Clan Christmas Gathering, 2008

Yes, it's time for the annual Christmas gathering. Of course alcohol is never served. However, from the look of this archival shot from 2003, one might be excused if one wondered:

Fortunately, this year's festivities were not marred by such unconventional behavior.

Bob talks about his life without nose dressing.

The unrepentant Old Curmudgeon mercilessly tries to talk Bob into trying on the nose hats just one more time. Why does the family keep telling him where this event is being held?

Glenna is dressed in street clothes, hiding her secret identity of a dancing elf.

Mary begs Judy to let her sit on Santa's lap just one more time.

Jan has made a list and is in the process of checking it twice while Uncle Glen and Phil contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.

Newlyweds Tony and Cecilia.

Nope, it's not Kojak, it's Derrick. Honest to God. Kojak would have a sucker.


Grif sporting his latest head gear. His family can only assume he doesn't have a bald spot.


Gary stands guard at the desert table to keep Grif from making another trip.



Staff photographer Richard. It's a serious business.




Cory smiles before it was explained to him that the two hula girls for his new car are only the kind that go on your dashboard. By the way the car was not included. You really had to be there.

It's baaack. Just when you think you've seen the last of Aunt Deanie's mineral oil, it reappears.


Aunt Jean now demands that the rest of us bow in her presence. Here Peggy does her best to humor her.


"Happy Birthday" sung to Peggy as today is her 39th birthday. She was the child bride of the elderly Richard.

When you get this group together and there are no dominoes available we resort to "Apples To Apples."

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Old Curmudgeon was so taken by Ron & Maurene's Thanksgiving turkey that he felt the urge to share his own turkey. Interested researchers my want to compare and contrast the British turkey to the American counterpart by checking out the competition here. If the truth be told, The Old Curmudgeon told those cleaning up that it was imperative that he blog the turkey picture while they went about their business. If this works out, there will be many more food pictures appearing here in the months to come.

Bobbie forced all of us to make a list of what we are all thankful for this afternoon. We each read our list prior to dinner. Can you believe her nerve? Ah, well. Small price to pay for a fabulously prepared meal. If we all play our cards well, there may be pumpkin pie in our (near) future.

Marching Dragons Reach The End Of The Line.

The season has come to an end for the Marching Dragons. Their final competition was this week at the Lucas Oil Stadium. It was sobering to watch how hard all the kids have worked this season. Long practices in all kinds of weather. Continuously working to improve skills and execution. Grif has grown as a person significantly as a result of his participation. And he had a blast! Some of these pictures look a lot better, artistically, than regular readers are used to. That's because The Old Curmudgeon didn't take all of them.

Grif learned to spend most of his free time on the asphalt practice "field."

Of course, the band performed at all the home football games, where spectators are also regularly treated to a fine sunset. I took this one.

Friday night football was a time for Lauren to gather with her peeps for some socializing.

Drum majors did not attire themselves in this fashion in The Old Curmudgeon's day. In that more intensely patriarchal time, the females were referred to as "majorettes."

Competition at Center Grove sans headgear on a warm day. That's Grif next to the flute player. These two shots are mine.

There he is again.

Following in the footsteps of his proud father, Grif has the foresight to choose an instrument that results in his being the lone wolf in the hen house. He was awarded the coveted "pimp hat" for the clarinet section photograph. See how wholesome the band experience can be?

Cross reference James Brown's "It's A Man's World." One of these young ladies may not be putting on much of an act here, but I can say no more.

The Indianapolis Star did a nice feature on the Bands Of America competition, including the above video interview with drum major Amy. Yep, that's Grif a 01:11. You can also pick him out walking across the field at 00:51,

For readers without lives who want to read all the details, please see The Indianapolis Star.

Visit To The Farm

A beautiful Autumn day.
Friends who are good friends.
Kids.
Dogs.
A bonfire that would make Guy Fawkes proud.
Great food.
Make the setting the Wertz farm and you really can't ask for more.
Poor Grif missed this lovely get-together, as he was in Jeffersonville with the Marching Dragons earning a Gold rating and moving to the next level (Yay Grif!) and not arriving back in town until about midnight. The rest of us, including Bella, enjoyed our time in the country.

The Old Curmudgeon is disappointed in the quality of the video as delivered on the blog. Somehow it is narrower and the quality is not so hot. Sorry about that. As time goes on, actual picture will appear below: