The shortest of days.
The sweetest of nights.
The short and the sweet.
Cousin Craig was getting married to the talented and musically gifted Allison. The celebration was set for the Winter Solstice and was to be hosted by Aunt Ruth. The up-coming mid-winter wedding was a topic of conversation while dining with Cousin Karl (now living in Dallas) and Aunt Lois and Uncle Bob visiting from Montana. I always have a great time when the extended family comes to town, so I purposed to get an invitation to Cousin Craig's wedding in Indiana as it would be a great gathering of all my Suneson aunts and uncles, a renewal of kindred ties that I did not want to miss.
Adding to the intrigue of the nuptial occasion was the topic of "The Family Gold" buried in the basement of Aunt Ruth's house. Aunt Lois told the story of how she and each of the other four Suneson kids received a treasure trove of coins from her father, who had received this treasure from his father Jonas before him. Now my Great Grandfather Jonas, an immigrant from 19th Century Europe horded gold and silver US coins for the eventuality of turbulent times. The intention was that the Suneson treasure was to be handed down to each generation so they could use their gold to flee to safer lands and preserve their lives and the bloodline if the need arose. The "Family Gold" was there - just in case. However, Aunt Ruth's house with the gold still buried in the basement was to be sold in the Spring and no one had yet recovered it to our knowledge. Lois said we should go get that gold!
With my mind racing with thoughts of a grand celebration, buried treasure and the lure of the mythological Scandinavian humor to be on display, I booked a flight to Indianapolis and confirmed passage on the Lafayette Shuttle. West Lafayette was my destination, two hours north of Indianapolis. There awaited adventure: wedding parties, music, dancing, feasting and perhaps a genuine treasure hunt! Plenty of activity to fill the shortest day of the year.
While waiting on the bench for the Lafayette Shuttle to arrive, a fellow traveler asked if I was waiting on the shuttle to West Lafayette? I said that I was and we struck up a conversation. We continue to talk of Indiana and Texas and other common locations as we rode north to West Lafayette. His speech and mannerisms were those of a girly-man as he described visiting "Hippy Hollow" (legendary nude and free spirit gathering spot outside of Austin, Texas).
At one point he asked if I was the one who was traveling with "that purple piece of luggage?" I replied, "It is actually 'heliotrope' - and yes I am."
"Well", he said, "you must be very secure in your in your masculinity."
"Indeed I am", was my answer. [I'm a wildcatter and a treasure hunter and I'm on my way to a big party with my heliotrope suitcase]
I got off at my stop at the end of the shuttle line and was greeted by my dad and Allison, Craig's bride, who drove me to the Westminster Senior Living Center, where Aunt Ruth now resides, and where I was to share a guest room with my parents. After dropping off my notorious heliotrope luggage, we walked across the complex to pay a visit to Aunt Ruth (The elder of the five Suneson siblings). We walked into Aunt Ruth's new room (she'd just moved) and found her to be looking perturbed. My mother asked if everything was OK? We were greeted with the explanation; "Deanna (youngest of the three sisters, and rooming with Ruth for the wedding) and I just had a BIG fight! She is trying to run my life, and I don't need her to do that!" Ah, family. So interesting to have everybody together - if not good. Just rub a little Scandinavian humor on it and we'll all be fine. Glad I came.
Rugose family relations not withstanding, the idea of digging up the family gold was floated to Aunt Ruth. She was all in favor it, and she though she had the map with the proverbial "X marks the spot" on it. We searched a few drawers, but found no map. Must be somewhere else.
The next feast in the agenda was at a Thai restaurant that Ruth had rented out that night to host both families and friends. Allison is the violinist in a quartet of musicians known as Simple and Deep who performed as we all dined. As I took my seat at the Suneson table, I asked Aunt Ruth, "What kind of food do you like?" "I like plain food" she told me. I thought to myself, I'll wager Thai cuisine is not considered 'plain food' in Indiana. Never-the-less, I enjoyed my curried shrimp and pad Thai noodles.
