Tuesday, July 19, 2016

diana d darden: all these people.....

diana d darden: all these people.....: They kept coming... The first two came from Richmond, Va on different days, then one from Chicago, four from Tennessee, three more from Ch...

all these people.....

They kept coming...

The first two came from Richmond, Va on different days, then one from Chicago, four from Tennessee, three more from Chicago, three from Texas, and the 5 of us who live in Minneapolis and St Paul. 

FAMILY

Some might call this a family reunion, it felt more like a perpetual food fest.

I have one sister and four brothers. Some of us hadn't seen each other in a long time. Only 2 of my nieces were not able to come to this gathering. There were spouses to meet (of nephews), and best of all... a new baby to squeeze!! 

Growing up in a military family, we are equipt to make important decisions, and since we have Italian roots, most of those decisions are based around food...where we will eat, what we will eat, and who will be prepping it. 

You need to have a good balance of diplomacy and patience figuring it out the logistics of where everyone is staying, who will eat what ( one vegan, one paleo, and a vegetarian), how people will get here and there, who wants to see this or that, and most importantly..who gets to hold the baby, and in our family, the baby is the youngest person, til a new one comes along, doesn't matter how old they are! (this finally happened for me when I nabbed him and took him in my room and we jumped on the bed.. the whole time telling him that I would be the auntie who could teach him shenanigans !).

This food fest went on for four days...Indian restaurant, cook out at Debs, bbq at our house (fortunately, Steve comes from a large family too, so he was not at all shaken by the commotion), back to Debs.. more food.

Day 3 at our house, 20 people here.  The house was in order, food prepped and then this ..."we want to see your studio." Studio, as usual, not in order. Oh well. If anyone made any comments about the mess, I did not hear them...diplomacy at its finest.


The people in my family are all very different, but we all seem to share the same sense of humor. Lots of laughs those few days! 







Last year, everyone from Steves' family was here, this year, my family, and like last year, when everyone went back to their own homes, Steve and I left town for a while. We went to a little lake house where it was blissfully calm and quiet. Steve fished, I slept, read, painted and slept and slept.




I had those quiet days to reflect (when i wasn't sleeping), about our family get together. The same thought kept reoccurring ...I was missing our dad, but knew that he was giddy in heaven, that we had all gotten together, and was laughing with us.

That was a lot of time for me to be away from my studio (the messy side of it), and just wanted to be back in it..working. My head is full of ideas and I have less than 2 months before shows start again. 

Designing, making...and still laughing about family, and still full.

And Flora Adora finally got worn out from all the activity!!




diana