Bread and Gravy

Dear Readers,

When I was little, I loved hanging out with my Grandma Hazel and Grandpa Cal. Their cinderblock house still holds many of my favorite memories. Good times, wonderful family, amazing food. At their house I learned how to drink a Pepsi, shoot a B.B. gun, climb on a cement mixer, and that if you run out of meat and potatoes you can use extra gravy on a slice of bread and enjoy it just as much. All lessons that have come in handy at one time or another, particularly the bread and gravy trick.

A big chunk of my time at Grandma and Grandpa's was spent with my sisters and cousins. There were five of us girls that were close in age, and together we made the K.A.A.S.H. Club (Kate, Andrea, Adriana, Sarah, Heather). Andrea was the self-proclaimed leader of the group. Our club met in various places: the pantry, the yellow bedroom, the office, and finally an abandoned horse trailer. For having no real function, we were very organized. Andrea made folders, and we each took turns writing news letters. Our two major functions every year were Christmas and our family reunion always held at Banbury Hot Springs.

When it came time in June to head to Banbury, it was simply the most exciting time of the year. Since a young age it has been my "happy spot", the place my mom would tell me to go to in my mind when I was overwhelmed with stress or anxiety. I can picture the Snake River, wide and smooth. The tall ancient trees that loomed over the camp ground. The rock that sat next to the fire pit. The sound of the bug zapper next to the shockingly white bathrooms. The stillness of the swimming pool with the log floating in the middle before they would let us in to spend our entire day there. Even writing about it makes me dizzy with nostalgia!

The K.A.A.S.H. Club had t-shirts made up for this special time of year, a long with itineraries, pool events, and award ceremonies. We excluded those who weren't official members, honestly thought that we might have a future in synchronized swimming, and ate more s'mores than a football team could handle.

This last year we had a reunion at Banbury again. It was so fantastic to be with family that I haven't spent time with in a long time. We were missing the second A. in K.A.A.S.H, but the rest of us had fun catching up. We got to reunite with some family that was much missed. And although there was some awkwardness, overall it was a rewarding experience. I hope to do it again this year, with even more family. I know it would make Grandma and Grandpa happy to think of us all getting together, and since we can't do Christmas at their house anymore, why not Banbury? If for any other reason, we can all have a giant ice cream cone and a pile of s'mores.

Sincerely,
h.