Friday, May 24, 2019

My Summer Kickoff by Pat Simmons


What’s on your to-do list this summer? 
For me, it’s attending family reunions—three of them! I’ve been invited to speak at an unrelated family reunion banquet in mid-July.  Since genealogy is my passion, you don’t have to guess about my topic.  Good or bad, our family history is important.
Unfortunately this year, we’re skipping my husband’s maternal family reunion to attend his dad’s side. Otherwise, I would have four reunions on my agenda! 
The Simmons kinfolks are gathering in New York for their biennial reunion. Kerry’s great-grandfather had eleven boys. Can you imagine all their descendants in one place?
Before the end of the summer, I’ll see my kinfolks from my father’s side—and there are a lot of them too.



One year the Sturdivants’ theme was hats for women and bow ties for the men. The little boys looked so handsome; last year, everyone was decked out in African garb. The theme for 2019 is the Roaring 20s. Our reunions are about family, love, and fun.
How often does your family hold reunions, when is the last time you attended, and does your family have themes?
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Pat Simmons has penned more than thirty-five titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth who is passionate about researching her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She is a three-time recipient of the Romance Slam Jam Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance. Pat describes the evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost as a life-altering experience. She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across the country.Pat has converted her sofa-strapped sports fanatical husband into an amateur travel agent, untrained bodyguard, GPS-guided chauffeur, and administrative assistant who is constantly on probation. They have a son and a daughter. Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net and receive a free download when you sign up to receive her monthly newsletter. 


Her latest releases is The Guilty Generation.  Seventeen-year-old Kami Jamieson is so over being daddy’s little girl. Now that she has captured the attention of Tango, the bad boy from her school, Kami’s love for her family and God have taken a backseat to her teen crush. Although the Jamiesons have instilled godly principles in Kami since she was young, they will stop at nothing, including prayer and fasting, to protect her from falling prey to society's peer pressure. Can Kami survive her teen rebellion, or will she be guilty of dividing the next generation? Download your copy today.  
















17 comments:

  1. Wow, Pat, it sounds like a great summer kickoff! I attend two or three family reunions a year, but our only "theme" is reconnecting. And...well...food! ;)

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  2. Your family reunions look like so much fun!

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    1. They are! Fun occasion vs. sad occasion. I'll take it.

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  3. The past few years, all of my girl cousins on my mother's side have been getting together in Niagara Falls (where most of them live). We get together with my husband's family on Labor Day weekend at Seneca Falls (the Finger Lakes), where his brother lives. My father's side of the family has been trying to have a reunion for the past two years, but everyone is so scattered, they can't come up with a place.

    As a New Yorker (upstate) curious if your reunion is in NYC or elsewhere.

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  4. Hi Pat,
    What a fun post! My family hasn't had a reunion in years, but you inspire me to try to organize one. Sounds like you're off to a busy summer. Enjoy!

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    1. Thanks, Josie. It's all about family love and fun.

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  5. My family doesn't have reunions. The last time all my sisters were together was 10 years ago for a wedding.

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  6. What a busy and fun summer you have planned. I don't remember the last time my family had a reunion. I'm not sure if we've ever had one. When we were young my mom's side of the family (her siblings and their families along with her parents) would get together about once a year.

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    1. Get it going again. Life is short. Enjoy family while you can.

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  7. Your family reunions sound like so much fun!

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    1. They are, and thanks for posting on my timeline. I've been out most of the day.

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  8. I'm thinking about planning a family reunion... but it looks like a lot of work. lol

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