I am very pleased with our picnic Saturday. Here is the list of attendees:
Olie Chavez
Richard Davis
Kellie Davis Showers
Joy Cassady
Erin Cassady
Chad Cassady Jr.
Jack Cassady
Ava Cassady
Lee Ann Davis Small
David Small
Elizabeth Small
Eva Davis
Nicole Davis
Kim Davis Meckler
Marty Meckler
Evon Meckler
Tayland Jolly
Richard and Kellie arrived first and I had a chance to talk to my brother about our mother Doris and The Chick Box, The Blue Room and the houses she lived in. He still drives by The Chick Box which has remained vacant many years and is still standing amazingly as well as Renida Street. Mother had an apartment adjacent to The Blue Room where she could open a window and look inside. Rose and I were babies when Mother got out of the bar and grill business. She had a large cast iron skillet pot with lid her husband Lee Davis had made on Mare Island. She'd put the leftovers from dinner in, add some vegetables and make a soup. She bought the house at 415 Woodrow Avenue where I was born, assisted by my father and brother Don. There were chickens, ducks, rabbits and a garden. She bought the York Street house and lived there about a year but lost it. If this is the proper sequence I was unaware that I lived there. She bought the house at 135 Renida Street for $5,000. When she died the house was sold to Lee and Richard moved in, jacked it up, poured a foundation, sheetrocked the interior and fixed it up. About this time more family began arriving at the picnic and soon it was time to welcome everyone, sing Happy Birthday to each other and offer a blessing on the food at noon. I've been asking different families and this year Joy agreed to pray. The food was plentiful and delicious with bags of chicken, a ham Marty's family raised themselves, turkey wraps, a huge bowl of ambrosia, watermelon, yam fries, cookies, chips, popcorn, cinnamon streudel cupcakes, juice boxes, etc., etc. Weather being only 72* the hottest part of the day with a brisk wind only the young ones and Eva braved the waters, playing and jumping off the diving board. At the first water break at 12:45 we had the prize drawings and everyone chose when their number was drawn by Jack. Bean toss was encouraged for more smaller prizes. Mini pool was played on the card table by Tayland, Evon and Elizabeth, various ball games and Marty was pressed into service to put Chad's winning prize together, a kite, and Joy and Chad tried in earnest to get it aloft. The playground was enjoyed and Ava got in the baby pool with the help of Erin. Lots of visiting was done by the adults in a circle of lawn chairs in the sun. By the next water break at 1:45 it was time for the family picture. Luckily Lee Ann brought her digital camera and did a fine job of capturing special moments and asking someone to take our picture. I was there exactly six hours setting up and being ready for the start at 11 a.m. and all was packed up by 3:10. With the help of the Mecklers and Smalls all the gear was brought to my side yard up the street from the pool and they got a tour of my house for the first time. A big thank you to all the family members who were able to join us this year as we get to know each other better, reminisce, and the cousins have fun playing together.
Olie Chavez
Richard Davis
Kellie Davis Showers
Joy Cassady
Erin Cassady
Chad Cassady Jr.
Jack Cassady
Ava Cassady
Lee Ann Davis Small
David Small
Elizabeth Small
Eva Davis
Nicole Davis
Kim Davis Meckler
Marty Meckler
Evon Meckler
Tayland Jolly
Richard and Kellie arrived first and I had a chance to talk to my brother about our mother Doris and The Chick Box, The Blue Room and the houses she lived in. He still drives by The Chick Box which has remained vacant many years and is still standing amazingly as well as Renida Street. Mother had an apartment adjacent to The Blue Room where she could open a window and look inside. Rose and I were babies when Mother got out of the bar and grill business. She had a large cast iron skillet pot with lid her husband Lee Davis had made on Mare Island. She'd put the leftovers from dinner in, add some vegetables and make a soup. She bought the house at 415 Woodrow Avenue where I was born, assisted by my father and brother Don. There were chickens, ducks, rabbits and a garden. She bought the York Street house and lived there about a year but lost it. If this is the proper sequence I was unaware that I lived there. She bought the house at 135 Renida Street for $5,000. When she died the house was sold to Lee and Richard moved in, jacked it up, poured a foundation, sheetrocked the interior and fixed it up. About this time more family began arriving at the picnic and soon it was time to welcome everyone, sing Happy Birthday to each other and offer a blessing on the food at noon. I've been asking different families and this year Joy agreed to pray. The food was plentiful and delicious with bags of chicken, a ham Marty's family raised themselves, turkey wraps, a huge bowl of ambrosia, watermelon, yam fries, cookies, chips, popcorn, cinnamon streudel cupcakes, juice boxes, etc., etc. Weather being only 72* the hottest part of the day with a brisk wind only the young ones and Eva braved the waters, playing and jumping off the diving board. At the first water break at 12:45 we had the prize drawings and everyone chose when their number was drawn by Jack. Bean toss was encouraged for more smaller prizes. Mini pool was played on the card table by Tayland, Evon and Elizabeth, various ball games and Marty was pressed into service to put Chad's winning prize together, a kite, and Joy and Chad tried in earnest to get it aloft. The playground was enjoyed and Ava got in the baby pool with the help of Erin. Lots of visiting was done by the adults in a circle of lawn chairs in the sun. By the next water break at 1:45 it was time for the family picture. Luckily Lee Ann brought her digital camera and did a fine job of capturing special moments and asking someone to take our picture. I was there exactly six hours setting up and being ready for the start at 11 a.m. and all was packed up by 3:10. With the help of the Mecklers and Smalls all the gear was brought to my side yard up the street from the pool and they got a tour of my house for the first time. A big thank you to all the family members who were able to join us this year as we get to know each other better, reminisce, and the cousins have fun playing together.
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