Aunts and Auctions

So, my TWO remaining Aunts passed away this month. A memorial service was held on Sunday for my Aunt Bev in Florida, and on Saturday a Funeral was held for my Aunt Francie in Iowa. 

I went and picked up my folks to go to the funeral on Saturday, they clean up pretty good don't they?!😊

I was a pallbearer, along with my sister-a first for us! It was a clear beautiful day , but with a cool wind blowing. Aunt Francie chose a pink casket and it was not hard at all to carry her to her final resting place-thanks to the other 5 pallbearers!

Afterwards there was a nice luncheon. Everyone had kind words to say about the cute baby! Jacqueline and Dannie with Dylan had fun at the luncheon-Aunt Francie would have loved it! Rest in peace.

Unfortunately it just wasn't possible to travel to Aunt Bev's service. This is a picture my cousin Kathy posted on her social media. 

Aunt Bev was always such a beautifully turned out person, stylish and with a beautiful smile to top it all off. I'll miss her. Rest in peace.

So the funeral home where Aunt Fracie's service was held is just up the road from the Van Metre Auction House van metre.

They had a Jadeite pitcher that I think my DD would like for her birthday coming up in just a few days! So I traveled back to Marshalltown, to attend the auction!

It's a nice auction house, lots of tables and seating for folks to settle in for the day!

I got the measuring pitcher, and look a lotus plate too!

Shhhh, don't tell her! I doubt she'll read this blog post, so I'm safe I think!

September-Family Reunion Time and the Rest of the Story

So, I was feeling overwhelmed with my scrap situation, my 3 scrap boxes were overflowing and my strip bin was heaped! So I bagged a bunch up and posted it on my local buy nothing group. The bags were snapped up ion no time. Now I can feel less stuffed with fabric, I'm still overstocked, but still, better!

And it's time for the family reunion. Sadly we don't get a very big turnout-covid as well as aging folks make it hard. But we soldier on!

(Kelley, Her Mom Pam, their youngest Lucas and Tony)

We all brought our own food to eat and had some time to chat.

(Bob and Robin)

(Jeannie, Jacquelin, & Jason)

During the meeting we decided to stop renting the building in Green Mountain, and meet at a local restaurant. And we'll pay part of everyone's meal with the money in the reunion treasury so we can close that bank account.

Dale, Zadie, Ken & Karen)

(Francie & Ken)

We caravanned over to The Willows, the care facility where my Aunt is living now. She seems very content.
We'll see what next year brings!

Aunt Francie's 80th birthday celebration

So my Aunt Francie celebrated her 80th birthday with a really fabulous party organized by her children. My cousins did a wonderful job of organizing the whole thing!

There was a fun lunch of Maid Rites, cake and Cedarcrest Ice Cream and I was lucky enough to have my kiddos there!

And see there?  Mom is working the paper.....There was an Aunt Francie crossword puzzle, and I WAS IN THE PUZZLE!!

AND, as if there needed to be any more good things, Lovely Jean got me a SELFIE STICK!!!!!

Look see there, the stick is a thing of wonder...wonder where to point it! HAHAHA

I keep trying, but I can't seem to get my SELF in the picture, LOL!

DD took pictures while we were visiting and mingling.....

Poor Ben......

He just plays along.....

One of my cousin's grand daughters was especially interested in Dannie's big camera.

How cute is that?

The future photographer!

It was such a fun party. So many people stopped by to wish Aunt Francie a happy birthday!

I'm getting better with the stick here...see!!!

Ben & his Grampa, we all love their sense of style, it must be the blue plaid gene pool!

I imagine Dad looked pretty much like Ben when he was that age.

Here's my wonderful cousin Robin, she and her sibs did such a great job getting this party together!

It was held at the Fisher Community Center in Marshalltown, Iowa. One of my favorite places when I was a kid. I hadn't been there for many years! But I remember this sculpture very well! One of my all time favorite works of art.

I didn't know it was a memorial, but now I do. I took a selfie with my sculptural friends!

Gosh, you'd think I would have had at least one picture of the birthday lady! What a miss!