In the early years there were four of us siblings. Tom arrived first followed by me one year later. Then Jerry arrived the following year. Our poor mother must have been exhausted.

But there was that desire to complete the family with a daughter so two years later little Patsy arrived.

I have a memory of that blessed event even though my siblings question my ability to remember that far back. It is very vivid in my memory however. Jerry would have been two. I would have been three and Tom would have been a mature four.

We three brothers were gathered in the dining room just off the kitchen when Mom and Dad burst through the front door carrying the newest Larson wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Now this is just my hypothesis but I think we three brothers might have been a little jealous over the addition of a baby girl to our male dominated family. We were coloring in our coloring books as aunts and uncles ogled over the new arrival in the adjacent room.

Now what happened next I’m a little fuzzy on but one of us for some unknown reason threw a color crayon into the kitchen coming very close to the newest member of our family!

As the color crayon ricocheted around the room our Mother just after giving birth was able to walk into our room and calmly reminded us not to be throwing projectiles at our newly arrived baby sister.

Since Jerry would have been only two and I remember that I didn’t have much of a throwing arm in those early years so even if my memory is cloudy about who flung the color crayon four year old Tom would be the likely guilty party.

We quickly accepted Patsy into our family and we spent many happy years growing up together on the farm. The outdoors was the play ground for we three brothers although Patsy spent most of her early years in the house with our Mother.

The cows, sheep, chickens and pigs provided us all opportunities to happily(and sometimes not so happily)  take on farm chores which ultimately turned us into responsible, hard working adults.

As grown adults our homes were many miles apart thus we were not able to visit each other as often as we would have liked.

Last winter as we were hunkered down attempting to dodge the virus we all received a note from the baby of the family whose name had been changed from Patsy to Pat. She suggested that we have a sibling family reunion in North Carolina where brother Jerry and his wife Ann resided.

We realized the reunion would not be complete as our oldest sibling Tom had passed away from cancer in 1980. Tom was our hero as he was bigger and tougher then any of us. He was able to defeat Jerry and I in wrestling matches time after time even when it was two against one! Also he ran faster, had a beautiful jump shot and smacked a softball much farther then either Jerry or I could.

Bitsy was his wife and several years after Tom’s passing she married Harry who I am sure Tom looks down from Heaven and smiles because Harry is a keeper! 🙂

Because COVID was still rampant we decided to drive and isolate ourselves from the possible evil pandemic.

That meant three eight hour days of travel and two hotel stops before we reached the shores of Southport, North Carolina!

But sister Pat and her husband Bob were a blessing because of their previous travels they had accumulated enough points to allow Kathie and I to stay in the luxurious Hampton Inn for free!

I am so happy that ricocheting color crayon so many years ago hadn’t hit its mark otherwise Pat might  not have been so accommodating! But then again, babies don’t hold grudges do they? 🙂

Again thanks Pat and Bob! 🙂

Initially the thoughts of eight hour drives for three consecutive days were a little intimidating but to our surprise the passing scenery, fellowship among us and the fact that two huge baskets of snacks rested in between Kathie and I the trip seemed to fly by!

I have not dared to wander near a scale since our return home however as the eating opportunities only increased once we arrived in Southport.

Once everyone had arrived the visiting began. Reminiscing and catching up on each other’s lives was the initial assignment.  Later the men toured the battleship North Carolina while the ladies scoped out the shopping opportunities in Southport.

Two stops at the beach took place but none of the mostly seventy year old’s donned swimming suits and challenged the ocean water.

Probably the most enjoyable activity was brother Jerry’s several tours with his boat on the Intracoastal Waterway. Back in the 30’s and 40’s trenches were dug inland along the coast. The trenches filled with sea water and were like little highways filled with all varieties of boats.

Orange buoys marked the center of the aquatic highway and boats stayed on their proper sides.

Houses and businesses lined both sides of the waterway. So a trip on the Intracoastal Waterway was a sightseer’s dream.

For the four day stay at Jerry and Ann’s home we did not eat out even once. You see Ann is as close to being a professional chef as you can be without the required credentials.

If you have ever taken a cruise and experienced eating aboard a cruise ship you have an idea what every meal was like during our stay! I had my first fried green tomatoes during one of those meals. 🙂

Each meal was an educational experience with Ann adding special sauces that we had to taste test along with the regular menu.

Again I am forced to stay away from any bathroom scales for at least the next six weeks! 🙂

So for the first time in many years the Larson siblings gathered together even as a Pandemic raged around them and celebrated family. Thanks to Patsy and husband Bob for hatching the idea. Thanks to brother Jerry and wife Ann for hosting the event and for Bitsy and Harry flying in from Montana to make our gathering complete.

Because sleeping accommodations were limited Kathie and I slept in the room with the two bunk beds. That was especially memorable to me because as a child back on the farm I slept in a room with bunk beds too.

But unlike children Kathie and I didn’t fight about who got to sleep in the top bunk! 🙂

Until next time 🙂