In a Family Way

Union Station
There was a woman standing down near the exit sign who thought I was
trying to take her picture and kept glancing nervously at me.

No, I'm not pregnant, but I did spend the weekend doing what my family does best: eating and talking.

And I took some pictures along the way. . .

Crocuses in Aunt Winkie's garden! The first flowers I've seen this year. 

In fact, I took too many pictures. 269, to be exact. (There were 538 files on the camera, because I shoot in both RAW and JPG.) Instead of posting all the pix, here are some collages of the day.

Siblings, from eldest to youngest.

My brother Stewart and his family, including Pierre and Mike.
(Clara has the kind of natural beauty of which Hollywood starlets can only dream.)
Also, Stewart with my mother and her husband Harry.

My brother Doug and his wife Jacqui with Clara.
Bottom left: cousins Jordan (Pat's son) and Doran (Doug's son)

My sister Pat hosted the event, with help from her sisters and sisters-in-law.
Bro-in-law Ross sat on the stairs a while, talking with Doran and Jordan.
Sons Gregory and Jordan.

Harvey and his daughter Melissa with her fiance Elvis

Andy, who would be next in line, didn't make it up from Illinois, but did call to wish my mother a happy 85th birthday.

I am next in line after Andy, but didn't make a collage of myself mostly because I didn't take a nice picture of Steve and none of our kids came down with us. So it would've been just a collage of me.

Christine's family includes her son Robbie, her mother-in-law Dawn, her daughter Jennifer, and her husband Rob.

Although the occasion was Easter, it was also our excuse to celebrate my mother's 85th birthday, which happened in January. (Yes, we are procrastinators. Also, it was winter, and driving between Ottawa and Welland in winter is suicidal folly.)

The guest of honour, Dorothy, with her husband Harry and my brother Stewart.
We took a picture of the jellied salad because we thought it funny that the bottom layer failed to set.

Mom's gift was a book of family pictures, including many that I had never seen before. I've posted drafts of the book before, but here is the final version.

Click here to view this photo book larger (which I recommend you do).

That was my food-and-fun-filled weekend. How was yours?