When in Rome . . .

Before you leave home to head for the Gaylord reunion you need to be aware of some important laws in Washington State. I want to help you stay safe and avoid meeting any of our official personnel.

Don't misunderstand me -- our men and women in blue are a nice enough bunch but they tend to leave slips of paper at the end of their interactions with you -- usually resulting in money out of your pocket.

So, with that in mind, I'll begin with the speed limit. To be on the safe side never drive more than 5 miles over the posted limit. However, there are rumors that 9 miles over can be acheived without offical encounters but personally, I don't advise that you put that theory to test.






And while we're in the car -- hands-free telephoning is the only approved way to communicate with those who aren't in the car with you and texting while driving is a crime that comes with a heafty fine if you are seen and stopped by one of those people we talked about above.

However, there is no law against multi-tasking with food and non-alcoholic drinks while driving. I've never heard of anyone being pulled over and reprimanded for munching and slurping.

Cigarette/cigar smoking in any public building is strictly not allowed. Even smoking in the great outdoors is often frowned upon depending on how many other people (non-smoking people) there are around, especially children. If you look around you will find designated areas for smokers tucked far away from the rest of the breathing population.

It's hard to be a smoker in Washington State.

Now you may have heard the ridiculous report that it is LEGAL to possess and smoke cannabis within state boundaries. It is true.

Last November the voters said they were tired of being arrested for possessing an ounce or less of the plant. But like cigarettes, you can't smoke just anywhere. Other than in a private home, smoking weed anywhere else will get you in trouble.

Oh, and buying, selling or growing weed is still illegal. Don't ask me how you're going to possess it -- it's a mystery to me.

I do know that if you have a medical card saying that you need weed there are places you can buy it.  Without a card -- you're on your own.

Have fun and stay safe.

What else to bring

The sky is gray and the wet drippy rains of winter will be the norm for the next few weeks ahead making it difficult to image a bright, sunny day in August when the Gaylord family gathers.

But there are preparations that can be done on these dark days of winter.

Do you enjoy looking at family photos?  Or do they bore you to death?  Are you the keeper of the old family photos?  Or is your idea of a family photo the snap on your security badge for work?

A family reuion is a great time to share photos and stories of the landmark moments in your life. Now is the time for going through your albums and/or boxes of photos gathering up those rare and wonderful snapshots for all of the rest of us to enjoy.

If toting armloads of old photo albums isn't appealing to you perhaps you could scan the photos and have them available digitally, either on your iPad or laptop or on a disk or thumb drive that can be plugged into an available laptop.

 

Photos that would be of particular interest are any from the early days of Garner, Warren, Shirley and Dora, as well as their spouses.  I have a handful from my own father, Stanley, which I will have available.  We of the planning committee are hoping to have the technology on site to duplicate and share any and all photos with those who are interested. 

I have two photos of John A. Gaylord.  Does anyone have others? 

How about those photos from the 1950's and 60's?  Any time the brothers and Dora were visiting?  I have a few but not many -- would love to see more.

There was a trip that Shirley, Stan and Warren made together driving back to their Minnesota home roots.  I have two snaps from that trip.  I'm hoping that you have many more and will arrive at the Tumwater Historical Park ready to show and tell.



Then there are the ones from the next generation.  Family photos from the 1970's and 80's.  Give us all a chance to laugh at the hair dos we thought were so great and those wonderful polyester leisure suits.

Hopefully this post has stimulated your memory of great times and photos you want to share with the rest of us. 



What to wear -- What to bring

Many of you already know what the weather in August is like for us in the Pacific Northwet, but for those who don't . . .

August is the only month that we can plan an outdoor event without worrying about being rained out.






An umbrella is unnecessary unless it's one like this . . .

To give you an idea as to how to dress -- we have a casual culture here on the west coast and in Olympia the daily August temperatures may be in the high 70's or low 80's.   In the evenings, after the sun goes down, it can get chilly -- even for those of us who live here, so a sweater or a light-weight jacket is recommended.

