MEMPHIS REUNION 2022.
We’ve had some memorable reunions – well they’re all memorable – but a number of them were very special; full of joy and emotion; sometimes coupled with another milestone event like a wedding – P.J. and Pat’s or Kim and Jesse’s comes to mind; or the memorial for Aunt Olga over the Fourth of July holiday in Saint Louis replete with fireworks on the Mississippi River; or celebrating Dad’s 80th in – you guessed it – Memphis, with dinner and the ducks at the Peabody, and Dad singing “Give Yourself A Pat On The Back” later at Dave’s house for the cake lighting. “80”. Yeah. There’s a number that resonates with me.
And central for our most recent gatherings has been the loving and tireless efforts of both Dave and Brian at planning, organizing, networking and just making these reunions happen. It’s easy to throw money around as a solution for solving a problem, but it’s a lot of work to turn lemons into lemonade or flour and potatoes into perogi [trust me on that].
The planning stages for this year’s event started more than six months ago when Dave announced his intention to host a June reunion in Memphis. In November 2021 I had just returned from my second trip to Ukraine where, through the talents of our guide Diana Borysenko, I had met and broken bread with Ukrainian cousins – extended family members from both Grampa Ivan’s and Gramma Anna’s lineages, and was preparing to make plans for a return to – among other options – attend the JazzFest which is usually scheduled for the last weekend in June [hey – after you’ve seen Snarky Puppy or Marcus Miller live – you’re hooked]. So timing was essential. But we all know what happened to end that dream – for now.
Flash forward six months and you’re about to view the results of Dave and Brian’s efforts. Thirty-three of us managed to make it to Memphis for 4 days of dipping in the pool, chowing down, dancing, touring, and re-telling tall tales. In other words – Love & Fun. That’s what reunions are all about.
For those who couldn’t make it – here’s a link to another video treat – shot by Brother Dan – a not-so-subtle reminder to mark your calendars for June 2023 in Florida. “Be there or Be Ware”.
Much Love,
Your Dailyllama.
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Can’t get enough family love and hugging? Check out the Reunion page and revel in more than a dozen Anderson / Babij / Blashill / Bly / Caillouette / Chavez / Davidson / Evans / Leszczynski / Long / Miller / Osgood / Spearman extended family videos and slideshows to binge on. The List – like other happenings – just keeps propagating.
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