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Tuesday 12 November 2013

Family

Families are funny things.  First of all is the one you are born with.  For me, my parents and my two brothers.  Easy peasy.  Then they go and do things like get married and you inherit a whole other step-family - three steps from my stepfather and quite a few from my step-mother.

So that's complicated enough.

Then your siblings go and get married and you inherit a whole 'nother tranche of people.  Then they have children and the competition really begins.  Whilst all this is going on, you marry into another family and inherit them, and their siblings marry and you sort of become part of another family of the "married" family's spouse.

Now it is really out of hand.

The children of the siblings, other family, in-laws, in-laws' in-laws are then placed in the intolerable position of everyone trying to "claim" them for their own particular part of the family.

For instance, in both the Wills and the Bevan family, the male "appearance" gene runs strong.  The Wills boys look like Wills'.  All three of them.  Well, I think they do. I am sure both my sister-in-laws can produce a male relative of the same lean, lanky, shape with blue eyes and that hair to prove me wrong, but for me, they are definitely "our stock".  Interestingly, all the girls take after their mothers.

On the Bevan side, Henry (being the only boy) definitely is a "Bevan", which must drive Alex bananas at times because, of course, she wants to him to be half her. Probably more than half her, to be honest, but physically he is the reincarnation of his father and his grandfather. There is no denying it.

If you then start to add in all the cousins - and on Mum's side there are too many to keep track of - and you get the "oldies" telling you you are the spitting image of your cousin, Juliet, who lives in Australia (and happens to be very successful), the spider's web of connection becomes almost too big.

And then there is the "family" you choose - your really good friends that you make along the way - some from your childhood, your teenage years, your working life, your early marriage, at the NCT classes, school gates, etc.

My oh my, life is confusing.

I think I will stick to the dogs

 Email from the Nicest Woman in The World:

"Pippa............ Pirate’s sister came to stay this weekend.    She was sent to live with my mother due to bad behaviour as you know.  She has put on 1kilo so far!  Which has slowed her down considerably making her less menacing to passing strangers but we still keep her on a lead..........lest she should escape and cause havoc on Dr Marsh’s shoot. !!!!  Meanwhile back in Eye she is a well known face at the window barking at anything that comes close

My mother absolutely loves her!!


I thought you would like this photo of Pippa (in the lead) and Tiggy from a few years ago."











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