Flip-flops, Birkenstocks and Nikes are the footwear of choice for the natives year 'round.

Another consideration is this:

Water balloon games will be played -- bringing a change of clothes is up to you.

What I did for my Family

I haven't seen 7:00 a.m. but a few times in the last 3 years after I said good-bye to the life in a cubicle. 

Three months ago, when inquiring as to how to secure the location for our Family Reunion, I was told that the first opportunity to request a date in 2013 was January 2, 2013 - 8:00 a.m. The nice lady ended our telephone conversation with the words -- Good Luck.  I read into those the words -- don't waste time. 

I arrived at the Tumwater City Hall at 7:45 to find myself 6th in line.  The first two women in line had spent the night camped out in tents and sleeping bags.  Despite the 28 degree weather, I began to sweat.

The room where the registering was to take place was too small for all of us to gather at one time so I, along with the four others who were ahead of me, stood in the hallway.

Impatiently shifting from one foot to the other I waited my turn -- still sweating.  I asked, as casually as I could, what dates my fellow line-mates wanted.  Every one there wanted an August date.

When the lady two places ahead of me pulled out her phone, dialed, apologized to the person on the other end for calling so early, then explained that she needed advice because the date that they had chosen was already gone -- I began to feel faint.

Finally it was my turn to approach the registration counter.  I croaked out the date I was seeking.  The nice lady smiled saying that it was still available.  With a sigh of relief I paid the $75 and received a beautiful pink receipt.

Interestingly, their were no men involved.  Not a man in sight.  Just another example of women hunting and dragging something home for their families.

Something New in Seattle

Seattle has had the Space Needle for sightseers to enjoy since the World's Fair of 1962.

Built and just opened this spring (2012) the Seattle Ferris Wheel joins the local attractions.

While it can't boast about being the tallest or the biggest in the world it's still pretty cool hanging out over the water.

There are 42 heated and air conditioned gondolas.  Even the floor is glass in some of the gondolas!

On a clear day (yes, Seattle does have some cloudless days - especially in August) you can see the Seattle skyline, Mt. Rainier as well as the Olympic Mountains.

The price, as of 2012, is $13 per person 12 years old and older and $8.50 for the younger ones.

If you want to spend some time in Seattle while in the Puget Sound area you might put this on your list of things to do.

Meet the Gaylords

The plan is to meet at the beautiful Tumwater Historical Park on August 3, 2013.

The sheltered kitchen boast a seating capacity of 100 Gaylord descendants.

There is a "rest" facility a few yards away that can accomodate less than 100 Gaylord descendents at a time.

Just beyond the shelter is a wonderful, colorful play area for the smaller Gaylords.

The horseshoes that Stan and Warren Gaylord played with when they got together as adults are now in Roy Gaylord's possession.  He has promised to bring them to the reunion.  Across the parking lot is this . . .

You are welcome to play for fun or to challenge a fellow Gaylord to a game (prizes available).

The day I was there to take pictures, I found the Slater family reunion-ing.  I wish we had smell-a-photo so you could enjoy the lovely aroma that was coming from their barbeque grill.

This will all be available to us providing one thing . . .

That I can drag myself out of bed on January 2, 2013 and get in line at the Tumwater Parks and Recreation office ahead of anyone else who might want that same date for their event.

Wish me luck!
rita

The Caterer is a Winner

A dear friend of mine has agreed to prepare the food for the Gaylord Family Reunion.

She LOVES to cook and bake and to experiment with flavors and textures.  She has entered many contests over the years using her favorite recipes.  She has a wall full of blue ribbons from her county and state fair entries.

Just a few weeks ago she gathered a few more at our local county fair.  She won a blue ribbon for everything she entered.

Our stomachs will be in good hands.

If anyone needs a special diet please let us know.  She is familiar with vegetarian dishes and sensitive to those with sugar and/or salt issues.  Don't hesitate to ask for something special.