A New Branch On My Family Tree

The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduce yourself to, had life not done it for you.  ~Kendall Hailey, The Day I Became an Autodidact


Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.  ~Jane Howard


Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.  ~Author Unknown

Drydens' all: Tom, Elizabeth, Cathy, Margaret and Len

As hard as divorce is, you may get an unexpected bonus if you are fortunate enough to find your true love the second time around. You get a whole new set of in-laws  in your life. And, if you have not burned bridges behind you, the first set of in-laws remain as your family and friends as well. 

Lucky me!  I have the best of both worlds- an extended family that branches out in a ripple effect as I add new relatives and keep my originals . I have truly been blessed in my life to have a wonderful "family of origin" and a superb "nuclear family", four lovely children, a son-in-law, daughter -in -law and beautiful grandson. I also have an honorary son Michael, via Ryne. (my son-in-law).

We spent the Columbus Day weekend in New Jersey with Tom's brother Len and  family.  I had spent a short amount of time with the family a few years ago at a family wedding and Len was a guest at Casa de Dryden when he was in town on work related business.  I was looking forward to spending time with the family and getting to know them better. I also got to see Tom Sr. whom I had last seen Thanksgiving 2009 in Mesa. Tom's mother Dottie passed away before Tom and I married and although I did not know her long, she was a pleasure to be around-smart, sweet-natured and proud of her family.



Tom Sr, me, Tom Jr.  under an unfortunate sign!



My lovable father-in-law

"Papa" dancing to Lawrence Welk with granddaughter Elizabeth

We had a fun weekend with brisk walks, exceptional food ,great company and sight-seeing. My sister-in-law Cathy is a fantastic cook and we enjoyed her signature BBQ ribs on Saturday night-delicious. I do regret missing out on the chicken and dumplings on Sunday, but we had to get back to our Sandy. Cathy is tall and slender- a figure to envy (if you were inclined that way-ha ha). She puts me in mind of my daughter Kelsey who is also a tall drink of water.



Cathy and Len on our trip to New Hope Pennsylvania and Lambertville NJ



Len, Tom's brother is a wise cracker and I enjoy his sense of humor. We couldn't have asked for more hospitable hosts and we even enjoyed time in the hot tub under the clear, starry sky. Len is a real family man who shows love and pride to his family.

Margaret and Elizabeth are my new nieces and they couldn't have been more sweet and open. Wonderful young ladies. Mom and Dad, you are definitely doing something right!

Elizabeth, Tom and Margaret

We couldn't have asked for a better day for sightseeing in the Delaware River Valley on Saturday. I must say, my preconceived notions of New Jersey were wrong. In my mind's eye, it is all industrial and urban. The Flemington area is absolutely beautiful- peaceful, picturesque and full of wide open spaces and clear blue skies. It truly is the Garden State-enjoyed the fresh corn and tomatoes.

We enjoyed the sights of shopping ,restaurants and striking vintage homes. People are gearing up for Halloween and it was fun to spend time in an area where there actually is a Fall season! In Arizona, we are happy to greet the first day of cool (80 degrees) in October, if we are lucky.

We had a delicious lunch at the Black Bass Hotel- http://www.blackbasshotel.com/
I continue on my quest to find the best crab cakes. So far the winner is the marina  on Chesapeake Bay.

Lunch was great -a beautiful place

Happy diners at the Black Bass

Flag flying on a bridge over the Delaware River

We enjoyed seeing Baltimore and Philadelphia on our way to NJ and back. Very smooth sailing with the help of the GPS and some insider directions from Len. The only gripe I have is the backed up traffic waiting to queue up at the toll gates. It was another wonderful weekend for  us and thanks to Len and Cathy for a great time. Len, I will win you over-I predict you will be my biggest blog fan....