After diner, I was grouped with the my kin and we all head back for an early bedtime at the senior center when the conversation returned to the buried gold. "Aaaargh maties, maybe we could put together a party of pirate want-a-be's to go excavatin' in the morning when the tide is right I suggested. I called Craig's number and left a message with the plan. The answer: The tide is not right I am told, you see while we sensible Nordic types were in our bunks, the wedding party people were having high times into the wee hours at the house, and many were still sleeping well into the morning light. They should not be disturbed. There'll be no gold diggers at this wedding.
The day dawned and a few of us played tourist, and went to Delphi, IN, the terminus of the Erie Canal. We visited the museum and then broke for pie and lunch (in that order) at a former brothel in town. Returning in the afternoon for an Eggnog reception at Westminster Place.
Eggnog reception hosted by Aunt Ruth in honor of her son, the groom. The staff with the key to the liquor closet was not available, so there was no rum in the nog. Craig and his two sons were smartly dressed in their kilts as they formed a receiving line at the reception along with Allison the bride and her two grown children.
It was discovered that Craig actually had the treasure map. I proposed that after all of this eggnog, if I had a trowel, a tape measure and the map, we might just top the evening off by unearthing a small fortune! Any objections as to why not dig tonight? No objections being heard; the word quickly spread among the young and old - a prenuptial treasure hunt! Who's in?
I secured the map, Ruth pointed to the crawl space entry in the basement above the retaining wall. I was joined by Craig's two sons, Evan and Ben, Allison's nephew and her daughter (a young actress in New York). We brought in the treble light, ended up needing a carpet knife to cut through two layers of carpet, one layer of insulating cardboard sitting on top of plastic sheeting for good measure. Once we dug down to the
dry powdery dirt, I handed the trowel to Evan and Ben to move the dirt out of the way. With the resounding thud of a metal blade striking a plastic paint bucket lid, the cheer went up. "We found the treasure!" Soon the bucket and its contents of gold and silver coins was hoisted up and triumphantly carried into the kitchen where the contents where broken out of their glass jars, displayed and counted to the excited throng. Allison's daughter, told me, "This has got to be the best wedding ever! Who ever
heard a of real treasure hunt as part of a wedding! It's the best!"
With the family gold seeing daylight for the first time in 43 years; may Craig and Allison sleep soundly in wedded happiness, secure in their lives together and with no thought or need of fleeing their home with Great Grandfather Jonas' horde of gold.
The next night was the wedding party [Craig and Allison had already been married at the courthouse the past Tuesday] at the upstairs room at a downtown Spanish tapas restaurant. Drinks were had, a meal was served, numerous musician played in honor of the couple, "flower children" of all ages were encouraged to toss rose petals before the entrance to Craig and Allison. A few words were said, a passage from Lemony Snicket was read, and then the band leader introduced Mister and Misses. Let the rumpus begin! The DJ music started, Allison tossed away her shoes and the dancing began - except at the Suneson table (but I think in our hearts we were maybe swaying just a little bit).
But as the gala was winding down, me and my Mom (81) snuck onto the dance floor and boogied to Love Shack. A quick visit to the photo booth and then the night was done. We piled into a van that skimmed through street lamp illuminated puddles as the winter solstice rain pelted our windshield on our way back to our beds.
With my heliotrope luggage in tow very early the next morning, I flew back to Dallas uneventfully.
My visit was short,
My visit was sweet.
Cheers Craig and Allison! All the Best!
The sweetest of nights.
The short and the sweet.
Cousin Craig was getting married to the talented and musically gifted Allison. The celebration was set for the Winter Solstice and was to be hosted by Aunt Ruth. The up-coming mid-winter wedding was a topic of conversation while dining with Cousin Karl (now living in Dallas) and Aunt Lois and Uncle Bob visiting from Montana. I always have a great time when the extended family comes to town, so I purposed to get an invitation to Cousin Craig's wedding in Indiana as it would be a great gathering of all my Suneson aunts and uncles, a renewal of kindred ties that I did not want to miss.
