R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Daddy’s insistence on respect from his family made it all the more rewarding when indignities befell him. Daddy was the first the see humor when we found ourselves in awkward or embarrassing situations, but did not like being the butt of jokes. Naturally, we loved seeing him embarrass himself. Daddy worked alternating shifts at the paper mill.

Kissing Cousins

Bud and I were discussing family relationships with my little old Cousin Kat from a small village in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  She was born a Perkins, married a Perkins, and explained there was another group of Perkins living in the same small area, explaining they were all unrelated.

“Weren’t you and your husband and the other Perkins family at least distantly related?”

“Oh no.  We are all descended from different brothers.”

“Oh.”

Great Idea! Joke

Her:  We’ve been going together seven years.  Let’s get married.

Him:  Great idea.  Who’d have us?

Dozens of Cousins

Neither Corwin nor Kelvin could be rounded up for this  cousin picture.  They had other fish to fry.Aunt Essie, like all of my aunts, was a wonder of fertility, if not child-rearing acumen.  She had seven of the meanest boys outside Alcatraz.  Thank God, her reproductive equipment gave out before she managed more.  I thought Mother was just exaggerating when she said they’d all end up in jail or dead before they were thirty.  She was wrong.  Only four of