Remembering Uncle Joe

Memories. Lots of them. Uncle Joe was someone out of a story book. Maybe a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Yesterday, all the fun memories of him came flooding back as his granddaughter gave the "time of remembrance". Uncle Joe and Aunt Fran became my family when I married my husband. When planning our honeymoon, they invited us to spend a few days with them in Duluth on our way to "Memory Lodge" in Canada. Uncle Joe knew how to show a person "the good life". We had a wonderful time. As the years went on, we saw them occasionally, sometimes winter holidays, but not enough with us raising a young family, and because of the distance between us. I remember a fabulous vacation we had with them one summer, visiting them in Texas where they then lived later on. Driving over to Mexico that time, walking through all the little shops, eating authentic Mexican food in a great restaurant he frequented, taking photographs in a wonderful little church with beautiful old statues at the altar, and before going home enjoying the simplicity and evening quietness of the little old town square. Yes, Uncle Joe knew how to show a person "the good life" and he shared it with you when you were there. We experienced many happy cocktail hours and first tasted big Valdalia onions stuffed with butter, made on the grill. Mmmmm. He was colorful and flamboyant and fun! When he called on the phone, you always knew he was truly happy to talk to you and interested in what was going on in your life. He loved his family. His granddaughter's speech, yesterday, was a tribute to him, and at dinner we celebrated his life as he would have liked us to. Uncle Joe...thanks for the memories.