A Party for My Uncle

Even though I couldn't make my usual farm market-yard sale run this morning, I started with the American Top 40 anyway out of pure habit. Casey jumped back to 1978, where disco and R&B ruled the land. Hits from early October of that year included "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey, "Hot Child In the City" by Nick Gilder, "You Needed Me" by Ann Murray, "Whenever I Call You Friend" by Stevie Nicks and Kenny Loggins, "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band, and "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" from the soundtrack of that summer's blockbuster movie, Grease. That week's #1 song brought pop into the world of disco - Exile's "Kiss You All Over."

Spent the morning dusting, finally putting up my Halloween decorations, and watching Halloween specials and running fall-themed music. Ran this year's first showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown. Both more-or-less revolve around Linus and his unusual beliefs, including Great Pumpkin's title character. Also ran Disney's Halloween Treat, the original Disney Channel Halloween special, which I dubbed off my parents' 23-year-old video last year.

I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween. I do have some decorations, but they're cute or funny rather than the spooky, bloody ones favored by many regulars at my friend Matt's Dinosaur Dracula blog. They're mostly stuffed animals, cardboard cut-outs, or small items I picked up from work, CVS, Dollar Tree, or various thrift shops.

I actually am rather fond of some of my Halloween stuffed critters. In addition to my WebKinz Bat Boo, I have four Beanie Babies - a ghost bear holding a pumpkin, a more normal-looking but still pretty friendly ghost, a less friendly wolf with blood-red eyes, and the most adorable little bat with orange and purple wings. I found a polka-dot bat who looks home-made at a yard sale, and a crow in a witch's hat at the Friends In Deed Thrift Shop before they shut down. My scarecrow-witch has a cute stuffed cauldron that came from Eckard's when they sold the holiday-themed Beanies in the mid-late 90s.

Rose didn't pick me up for Uncle Ken's memorial service until nearly 3. It was just about to start when we arrived...and boy, was it crowded! My Uncle was a beloved figure in Oaklyn for decades. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. He was a councilman for several years. Over 200 people crowded into the funeral home across the street from Taco Bell on the White Horse Pike. Rose was only there for a few minutes. My nephew had been out at a street fair in Haddon Heights earlier, and he was getting cranky. Not to mention, she wanted to help set up for the reception. I stayed. My cousins Karen and Jim were even nice enough to pull up a chair for me behind my second cousin Faith and Karen and Jim's son CJ.

The memorial service only lasted a half-hour, but it was very heart-felt. A pastor who had known my uncle for years conducted the service. His friend Al, who came to so many football parties and had known him in high school, talked about his relationship with him and all the things he did for the community. Al said Uncle Ken had a pool party every year to earn money for the local Democrats...and he was staunchly Republican for most of his life! The pastor mentioned that he'd met Uncle Ken when he helped with church youth trips in the late 60s. My second cousin Ethan talked for his family and his mother Samantha, who was so upset, she couldn't trust herself to speak without breaking down. He did very well, and I'm proud of him (and so are his folks). Samantha's brother Guy, who flew in with his wife and their baby daughter from Taiwan (where he's a teacher), spoke as well. The pastor mentioned how Uncle Ken helped raise my stepsister Jessa after her adopted mother died.

After the service, I gave a lot of people hugs - Karen, Jim, Samantha, Guy, Dolores, Dad, Jessa. It was a sea of tears, and yes, I cried, too. Uncle Ken was a good man. I'm going to miss him, but like I told Andrew later, he's with Miss Ellie now. This was a way for me to say good-bye to both of them...especially since I never really got to say good-bye to Miss Ellie.

(Andrew also said I could have the beautiful plants that had been in Miss Ellie's apartment. I've seen them outside for a while - he said he put them out there to get sun and water. I'll take them upstairs as soon as my ankle is up to it, or I can get someone to help me do so.)

I went to the reception at the house with Jodie and Dad. Dolores and her family had their own party at one of her children's homes in Cherry Hill, but other than that, almost everyone who had been at the memorial service was at the reception. Rose and Jodie had arranged with Anthony's, the restaurant Rose and Craig work for in Haddon Heights, to cater, and for Desserts by Design in Audubon to provide pastries and cookies. I brought the Chocolate-Mint-Fudge Cake I made yesterday.

Spent the rest of the evening threading my way through an ocean of people. I talked to Samantha. I talked to Rose. I talked to my landlords Andrew and Linda. I followed Khai and kept him from snitching sodas from the coolers. I chatted with Mark and Vanessa, Uncle Ken's oldest son and his girlfriend. I had a nice talk with Ethan while we both ate our dinner outside, next to the pool area. (It was pretty much the only place that wasn't being occupied.) I met Mark's son, a young college student who was named after Uncle Ken, while he was talking with Jessa and Jodie's son TJ. I followed Faith and CJ as they played Star Wars. I got some hilarious pictures of Ethan, Matt, CJ, and some of the other kids climbing trees.

By 8PM, the party was starting to wind down, and so was I. I was originally going to go home with Rose and Khai, but Khai was settled in, watching Ice Age movies, and had no desire to go anywhere in a hurry. Vanessa ended up driving me and two other party-goers home.

I had fun, despite my sore foot. As I heard Al mention, it was the kind of party Uncle Ken would have approved of. : )