All the way from Washington

Susan and Jill

Sister Sue visits Texas!

    My sister Sue from Washington State is visiting. Isn’t that great? Came down from Grandview.

Grandview is about 150 miles east of Seattle on the other side of the mountains. Grandview doesn’t get quite the rain and fog that Seattle does, but the area does get apples. Lots of apples.

The Texas Hayters (Which means all but Susan) hadn’t seen our sister since Mom’s funeral six years back. That’s too long to go without seeing a sister. Sue came down at this particular time because she loves us a bunch, and missed us dearly… and because the Class of ’62 at Pasadena High was having it’s reunion.

Susan’s husband, Pete, passed away a couple of years ago, so Dennis escorted Susan to the reunion. Dennis is from the class of ’65 at PHS, so he was a youngster amongst ‘em. However, he did recognize a few of those in attendance. Didn’t know them well enough to dance with, which was good ‘cause he mostly recognized the men. Old they were. Not like my sister.

Sue is still a doll. She’s kept her figure and her good looks. I wouldn’t want to live with her or anything, ‘cause she’d probably try to boss me around. When we were kids, Mom would have Sue baby-sit us. Dennis and I could do no right. And, we tried. Oh, how we tried. Still, Mom had to spank us after practically every sister Sue sit. Sue never gave us a good report.

Susan isn’t like that now. Of course, something might happen to touch her off… send her back to the mindset of her 14 year-old self. At least Elsie is not around to give us a spanking. I wish she were.

Susan said that this has been her nicest visit. That’s ‘cause we’ve spread ourselves around. She was three nights with Jill, one with Larry and one with Dennis. Right now she’s at my house, and will be for at least one more night. Then it’s off to Al’s place.

Tuesday we all went to Clear Lake to watch Larry and Dennis play slo-pitch softball in an old man’s league. Senior league, I think it’s called. The brothers are on different teams and just happened to be playing one another. Larry is on a lousy team. (Don’t worry. They know it.) Dennis is on the best team in the league.

Me, Sue, Dardon Ann and Kay at Softball game

Turns out, Larry’s team was leading up till the last inning. Everyone was flabbergasted. Larry even hit a triple and knocked in some runs. The man was an animal on the base path. But, like I said, Dennis’ team came back near the end and won the thing.

There’s something you’ve got to know about Senior League slo-pitch. Those guys love it if someone shows up to watch. Seldom will even one of the wives come out to see ‘em. With four Hayter kids cheerin’ for both teams, the guys played better than they could. Even the umpire, my ol’ friend Skillet, was extra animated.

Besides the game, we’ve sat around and talked a bunch about old times. That’s about all we’ve got. Not many recent times. It is so odd how we all remember episodes in our childhood differently. And, in a few instances, there are those who remember certain experiences not at all.

Tomorrow the whole crew is coming over to my house for BBQ. Then we’re going to Al’s for homemade ice cream. More talking and joking and acting silly. Dennis is the silliest. Do you know what that guy said, right before Jill snapped a picture of me with Kay and Susan? Of course you don’t. He said, “Hey, Mark, tuck in your nose.”

It was the ol’ Mark’s-got-a-big-nose joke. A family favorite. And, Dennis timed this one perfectly. I busted out laughing… as did the entire room. Unfortunately, Jill was too busy laughing to snap the photo. It would’ve been a family favorite. Splattered all over Facebook.

And, of course, Elsie wasn’t there to make Dennis apologize. Had she been with us in that room, she still wouldn’t have gotten after Dennis, ‘cause she would’ve been laughing too much. – I do so love my family. That doesn’t mean I won’t loan Dennis out to you. Whatta goober, my big brother.  

End

You can reach Mark at mark@rooftopwriter.com