The last time my grans were altogether in one place was seven years ago. Back then it was only Lucian and Scarlett. The other two were not yet born.
That’s Lucian and Scarlett with Claire and Honey, above, together again under The Old Man at Casa Claire.
Yesterday, my daughter Jackie flew into Denver with my grandson, Lucian, where they joined Jackie’s husband Zack for a week of hiking and mountain climbing in the Breckenridge family chalet.
I was supposed to pick Jackie up at the airport, but got called in to defend a deposition on Zoom yesterday morning, so Lisa subbed in and made the pickup.
I really do have to have absolute quiet in the house when I play the lawyer so the other people, lawyers, paras and techies, on the Zoom video don’t realize I’m not sitting in an office somewhere.
Also, I have to wear a dress shirt and tie, and since the computer camera shot only captures my head and torso, I can wear my shorts and crocks to complete the ensemble. As long as I don’t stand up.
Well, McCaffrey’s Law (Murphy was an amateur) wasn’t going to let that go unchallenged.
About two hours into a polite but challenging deposition, where I really had to stay focused on protecting the witness – which means listening carefully to, objecting to, and otherwise challenging the opposing counsel’s questions at every opportunity – I heard the thunder of heavy footfalls approaching from the long hallway behind my closed office door. That door suddenly flew open just as my witness was engaged in important, post objection, testimony.
“Dude!” my youngest gran, Stella, shouted as she raced into the room.
Luckily, as the office door is in the far corner and out of screen shot, and everyone else was focused on the testimony, I was able to spin in my office chair, and propel myself off camera towards the approaching gran, meeting her with enough momentum to carry her back to and through the doorway while shushing her repeated “Dude, but I have to tell you something.” With one final shove, I propelled her back out into the hallway and slammed the door. I was back in camera shot before the witness finished his answer. No one else noticed. Such is the practice of law at Casa Claire.
Just so you fully understand the personality type of that particular gran, I offer you a photo that captures her personality perfectly.
Turns out, Stella wanted to tell me that her cousin Lucian had arrived.
Anyway, by the time the deposition ended in the early afternoon, the grans had already met up and fully bonded in McCaffrey Clan fashion, spending lots of time exploring different outdoor areas of Casa Claire, including magical time out by the elven village under the shade of The Old Man.
(left to right – Lucian, Savanna (on ladder), Stella (front) and Scarlett) Note that the girls are shoeless – excellent grounding.
It was awesome to capture that photo of the actual grans all together at the spot where all the magic in the books takes place for their characters – Casa Claire.
They won’t fully appreciate it until later, after I’m dead, and they are fighting over royalties, but there you go, that’s family for you.
Anyway, it was great to have all of the descendants around me – except Mark and Sara (my NYPD Blue line) below, who remained back east, protecting and serving:
I will be staying with them during my week back east in September.
The adults ate a delicious barbeque dinner around the dining room table while the kids all feasted in the Living Room, watching a film.
(left to right – Zack (also in FJM), Georgie, Luke, Lisa and Jackie. McCaffrey rules, only high testosterone bald men allowed into the family and no hats at the table). Those are Impossible burgers (my True Blood) on my plate.
In true McCaffrey fashion, the adults all shared embarrassing family stories around the dinner table, so there was lots of laughter, finger pointing and maybe a threat or two.
I recall naked neighbors, philandering relatives, our family friends in the Chinese Mafia and a bout of Florida dysentery being some of the subjects we covered.
Lucian and the girls joined me in the new barn to assist with the food prep while Claire and Honey observed and then we all took family photos on the back deck.
The men:
The women:
Dude, Nona and the grans. (And Blue from the books)
(I threatened to toss Stella off the deck if she didn’t behave). And finally, just the grans.
And as much of pain in the ass it may seem at the time to pose for family photos, when you get to my age, you realize that it may be the only visual memory your grans will have decades from now.
I want them all to always remember the magic of Casa Claire.
And to remember how much we love them.
Well, the sun set and Jackie, Zack and Lucian all headed off to the mountains.
The delightful day came to an end.
But now another delightful Friday is upon us.
You fine, five readers know what to do. Skyve like your lives depended on it. Make those weekend plans while the boss thinks you are working away and then disappear after lunch.
Me, I’m going to go cuddle some kitties, make my rounds and tonight Lisa and I are making our annual summer pilgrimage to Boulder where we will enjoy a live performance of the Bard’s MacBeth at the Summer Shakespeare festival.
I am so excited.
Anyway, no matter what is in our plans, whatever we get up to, let us make today a great one.
5 Responses
“The Waltons” got nuthin on the McCaffreys…
Neither do the Sopranos.
Lucky man you are Tom.. great pictures and many memories made
Tell everyone I said hello! Wish I was there. Hope you only told the PG stories
Evan, your ears must have been burning.