Good Saturday Morning, Everyone!
So, check this out, y’all: I just had a pretty lengthy conversation with my Great Aunt Reesie… and I don’t want to hold y’all in suspense any longer, so I’ll just go ahead and say it: In about eleven months’ time, the Joneses will be having another family reunion—this time, in Ruleville, Mississippi!
Yeah, y’all read right—the Jones Family Reunion will be in the original stomping grounds—Gramma Jewel and Great Aunt Reesie’s humble little hometown of Ruleville, Mississippi. I am like, super excited already, and that’s mainly because I have not had a chance to visit Ruleville at all. I know that sounds strange, but it’s the truth. If you recall around this time last year, I was a brokenhearted freshman who was terribly homesick for Los Angeles. Not only that, but my mom and dad went out joyriding all over the Sip while I was getting adjusted to college life. Well, y’all—all that’s gonna change in about one year’s time, and here’s the real beauty of it: By the time my family reunion comes around, it’ll be time for me to enter my junior year at Rust.
Ha-Cha-Cha—it’s on and crack-a-lackin’, y’all!
I think I mentioned this once upon a time, but the last family reunion we had was two years ago, and it fell upon the weekend of Gramma Jewel’s 76th Birthday and Great Aunt Reesie’s 74th Birthday, respectively. Instead of renting out a hotel, we decided to go chill at Gramma Jewel’s house. There were two men who were missing that year—one had left for Glory in 1996, and the other was serving in Afghanistan. It was so amazing because we could feel Grampa Clark’s spirit all up and through our reunion, particularly when my Uncle Ronnie was chillin’ over at the grill. And even though it was just two years ago, I still vividly recall when Cousin Keith called from Afghanistan to wish his “darling jewel of an aunt and sweetheart of a mother-in-law” a “darlingly gorgeous birthday.” I also remember how Cousin Erica’s voice cracked when she told Cousin Keith to come home soon because she missed him… and I’m kinda feeling tears welling up in my eyes just from talking about it. You know, it kinda broke my heart to hear my cousin talking to her dad via telephone—I really couldn’t imagine what she was going through in her heart, mind, and soul, nor could I understand on account of my dad was literally right next to me as Cousin Erica was talking to her daddy. I felt so bad for her… I mean, my heart really ached upon hearing that bittersweet phone call.
Yes, I’m a big ol’ soft teddy bear (and I’ve made peace with it) but Cousin Erica is just as big a softie as I am, and in this case, you can’t really blame her; after all, the man whom y’all may know as Sgt. Keith M. Freeman is Erica’s daddy.
All in all, this is gonna be one helluva family reunion for so many reasons. Notwithstanding Cousin Keith’s permanent return home since May and my first visit to the birthplace of Gramma Jewel and Great Aunt Reesie, I cannot leave out our newest addition to the family—Rebecca Ann Morgan. Lemme tell y’all something: She may not be a blood relative, but she may as well be… it’s like that, and that’s the way it is! Oh, and speaking of Becky, I mailed off a card for her; I trust that she received it—I mailed it off the same day I mailed off Ray’s letter.
Well, y’all—seeing as how I’m already up and poppin’, I had best get on down with the getdown and enjoy the rest of this much deserved Saturday. I’ll have more news for y’all on Monday, but until then, y’all have a great rest-of-the-weekend.
Smooches,
Natasha
Natasha
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