On the post before the last one, I mentioned my Uncle Keith. You know, the one that said about putting your finger in your ear.( How many of you tried it?) I feel I should give you a little background on Uncle Keith because he is one of a kind. When we were little he was a very active part of our lives. He is my Mothers brother. He was always bringing his different girlfriends to our house and he always had time to play with my brothers and I. He used to let me drive his car when I was 10! My brothers and I loved him.
The place where we have our cabin is near where Uncle Keith lives. I cant explain his house, my brother says its the type of place you wipe your feet when you leave his house instead of when you enter. Its kinda like a big shed and he always has lots of dogs. I would never eat anything in Uncle Keiths house! Its just too grungy.
He is in his 70's now and he is divorced and lives alone. I would call him a mountain man.Sometimes he walks around his property in his underwear with his gun belt on. And his cowboy boots. Quite a sight. He talks real loud and goes from sentence to sentence, never really finishing one. His favorite attire these days are sweatpants, cowboy boots, and a t shirt. No matter where he goes! Thats dress, casual, whatever....we are just glad he doesnt have his gunbelt on.
He doesnt wear a seatbelt, he doesnt like them. He has been picked up for it, he just tells them he doesnt trust them. And believe me, as fast as he drives he should be wearing a seatbelt. He has a way about him though that everybody likes him. He just does things his way.
He used to be a hard drinkin Marine who was quite the ladies man. He was a great Uncle for a kid to have! He was definitely a better Uncle than he was a husband. He is still close to me and my brothers. When he comes to town he usually stops here to visit my Mother. I am always glad to see him.
We laugh at the stuff he used to do. If I had to describe him I would say he is very "colorful". He hasnt been in the best of health lately which makes me sad. He is like an icon in our family. He can be cussing like a drunken sailor one minute and be ready to give you the shirt of his back the next.
Anybody else have any Uncles or Aunts that are characters? They are the best kind because you will always remember them with a smile on your face.
22 comments:
My aunt, Dorothy (Dot), was quite a character. The “love of her life” was killed in World War II and she never married. However, her talents seemed limitless. She was a musician: piano, organ, accordion, and harmonica. She was an artist: sketches, cartoons, and oil paintings (I once posted some of her portraits on my blog). She was a sportswoman: championship softball pitcher, skier (water & snow), bowler, and hiker. Most of all she was a kid—as much of a kid as I was when I was a kid.
Hi I just come over from Gary's
I had a dear Aunt Rose Who went to the doctor and was told to give away cigarettes Mind you she was in her 80s so she went and bought a cigarette holder went back to see her doctor and showed him and told him is this far enough away as thats how its going to be. Oh how the Doctor laughed and said thats ok Rosie she live till she was 96years old
Your Uncle sounds wonderful. My mom is one of 10 kids *7 sisters* so I would say most of them are charachters in ther own way. However the famous one in our family is actually my great aunt (by marriage) sister. Even though I am not really related to her I claim her. Her name was Mayhayley Lancaster. Goggle her when you have time. She was a fortune teller and solved a big murder case down in GA. in the early 1900's. Her grave is listed in the shadowlands most haunted website
Does having an "Uncle Keith" for a brother count? My older brother is a lot like your Uncle Keith, except he hasn't taken to going around in his underwhere and gunbelt yet.
He's an old hippie, lives in a rundown shack/trailer out in the country (because he likes it that way), still has long hair and a long beard like he did in the 70s, and prefers to stay to himself as much as he can. He's a good guy, raised two sons on his own, always has a decent job and wouldn't hurt a soul. He doesn't "do life" the way most of us do, but we love him to pieces.
I have an eccentric aunt. Her name is Carol and she tries to be earthy and sort of lives like a bohemian. For years and years she has scrimped and saved money always buying the bare minimums, what she is saving for, I will never know. It is nothing for her to give you a gift from the dollar tree but its always something really neat that you would have never thought to buy in a million years. She has 2 kids and they have just finished high school and they went through life with the bare minimums, shopping at goodwill but she would find some bargains and they were always name brand. Her daughter wore some really expensive things but they were dirt cheap at the goodwill. My aunt also doesn't feel the need to shave her legs or armpits, especially during bathing suit weather. But we still love her. She is so much fun and she brings something different to the table when she is around.
I like to think I'll be remembered fondly that way too.
Your Uncle sounds a lot like my father. A mountain man like Grizzly Adams. My dad had a soft salt and pepper beard and very soft, and kind blue eyes. He loved to go hunting, and would have loved to live in a cabin up on a mountain in N. Ca. I think he felt out of place in the city. He didn't like wearing his seatbelt either. He didn't drive fast, but with the way people drive now, he'd be safer if he did too. He was a story teller and I loved to hear his stories, even if he told them 100 times, I loved how he laughed when he told them.
Uncle Keith sounds like a great man! All my relatives have passed. (actually that's not totally true, my brother never sees my kids, he is a drunk, and my sister is out of state, and we never see her either. I feel bad for my kids, they will never know any of this.
:(
Catch ~ Loved the "STAGES of LIFE" picture on the top of this post! FUNNY! ~ jb///
We had an Uncle Woody. He lived at the very top of a hill in Northern California, his closest neighbor was 40 miles away. We loved going to his house at Christmas, the snow would drift up to his kitchen window so he'd poke those little bottles of coke in the drift. The attic was lined with iron beds covered with feather mattresses from his own geese. No electricity, no running water... he was a hermit every month of the year except December.
He sounds like one hell of a guy. I can see you have a lot of good memories with him. I have some pretty great uncles and relatives but none so colorful. I love your stories. They are captivating.
Great post about your uncle. :)
I wish I had a uncle like that. I think my dad would have been like him.
Sounds like a great character.
I have an aunt a bit like that. Whenever you went round her house, it always needed cleaning, with a great pile of dishes in the sink (she has six kids - my cousins).
...but she would always be the first to suggest mushroom-hunting in the woods or going out in the fishing boat.
Who the hell needs dishes, anyway?
I don't I am afraid but my Hubby's Grandad was like that - He lived till he was 93 and was rather senile at the end - he still stayed on his own and drove himself round town (albeit into other peoples cars in the parking lot). He was a great man and he still built himself a cottage at the rip old age of 89 - Perfect (ok maybe just a wee bit skew). Thanks for sharing Uncle Keith with us - he sounds like he was just the perfect Uncle!!!! Take Care
Catch,
I can't think of anyone in my family as colorful as you uncle keith. What a great time you must have had with him around when you were a kid. Kinda makes an imaginary friend passe.
I knew some characters similar and one of them gave me my first job (well not counting when I was a paper boy) as a farm hand. Those are stories i'll keep to myself for now. ;-)
rel
Had a great uncle that all the cousins hated. He was just a terrible tease. The only man I knew who drank while he drove. Evert family had some character that everybody remembers. Glad you had yours.
yeah, i have relatives that are characters..
one of them is living with me.
(i've come here via the irishman and jeanette, but i've also seen your comments on Gary's site..
thought i'd pop in)
what great memories you have of your uncle! He does sound "colorful" and like he's an icon in the family - he'll be a legend with his stories being passed down from generation to generation!
Your uncle sounds like one cool guy catch!
Hey catch i won the joke comp!
My family is filled with charectors. Hopefully I will achieve the proper age and level of senility to become one myself.
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is extremely useful and essential for me!With the best regards!
David
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