Adding to the intrigue of the nuptial occasion was the topic of "The Family Gold" buried in the basement of Aunt Ruth's house. Aunt Lois told the story of how she and each of the other four Suneson kids received a treasure trove of coins from her father, who had received this treasure from his father Jonas before him. Now my Great Grandfather Jonas, an immigrant from 19th Century Europe horded gold and silver US coins for the eventuality of turbulent times. The intention was that the Suneson treasure was to be handed down to each generation so they could use their gold to flee to safer lands and preserve their lives and the bloodline if the need arose. The "Family Gold" was there - just in case. However, Aunt Ruth's house with the gold still buried in the basement was to be sold in the Spring and no one had yet recovered it to our knowledge. Lois said we should go get that gold!
With my mind racing with thoughts of a grand celebration, buried treasure and the lure of the mythological Scandinavian humor to be on display, I booked a flight to Indianapolis and confirmed passage on the Lafayette Shuttle. West Lafayette was my destination, two hours north of Indianapolis. There awaited adventure: wedding parties, music, dancing, feasting and perhaps a genuine treasure hunt! Plenty of activity to fill the shortest day of the year.
While waiting on the bench for the Lafayette Shuttle to arrive, a fellow traveler asked if I was waiting on the shuttle to West Lafayette? I said that I was and we struck up a conversation. We continue to talk of Indiana and Texas and other common locations as we rode north to West Lafayette. His speech and mannerisms were those of a girly-man as he described visiting "Hippy Hollow" (legendary nude and free spirit gathering spot outside of Austin, Texas).
At one point he asked if I was the one who was traveling with "that purple piece of luggage?" I replied, "It is actually 'heliotrope' - and yes I am."
"Well", he said, "you must be very secure in your in your masculinity."
"Indeed I am", was my answer. [I'm a wildcatter and a treasure hunter and I'm on my way to a big party with my heliotrope suitcase]
I got off at my stop at the end of the shuttle line and was greeted by my dad and Allison, Craig's bride, who drove me to the Westminster Senior Living Center, where Aunt Ruth now resides, and where I was to share a guest room with my parents. After dropping off my notorious heliotrope luggage, we walked across the complex to pay a visit to Aunt Ruth (The elder of the five Suneson siblings). We walked into Aunt Ruth's new room (she'd just moved) and found her to be looking perturbed. My mother asked if everything was OK? We were greeted with the explanation; "Deanna (youngest of the three sisters, and rooming with Ruth for the wedding) and I just had a BIG fight! She is trying to run my life, and I don't need her to do that!" Ah, family. So interesting to have everybody together - if not good. Just rub a little Scandinavian humor on it and we'll all be fine. Glad I came.
+Lois+Woodmansey,+Paul+Suneson,+Ruth+Nyquist,+Al+&+MaryLu+Suneson,+Deanna+Almeida.JPG) |
| Gathering of the Suneson on a Mid-Winter's night: (L-R) Aunt Lois, Uncle Paul, Aunt Ruth, Al & MaryLu Suneson, Aunt Deanna |
Rugose family relations not withstanding, the idea of digging up the family gold was floated to Aunt Ruth. She was all in favor it, and she though she had the map with the proverbial "X marks the spot" on it. We searched a few drawers, but found no map. Must be somewhere else.
The next feast in the agenda was at a Thai restaurant that Ruth had rented out that night to host both families and friends. Allison is the violinist in a quartet of musicians known as Simple and Deep who performed as we all dined. As I took my seat at the Suneson table, I asked Aunt Ruth, "What kind of food do you like?" "I like plain food" she told me. I thought to myself, I'll wager Thai cuisine is not considered 'plain food' in Indiana. Never-the-less, I enjoyed my curried shrimp and pad Thai noodles.
