A Monday Thought....

[GreasyItalianPrincess]

Actually..that side of the family is quite the same. Nobody really was ringleader on traditions...well maybe my great-grandparents. My Great-grandfather was patriarch of my Dad's side of the family, and both uncles tended to come around and stay at their house (the house of the money tree). He was a very Sopranoesque character without the mafia connecton, or the penchant for violence..but very tough, brusque, and larger-than-life personality, with a wife that cooked big meals for everyone. When he passed away, or more when he moved to Florida, and got very ill for his last 2 years, it broke up that connection and everyone kind of broke away...Jack off to San Diego, Leo to NYC...and that era of meals, tradition, and interaction ended in upstate NY. After that...Jack had only been seen by the family maybe once or twice. There was no pressure on Jack. No real ringleaders of tradition...just the gravity of what keep him connected to everyone ceased when my great-grandfather passed away. My father's side of the family is not known for get-togethers or be much for much interaction for the most part, as a whole.