Whatever it was I said I didn't do it - but I did.

Every September there was a Knight family reunion at White Oak Lake State Park at the pavilion.  This was my grandmother's, Virginia, side of the family and it was the second weekend of the month around the time of my great grandmother, Josie, and her sister, Trudy, birthday they shared.  There would be no less than one hundred people that would turn out for the full day of visiting and playing on the shore.  The ice chests and Chevy pickup you see were Uncle Peewee's and there were more like 10 chests that he'd ice down more canned drinks than you've ever seen in your life.  We could have as many as we wanted and you'd usually see each kid, at one time or another, puke behind a tree - not tell anyone - and run back and get another coke.  

I remember those days like they were yesterday.  Everyone eating potluck, more hugs and laughs than you could shake a stick at.  I'd usually hide behind my mother or grandmother or sneak off by myself and walk the trails or run down to the boat dock and throw things in the lake.  I was so incredibly shy and I'd usually   get scolded for such by other family members but that's not really what I remember so well.  

You know that feeling when you're not just happy but so is everyone else around you?  That's the best way to describe it.  50 to 60 cars parked along the pine tree lined drive leading up to the pavilion and nobody leaving until the sun started to dip behind the trees over the lake.  Babies crying, old people laughing, young people telling jokes, boats speeding by, paddle boats splashing in the water.  I never remember a dog being there but I do remember the squirrels coming close and the birds flying up in the rafters and my grandmother shooing them away saying "get out of here you nasty bastard".  If she really hated something, she'd call out their worst feature and end it with bastard - like Kojak was "that bald headed bastard" and Columbo was "that cross-eyed bastard".  (I'm laughing so hard remembering that).

After spending the Christmas and New Year holidays alone and talking to a few of my older cousins last weekend, my mind is wondering to those little places I remember when I was a tiny one and up through my teens.  They're good memories.