STORY TELLING IN MY FAMILY

OUR FAMILY VISITED MY MOM'S FAMILIES IN WISCONSIN WHEN WE WERE LITTLE MANY TIMES IN BOTH THE SUMMER AND DURING CHRISTMAS. WE TRAVELLED FROM OHIO. IT FELT LIKE A LONG TRIP OF 400 HUNDRED MILES. I REMEMBER STOPPING AT THE RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THE MAJOR HIGHWAY GOING TO CHICAGO. IT WAS QUITE THE EVENT WHEN WE WERE KIDS. IT HAD MANY TRINKETS AND FUN ITEMS AS WELL AS SEVERAL RESTAURANTS AND VIEWS OF THE RACING CARS BELOW. WHEN IT WAS SNOWY IT WAS QUITE THE ADVENTURE IN OUR BIG OLD CAR./

MY AUNT AND UNCLE WHO LIVED ON A LAKE USED TO TELL US STORIES ABOUT HOW THEY BUILT THEIR OWN HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY. THEY ALSO USED TO TELL ME THAT THEY READ TO EACH OTHER AFTER THEIR SUPPER TO ENTERTAIN EACH OTHER. THEY HAD MANY STORIES ABOUT MY UNCLE'S LIFE IN THE MILITARY DURING WWII AND THEIR LIFE IN BANGKOK, THAILAND FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THEY WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE BUILT THEIR OWN HOUSE. IT TOOK 10 YEARS AS MY UNCLE ALSO WORKED FULL TIME. I THINK THEY ENJOYED THIS JOINT EFFORT WHICH GAVE THEM A HUGE GOAL. THEY STARTED OUT LIVING IN A SMALL COTTAGE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THEY BUILT A NICE TWO STORY HOME THAT HAS FURNITURE SHIPPED FROM BANGKOK AND A NEAT FIREPLACE WITH ARTIFACTS FROM THE ORIENT. MY AUNTS ARE GOOD COOKS MY UNCLE WAS VERY VERBAL AND HE USED TO RELATE STORIES ABOUT HOW HE FISHED ON THE LAKES THERE AND HIS CHILDHOOD, AND HOW HE KEPT IN TOUCH WITH SOME OF HIS OLD BUDDIES. THEIR CLOSENESS WAS EASY TO SEE AS WE WERE GUESTS THERE MANY TIMES.

MY OTHER AUNT AND UNCLE HAD FOUR CHILDREN AND WE STAYED WITH THEM AS WE SLEPT ON THEIR FLOOR FOR ABOUT A WEEK. RAISING THIS MANY CHILDREN WAS QUITE A FEAT, AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED RAISING ONE SON. THERE HOUSE WAS ALWAYS FILLED WITH A RUCKUS AND VERY LIVELY DURING THE HOLIDAYS. WE WENT TO CHURCH SOMETIMES WITH THEM. WE PLAYED A LOT WITH OUR COUSINS IN THE SNOW AND HAD A LOT OF FUN WITH THEM VISITING. WE TOLD EACH OTHER ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS AND WHAT WAS INTERESTING. AND OUR INTERESTS. WE ALL DEVELOPED SPECIAL SKILLS AS WE BECAME TEENS. THIS AUNT HAD A NEAT FAMILY ROOM DECORATED WITH NATIVE AMERICAN PICTURES AND ARTIFACTS, SAME WITH MY MOM WHEN SHE RETIRED.

THEY HAD A HUGE BASEMENT AND WE PLAYED PING PONG AND HIDE AND SEEK IN THEIR BASEMENT AND HAD A GREAT TIME.

I NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE LOTS IN WISCONSIN SUBURBS COMPARED TO THOSE IN OHIO. THEY WERE MUCH LARGER. THE DISTANCE TO DRIVE TO HOUSES WAS INCREDIBLE. MILWAUKEE WAS NOT ATTRACTIVE TO ME AS IT WAS INDUSTRIALIZED. MY MOM AND DAD MET THERE I GUESS MY DAD HAD WORKED AS A TASTER FOR ONE OF THE BREWERIES SHORTLY. THEY LATER MOVED TO OHIO.