The Rat Pack Is Disappearing

Mom's brother Harold, passed away in his sleep on Monday, March 30, 2009. He was mom's older brother and died at the age of 79. At the 2002 family reunion at Lake Tahoe a picture of the siblings was taken and they were donned the Rat Pack, with Harold being Frank (Sinatra), Mom being Angie (Dickinson), Donold being Dean (Martin) and Tom being Sammy (Davis, Jr.). Tom was always considered the black sheep of the family so Sammy fitted well.
Mom's family has always been close. I remember traveling on holidays to grandma's house and being there with all my cousins and uncles and aunts. We could always count on being together at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and usually Memorial Day. With Grandpa, (Mom's dad), being a butcher, we always had a food spread that was great. Grandma and my aunts were all good cooks and we all got stuffed just like a turkey at Thanksgiving. Even though everyone got together to catch up on with family, everyone always looked forward to Grandpa's poker game that happened in the evening. Even us kids couldn't wait till we were old enough to join in the game.
As with every family, as children grew up and got married, and with Grandma & Grandpa passing away, the family gatherings ended. Then in 2000, Mom and her brothers decided that the Elson Clan needed to start having a family reunion every two years. The first one was held in Las Vegas, with the second held at Lake Tahoe in 2002. I missed 2000 due to not having enough seniority to get the time off. The 2002 reunion happened during my high school 30 year class reunion that I was already committed to go to play with a band reunion. I made sure that we attended the 2004 family reunion in Hawaii, and we help celebrate Harold's and Mickey's 50 anniversary. It was also the first time I saw a lot of my cousins since I got married in 1976. Even with the rain soaking us during our Luau, eveyone still had a great time.
In 2006, Mom, Terrie, Mike (sister & brother)and myself planned the San Diego Reunion. It was great of course and I got to design the reunion T-shirt with every one's name on the back. With all the attractions, everyone was very busy. It was also the year that Mom had her whole family with her. Not only did she have her brothers, but her three children with their spouses, all her grandchildren with spouses or fiancee, and all her living great grandchildren. It was also the last time the Rat Pack got a group picture together (that I know of).
This last August, 2008, we had the lastest reunion. It was held at Lake Tahoe again and we had a great time. Harold was not feeling very good and he spent a lot of time down stairs during the informal party and then for the reunion picnic he stayed at the condo as he just wasn't up for it. We took the traditional pictures of family including the whole Elson Clan picture but we missed having Harold there.
I hope the next generation, The Cousins as we are known, will still keep having reunions as it would be a great tributed to our Grandparents (Harold and Violet), as well as to the Rat Pack.

Houseboat Trip

Going through some of Mom's pictures I ran across this one of Dad and Mom piloting the houseboat on Lake Shasta back in 1966 or 1967. This was our first deluxe vacation where we didn't sleep in a tent. This brought back memories of fishing and motoring around on the lake. I remember us finding a cove that was secluded and us jumping off the houseboat and swimming. My Dad, brother and I making a trip in the towed behind boat up to the end of the Sacramento River till we couldn't go any further due to the rocks, and catching our limit of rainbow trout. I recall traveling back to the houseboat and having my hand in the water and feeling how cold the river water was and when we cross the thermo-plane that was the lake as the temperature was at least 10-15 degrees warmer. There was the time Mom and Dad decided they needed a break from us kids and took the boat to go to a restaurant for dinner after the houseboat was tied up. Us kids got scared to death when we heard something going through the brush (turned out to be a doe) and then having a starving hunting dog show up at the boat. When Mom and Dad got back, the next morning we took the dog to a close by marina and left it with someone to call the animal shelter. I got to drive the boat and remember well when we were out in the middle of the lake and a thunderstorm hit us and the wind and waves giving us a scare. I also recall that we worked like the dickens cleaning the houseboat up as Mom and Dad had put down a cleaning fee of several hundred dollars and they were determined to get it back. The guy who rented out the boat said it was cleaner than he had ever seen it and he wasn't going to have to do any work getting it ready for the next renter except empty the waste tanks. We got our cleaning fee back. I hope my kids have good memories of things we did together like I do of Mom and Dad.