We have received very little moisture at our place in Northern Webster County, but it looks like other places have been getting some much-needed rain. I am hopeful that the cooler weather is here, but I always keep my hoodies tucked away until I am certain the cool days are here to stay.
My family recently held our family reunion in NE Oklahoma, and I feel like it was one of the hottest we have had over Labor Day. We have changed things up the past few years and instead of meeting at Bernice Park on Grand Lake, we have been renting an Airbnb. Having the comforts of a house with AC and a good kitchen space has definitely made it more enjoyable.
This year my cousin rented a house near the Pensacola Dam and along with having ample room for everyone, it also had an in-ground pool. Even though my schedule usually doesn’t allow for activities that don’t include cattle, it was great having that time to relax and float and visit in the pool with extended family.
One of the things we have added to our reunion that has made for some great laughs is casino night. The majority of us do not gamble (I have livestock, isn’t that enough of a gamble?) but we all pile into one vehicle and leave around 9:30 at night like we are reliving our teen days headed to a party. The driver has to be the person that sees best at night and this year my daughter took on the responsibility of driving a bunch of “senior citizens” around to go casino hopping.
Since she is the driver, she controls the music and she has a wide range of musical tastes. Unfortunately for me, she is in her early 80s soft rock era (she was born in 1992). When and how she has developed this taste is beyond me because I NEVER as a mom listened to anything on that playlist. My cousins, who went to high school in that era were loving it as the music went from Hall & Oats, The Doobie Brothers and Michael McDonald to name a few.
This torturous playlist inspired me to give everyone a taste of my singing abilities or lack of during my concert in the car. I was hoping it would encourage my daughter to pick another playlist with some better music, but it seemed like everyone was enjoying my newfound talent as the laughs and sing-a-longs continued the entire trip. There is even a recording of my singing abilities that sounded like a cat fight in a back alley.
Our casino hopping and my concert in the car continued into the wee hours of 2am and when we finally made it back to our Airbnb we were all questioning why we stayed out so late. None of us won anything at the casino, but I only spent $20, so I can’t complain that I lost the equivalent of a bag or two of feed.
Family reunions are quickly becoming a thing of the past and something that younger generations don’t usually appreciate. I am thankful that we are continuing a 60 year plus tradition that was started by the generations before us. Although I am pretty confident that none of them ever experienced casino night or my concert in the car series.
Debbie Elder is a native of Ottawa County, Okla. and lives on her farm in Webster County, Mo. To contact Debbie, call 1-866-532-1960 or by email at [email protected].
