This weekend we flew to Texas on Friday night and were back at our home in Arlington on Sunday at noon … to say quick would be an enormous understatement. At the same time, it was an expansive and wonderful day. Basically the whole thing was only possible because of Dad and Nancy; they drove from Houston to San Antonio on Friday (in TWO CARS). They stopped at Luling to get us BBQ. They picked us up (the plane landed 10 minutes before a lightening storm would have diverted us to Austin, at least according to the pilot). We drove to Poteet, arriving at 9 p.m., and ate alllll the food. We all slept, and then woke up (I went on a quick HOT run), got ready in formal funeral wear, drove to breakfast tacos (Eleanor and Oliver doing stick shift!) and then enjoyed breakfast all together. THEN we headed to First Baptist Church, Pleasanton, where, it turns out, my mom and dad were married in 1968. Dad said mom was FURIOUS because Erwin was marrying them so the pastor was NOT supposed to speak and he gave a long sermon anyway. So, it was fun to see where they were married. Anyway, Djenadi was laid in the casket, and we got to see/meet, re-meet alllll the cousins. David and his wife Amy, Jes and her husband, Tammy and Paul, Mike and his children, Ruth Ann, Andrew, Ben, Luke (and spouses and children); and me and my family. We were missing Jennei and JT (who had visited just the week before) but otherwise all of my grandmother’s grandchildren were gathered. Most of her great-grandchildren, too, except JT’s three, were also there. I told the children they were going to meet 100 very important people they would not see again for a long time. Dad and Nancy also came. It was heartbreaking; the videos with the slideshow of photos make it all seem to go so fast. Djenadi was so VIBRANT and ALIVE and kind. Many, many of her friends and family spoke and EVERYONE talked about her kindness to animals, yes, but even more so her kind, generous nature with all of her extended and bedraggled nieces and nephews. It was so great to reconnect, and to be together. After the ceremony, and the burial, the cousins (minus most children, except Djenadi’s grandchildren) went to the Pleasanton Cemetery and buried a lock of Djenadi’s hair with Granny and next to mom’s spot. I think it was lovely, we all sang Amazing Grace. It was funny, after the funeral, while I was still crying, Oliver was like: HERE ARE THE KEYS, I AM NOT DRIVING STICK SHIFT IN THE FUNERAL CORTEGE. Which, fine, I may be pushing stick shift a bit hard. Allyson and Oliver just jumped right back in, E did the first time but then had a ton of trouble … O gave her a tip and she did it no problem the rest of the trip!

Then Jason and I drove to Poteet and we had a nap, played Ping Pong with the kids (though Allyson and I were not successful at convincing Oliver to play against us blindfolded, the only way we MIGHT have had a prayer of beating him). We collected ripe prickly pears for Nancy to make syrup with — all of us! — and we ate more BBQ and we ran to Dairy Queen and we just generally tried to squeeze every single moment of a one week trip into, you know, one day.

Nancy and Dad then woke up at 4:30 a.m. to take us to the airport at 5 to get there by 6. It was still dark and they then drove directly back to Houston. Our plane took off at 7 a.m. and we landed, I called dad to make sure they were okay, and they had JUST walked back into their home! Their generosity with driving two cars for so many hours, buying all of our meals, and just being excellent parents and hosts made the whole weekend so easy.

I find, in all of this, that I am just so grateful to my cousin, Tammy, who lives in San Antonio. She is very into genealogy and tracks down anyone you want to find. She is also very generous hearted and will drive a ping-pong table to Poteet, ahem, or come to your step-father’s funeral service in Pleasanton, or include you in her visit to Djenadi as she passed on from this world. I am so lucky to have such a loving, kind family member (members!) and even though we didn’t get to spend too much time together on the one day we were there, her hugs helped make it all worthwhile.

Goodbye, Djenadi. Rest in peace, beloved aunt. Photo of me, Tammy and Allyson at the zoo 100 years ago…