LIVING ALONE
Part 3, THE INVASION.
After living alone for nearly seventeen months, the entire family Norma and I produced, gathered for a week’s vacation together. One thing was evident, for the next seven days the dog and I would not be alone. Our family had spent 21 years together for a week in Surfside Texas from 1968 until 2018. From 1999 until 2018 we spent 19 continuous years together. Fill in every year as we vacationed every year after Norma and I married 62 years ago.
My memory of the first vacation was in June of 1963 and it was a trip no one would ever forget. Our first child, Laurie was 2 years on June twenty fifth. Our 2nd anniversary was on June twenty third. Our son David was born on June fourth and was not quite 3 weeks old. My Mother was with us and away we went at 9:30 PM to visit my brother, Jimmy and his family in the Seattle Washington area. Our first stop was in Green River Utah at 6:00 PM the next day after driving over 1100 miles. The next day took us 750 miles to Baker Oregon. On day three we arrived in Seattle shortly after noon, and another 250 mile drive. Only as a benchmark; we were gone 23 days; visited 13 states; Vancouver Canada; drove over 6300 miles and paid for the entire trip with $650 I won the night we stayed in Las Vegas. Whew Our #3, Lisa was born 6-30-64 and #4 Leah was born on 10-30-65.
Now for a description of our recent vacation trip to Surfside Texas. Laurie and Steve drove to Hemphill on Thursday June third to pick us up. We departed the next day for an experience that was a long way from being alone. With one more dependent, Sabrina, our 15 years old Poodle, we were on the way. After some 3.5 hours we arrived at our beach home for a week.
The home we rented was not new to the family as we had stayed there four or five times before this 2022 event. Next we faced unloading the equivalent of two moving vans into the home that is about twenty feet above ground. It has stairs on both ends and a ramp on one end to use wagons and dollies to move in. This home has 14 bedrooms, 10.5 baths, a media room, a huge living, dining, kitchen area and decks on both ends for some fresh air. The entire home is on one large level.
Over the next two days the remainder of the Brewer Bunch arrived, Lisa, her husband Hank and daughter Emma: Leah Stone with daughter Alyssa, Son, Nick and son-in-law Travis; David, his wife Karina, son Blake, likely his intended, Kelsey, daughter Megan, husband Austin Gisclair, sons Miles 1, Henry 3; daughter McKensie, husband Jesse Gautreaux, granddaughter Isabel 3; Laurie’s son Landon, wife Airen, son Sam 6 and our firecracker granddaughter Iley 4. We also were blessed to have a family friend who we adopted many years ago, Thomas Howard, and his partnerJeremy with us all week. They demonstrated a drone that took pictures and was unbelievable in actions it could perform.
We enjoyed an array of food all week that was hard to describe. Waffles, breakfast rolls, eggs biscuits, sausage, gravy, biscuits, Mexican food, tamales, chicken, pork, salads. Desserts beyond description, Daiquiri’s. For all of the years we have vacationed together menus have been exciting, delicious and challenged both the cooks and the eaters.
As a family, watching the new generations appear has been exciting and a challenge for us all. As I am soon to be ninety two I always wonder why God has allowed me to watch my family grow and grow into five generations.
With all of the things I have experienced in my lifetime the love of my life was chosen by God to come to Heaven too early. I will never question that decision and I am sure my future was decided a long time ago. I feel certain my wife Norma and our son-in-law Tony are continuing their tasks as Angels today in heaven.
Clyde Brewer July 4, 2022
A Conservative View 