I’m taking things moment by moment, like picking up an opened clam shell at our family reunion today. With my pincher fingers, I used the bottom shell with the meaty bit attached to it and dunked it in melty garlic butter. That’s how Dean Moergeli of the Moergeli clan does it: he brings a three-foot-tall stainless steel pot that he fires up and cooks the Gig Harbor-raised clams he dug from his own property, boiling them with onions, celery, and garlic cloves before emptying them into an equally large stainless steel bowl for us all to eat—one helping from that bowl a restaurant would charge $30 for.
Also delicious was a spiral pasta noodle salad with freshly caught crab chunks the size of my pointer finger. Don’t tell Dean, but I might have used the tongs to single out the crab bites for my serving.
Every year, the Moergeli family picnic occurs at Mud Mountain Dam, a turnoff ten miles out of Enumclaw heading towards Mount Rainier. It’s a place my mom often took my brother and me when we were children as well. It’s a vast park with large shelters and BBQs for hosting get-togethers like ours and also has a large umbrella-shaped outdoor pool area. Kids like Evelyn splash in momentarily before the chill drives them to jump out and head for the zip line and other play structures.
It was apt that this long-time annual get-together is one of my last but not least go-to’s. In telling the Moergeli clan of our upcoming move, the funniest remark was from Claire, the eldest of our group, who said, “Why the hell would you go there? It’s the armpit of our country.” It turns out a friend of hers lived in a neighboring state (maybe Tennessee?), and they made the comment. Still, not one of the six people I spoke to about our plans had a positive initial reaction. Now, they did come around upon learning about our family commune-like homestead and having a pool.
Time is moving quickly again. However much I often want it to slow, the fact that it finally did was unnerving. I didn’t like it. I’m a person who likes movement, to feel the wind brushing against my cheeks, so to be in the paused stillness was not for me.
For the past two evenings, my dad has taken us cruising around Lake Sawyer on his boat. What a wonderful way to pass the time that is. From jumping in off the back of the boat for a swim to listening to live music playing off a resident’s dock to hearing the distant revving of funny cars from a national event held at Pacific Raceways, I’m feeling back to normal.
With less than four days to go, I got this. I know it.
I’m all tucked in, and it’s time to close my laptop. Sweet dreams to me, and sweet dreams to you.
Love,
Jaclynn
Going On 40 