Jacquie Love

After Jacquie's incredible post yesterday, a measly installation of a mini-series about criss-crossing the country just isn't going to cut it today.

Let's instead focus a little bit more on Jacquie, shall we?

Jacquie was born and changed our family from this . . .

. . . to this.

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Really, she was just the cutest girl in the world . . . (well, besides me, back left)

I mean it was like having a doll for a baby sister (me in my back left spot, again).

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I have only a couple of photo albums here, and they all seem to be from the 80s.

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I really have got to collect those photo albums from Mumsie's basement.

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We had a lot of fun in the 80s.

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Jacquie was always so stinkin' cute and never seems to have gone through an awkward phase. Harumph.

The two of us went cross-country for 3 months in a station wagon in the fall of 1988. That album is in Mumsie's basement, too. This is right before we left.
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And this is Jacquie trying on her new sleeping bag. Hey, you gotta make sure it fits.
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I was 25 and Jacquie was 19 on our trip -- just wee tiny tots.

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Jacquie moved to San Diego -- she and I went cross-country again, to drive her out there -- and she never left. She met a Bill, I met a Bill, she married her Bill, I married my Bill.

And look what happened! They produced a mini-Bill and a mini-Jacquie.

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It must be wacky and interesting and strange for my Dad to have a second Jacquie. Jacquie Redux. Making stuffed grape leaves like a good little Lebanese girl.

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Our family grew, as families do, and we all get together rarely, but dramatically.

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I really like the new picking-up-Mom tradition.

Mistah and I have spent a lot of time in San Diego during our 7-1/2 years on the road, and have stayed with Jacqueline and her family every time. Imagine houseguests who come to visit and stay for 2 months?
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And our girl comes to Connecticut regularly, too. And we always drag her to the beach. Because the Long Island Sound? Compared to the Mighty Pacific? Puh-lease.

Jacquie's the glue. She's funny and smart. She's organized and fun. She's beautiful and silly.

She's our baby girl.

Happy 40th, Jacquie!