After diner, I was grouped with the my kin and we all head back for an early bedtime at the senior center when the conversation returned to the buried gold. "Aaaargh maties, maybe we could put together a party of pirate want-a-be's to go excavatin' in the morning when the tide is right I suggested. I called Craig's number and left a message with the plan. The answer: The tide is not right I am told, you see while we sensible Nordic types were in our bunks, the wedding party people were having high times into the wee hours at the house, and many were still sleeping well into the morning light. They should not be disturbed. There'll be no gold diggers at this wedding.
The day dawned and a few of us played tourist, and went to Delphi, IN, the terminus of the Erie Canal. We visited the museum and then broke for pie and lunch (in that order) at a former brothel in town. Returning in the afternoon for an Eggnog reception at Westminster Place.
 |
| Mom selects pie in Delphi |
 |
| Dad & Mark on the Erie Canal, Delphi, Indiana |
 |
| Allison (right) with good friend and her Mother |
Eggnog reception hosted by Aunt Ruth in honor of her son, the groom. The staff with the key to the liquor closet was not available, so there was no rum in the nog. Craig and his two sons were smartly dressed in their kilts as they formed a receiving line at the reception along with Allison the bride and her two grown children.
 |
| Aunt Ruth, Allison & Craig Eggnog Reception |
 |
| Allison, Craig and his youngest son, Ben |
It was discovered that Craig actually had the treasure map. I proposed that after all of this eggnog, if I had a trowel, a tape measure and the map, we might just top the evening off by unearthing a small fortune! Any objections as to why not dig tonight? No objections being heard; the word quickly spread among the young and old - a prenuptial treasure hunt! Who's in?
 |
| Uncle Wyman's Treasure Map "The Family Gold: X-Marks the spot!" |
I secured the map, Ruth pointed to the crawl space entry in the basement above the retaining wall. I was joined by Craig's two sons, Evan and Ben, Allison's nephew and her daughter (a young actress in New York). We brought in the treble light, ended up needing a carpet knife to cut through two layers of carpet, one layer of insulating cardboard sitting on top of plastic sheeting for good measure. Once we dug down to the
 |
| Ben comes in search of buried treasure |
 |
| Mark, Ben and Evan with the Treasure Chest (actually a plastic paint bucket) |
With the family gold seeing daylight for the first time in 43 years; may Craig and Allison sleep soundly in wedded happiness, secure in their lives together and with no thought or need of fleeing their home with Great Grandfather Jonas' horde of gold.
 |
| Aunt Ruth with the cache of coins |
The next night was the wedding party [Craig and Allison had already been married at the courthouse the past Tuesday] at the upstairs room at a downtown Spanish tapas restaurant. Drinks were had, a meal was served, numerous musician played in honor of the couple, "flower children" of all ages were encouraged to toss rose petals before the entrance to Craig and Allison. A few words were said, a passage from Lemony Snicket was read, and then the band leader introduced Mister and Misses. Let the rumpus begin! The DJ music started, Allison tossed away her shoes and the dancing began - except at the Suneson table (but I think in our hearts we were maybe swaying just a little bit).
 |
| "Flower Children" scatter rose petals |
But as the gala was winding down, me and my Mom (81) snuck onto the dance floor and boogied to Love Shack. A quick visit to the photo booth and then the night was done. We piled into a van that skimmed through street lamp illuminated puddles as the winter solstice rain pelted our windshield on our way back to our beds.
With my heliotrope luggage in tow very early the next morning, I flew back to Dallas uneventfully.
My visit was short,
My visit was sweet.
Cheers Craig and Allison! All the Best!
 |
| Craig & Allison |
 |
| Evan & Ben dance around their Dad, Craig as they tap upon his bald head |
 |
| While others revel - we sit at the Suneson table Until, the two on the left shut down the dance floor to the tune of "Love Shack" Boogie on down Mom! |
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