Like a Rugg

Everyone likes a Rugg, right? Not always, but yesterday was the Rugg reunion, so there were Ruggs all over the place. Old ones and young ones and they came in all shapes and sizes. My grandmother Miner’s maiden name was Rugg and still carrying on the tradition, my daughter Anna and I went. It’s a time, like at any other family reunion, to see people that do not live close or if they live close, they live separate lives. It’s great to be able to see new family members brought into the family by marriage or by births. Sometimes it is hard to remember all of names, especially for me. Some of the people are regular attendees and others visit occasionally, but I like to visit and catch up on what is new in the other relatives’ lives.

Everyone brings a covered dish of food and a dessert, trying to outdo the dish that you brought the year before. The chicken is paid for by the monies collected from previous years. We used to “pass the hat” and take up collections, but for the last several years have started a “white elephant” auction.

Each family brings an item or two, or three… well, you get the idea, and then auctions them off. It still is a basic passing of the hat, but at least you end up with a prize. None of the items are a zonk, but all are wrapped up or placed in gift bags with a note saying whether it is for a child, male, or female and the bidding begins. It’s not always the gift, but bidding against another family member for fun or “one-up-man-ship” that causes the bids to rise. Amid whoops of laughter or cheers when the gift is unwrapped, the good-natured jesting erupts when it is a gag gift or when a real prize emerges from the paper.

Sometimes, people will bring albums and share, some old and some new. The older photos, we try to help identify the person if the owner of the picture isn’t sure of who it is or doesn’t know who it is. Sometimes, we sit and share stories with the younger generation, trying to pass on the heritage and history of the family.

Sharing of family stories was my reason that I started my blog spot, not that my thoughts are better than another persons, but that I wanted to get stories of the family recorded. I know that I’ve lost tales that my grandfathers told of their lives and that saddens me. Unless something happens that jogs my memory, they will be lost forever. That is why I began to record the thoughts as they came to mind. I want my children to have those thoughts to read and share, if they choose.

I tell relatives, if you have a story, let me know, often I just haven’t thought of it and just need the idea refreshed in my memory to share.

Until next year, to all of my cousins, first, second, third, etc. I hope to see you then.