Family Reunion Photos

Its starts after the meeting and lasts until nobody
is speaking to each other, and the last item for bid
is finally sold. Everyone brings something. Whether
its crafts, toys, antiques, jam, clothes, or whatever.
They set the stuff out and the folks walk by so
everyone can take a gander at what's fixing to be
sold or fought over.

Then the bidding begins and the fun just doesn't end.
It starts with the kids and the toys. There starts an
argument between the boys. A football is the prize and
the bid is up to 5 dollars. The parents are saying
don't go no higher but those precious little hands
just raise the bid even higher. It finally gets sold
for 25 and a daddy is shelling out the dough. Now the
real fun begins because its time for the "adults" to
begin the bidding.  But when it all starts they turn
into much worse than the kids. You only think that I'm
kidding.

The bidding starts off slow with some T-shirts and
such but now its time for the action. The crafts are
up next and so are the fights and the high dollar
spending. A hand painted sign painted by our own Aunt
Dean is the item up for bid. A lady hollers 20 dollars
to start it off and then there's another bid of 25.
"30!" "35!" "50!"

"How dare you?! You know I wanted that!"
Then the other says, "Oh hush. I've got the money
honey and now I'm saying 65!"
"No you're not. I've got what it takes babe and I'm
bidding 85!" Well it goes on from there with some
pulling of hair, stomping of feet, and what have you.
But in the back there was a sweet mild unnoticed young
lady that just sat and watched all the action. With a
slight raise of the hand, and a loud enough yell of
$95, the auctioneer, Uncle Wilburn, hollered "SOLD!"
Then there was dead silence until one of the boxers
cried out, "Who got that?!"
The young lady nicely says, "I did." And then came
the retort form the other.

"Well you were lucky dear but now I'm not speaking to
you for the rest of the year." Well that was right
funny, because as it turns out she didn't and everyone
laughed, but for only the second because the next item
was up for bid, some homemade jam. There were only 10
jars and they sold at 7 dollars apiece. One fine lady
got one heck of a deal. She exclaimed proudly that she
was getting 2 for 14!

Yup the annual family auction is quiet a sight. It
can turn cousins into enemies quicker than you or me
can blink. It can turn husbands and wives flat broke.
People stop talking and all conversation is lost. But
when morning comes all is forgotten as everyone laughs
about the last night's events as they hug and say
their good-byes. But deep down inside lurks Mr. or Mrs.
Hyde, knowing that there is always and will always be
next year.

Written by: Amanda Kirkland while in recovery after
the 1999 Annual Kirkland Reunion and Family Auction