Family Photo

[bjarvis]

Sibling "5 of 6," the last to marry, had her wedding this past August. Alas, thanks to a lack of documentation, I was unable to attend --I would not have been allowed to return to the US following the wedding.

The wedding, I am assured, went off without a hitch. Rings were presented on cue, everyone said "I do" at the right intervals and there were no drunken bar brawls. To my knowledge anyway and since my manager likes to remind me that perception is reality, it must be so.

A CD-ROM of photos arrived in the mail yesterday, including not just shots of the wedding & reception but of various clusters of relatives who happened to be at the same place at the same time. Here's my maternal grandmother, my parents, my siblings, their spouses and their children, all in one shot:

There are only four notable absences: me, kent4str, cuyahogarvr and brother Wayne's wife, Denise; it may be thus argued that 75% of the absences are my fault, but I'm OK with that.

Comments

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

My god, when did those nieces and nephews get so BIG??

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Sibling "3 of 6" (aka Irene) and her husband Ted have two kids: Daniel is already 6 and Ashley is 2.5.

Sibling "6 of 6" (aka Angela) and her husband Jeremy have one (Kaylee is 3.5) but are expecting an addition in March.

Yeah, they grow up quickly.

[kent4str.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute! Jeremy has facial hair! (For those who don't know him, back row, just left of center) It can only be an improvement...

It's just as well we didn't make it. I was only going hoping for a drunken brawl or two.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

I wasn't really expecting one on our side of the family but I know nothing about the groom's... hope springs eternal.

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

Is Denise the mystery woman who never turns up for anything? I'm still wondering if she is fictional, buried under the roses in the back yard, or maybe in a reality a drag queen...

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's her. Never met her despite 15+ years of marriage to my brother. I can't recall precisely when they married... I really should ask around to find out. The only photos I've seen of her were from about the same era as their wedding.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

that question (is Denise the mystery woman) occurred to me too.

since perception is reality, as you repeat above, DOES she exist? you've seen *A* photo, but that could have been anyone, shirley? (or denise, I spoze)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

When she has been wheeled out for public display --others in the extended family have claimed to meet her a couple of times over the years-- is it indeed the same woman? Is she an actress hired for the role? Dunno.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

well, y'know... what with the current nooz of the UK man who faked his own death and assuming another identity to go to Panama, the idea of stand-ins isn't completely out-of-court.

did you ever read Joe Keenan's farce Blue Heaven?? Two gay guys in NYC late 80s, one of them is marrying a poisonous woman for the gifts. Part of this involves getting a gay banker to pose (in drag) as the woman's mother, the Duchess of Dorsetshire? Is truth stranger than fiction here?

(cue spooky music)