One day in Olympia, Washington, Cousin Eileen' s elder son David got a letter from
New York City.
Cousin Eileen said, "You don't know about crazy cousin Emily?" Actually, she sort of
shrieked it, and then proceeded to give Dave about forty minutes of dissertation on
Crazy Cousin Emily.
Then Dave, at the end of an Army career in the course of which he never lived anywhere for more than three years, and thinking he was making the last major move of his life, went from Olympia to Seattle, to settle into Ballard, the Scandinavian neighborhood where his father grew up. Hoping to get another cousins list, he sent Crazy Cousin Emily a change of address with a funny letter and then all hell broke loose. Emily really liked that letter and she called Dave and explained that the list of relatives was so everyone who wanted to could stay in touch. They talked a lot on the telephone, after that, and then Emily went to Seattle for a look around, and the next thing he knew Dave was in New York City himself, because it was easier to move to New York City than to pay his telephone bill.
That was thirteen years ago. Twelve years ago on 28th August 1994, Dave and Emily were married, surrounded by friends and family in a private ceremony in Brooklyn, and proceeded to carve a house and home out of an apartment.
That's the short version.
Somebody named Emily Thomas had sent him a list of his relatives, on his grandmother's
side. Dave didn't know anybody in New York City, and he certainly didn't know who
Emily Thomas was, so he called his Mom and said "Who's Emily Thomas and why is she
sending me a list of my relatives on my grandmother's side?"
You don't have time for the long one.
Cheers,
Send your comments, suggestions and
Emily & Dave
other wise words to
emily & dave
Dedicated to the association of the descendants
of
Sophia Mellenbruch and James H. Booth