I was not born into the Elliott clan. I came to it by way of marriage. Having said that, after 43 years of marriage to Fred (in June), I believe I have earned a respectable place at the table. Hence, I offer this commentary to the Elliott Clan website.

I read with pleasure the thoughts Uncle Bruce wrote about his mother. It immediately brought to mind the relationship I had with Mom (Reet), my dear and wonderful mother-in-law. Like Gam, Mom was the life of the party. She always had an earthy joke to tell or an interesting story to share. She was incredibly well-read and would complete the daily crossword puzzle often before noon. Sometimes she and Fred would collaborate to solve the more difficult puzzles. It was great fun to watch.

We often visited Fred's parents, first making the trek by car with our three kids, Rebecca, Sarah, and David. The kids loved going to their house. Mom always had surprises for each child and so enjoyed their antics. She loved to take them shopping – many times to purchase shoes of each child's liking. This was always followed by lunch at a special restaurant. (To be honest, any place would have been special in her company.) During these excursions, Mom and I would chat and laugh and just enjoy the moment. When Fred and I started a family of our own, the kids referred to her as "Nam." This was a tribute to her mother-in-law ("Gam") and to her own mother ("Nana"). When our David was 10 or 11, he started calling mom, "Nambo," which she adored.

Mom was very fond of her mother-in-law and told me that she had learned so much from Gam. She greatly enjoyed their relationship and shared many stories about the early days when John, Fred, Bob and Marian were young. Gam helped guide her and offered reassurance when needed. They, too, spent quality time together, often laughing over silly circumstances or discussing life's trials and tribulations.

I felt the same way about Reet. Mom was my mentor; my muse. She was my best friend and confidante. We shared a love of the arts, a sense of humor and an appreciation for family values. I will always cherish the special relationship we had. She and Gam were cut from the same cloth. It is my hope that I can live up to their standards of grace and be the mother-in-law to my children's spouses that they immortalized. §

As a young boy, I was sometimes referred to as a hellion by my parents (as in: "Where is that little red-headed hellion?"). Now I see evidence in her diary that the trait was perhaps inherited to some extent. But, of course, I would never say my mother was a hellion. However, I do say that she was certainly fun-loving, as well as talented and intelligent, and enjoyed life greatly. I'm real glad that some of those qualities seem to have passed on to me. Mother (we never called her Mom, always Mother) was a natural musician. As her diary shows, she did a lot of singing in her younger years, as well as piano playing, sometimes with choral groups and sometimes a lot more informally.

I remember so well how she loved to play old-time tunes on the piano while people gathered around and joined her in singing. And I knew her to come home from a movie and promptly play by ear what she had heard there. For at least part of the 1934-38 period that we were at Edgewood Arsenal (an Army post in Maryland near Baltimore), Mother played the organ for church services at the post chapel and also led the church choir. Some of us were inducted into that choir, but I for one only moved my mouth, so as not to offend anyone or embarrass myself. She tried to teach her kids to play the piano but didn't have much luck. She also played the mandolin.

Whenever the four Tyler girls (Aunt Ruth, Mother, Aunt Ebbie and Aunt Millie in descending chronological order) got together in their adult years, they were invariably a riot. As a kid, I got a big kick out of watching their joy and fun at being together. It didn't happen enough, but at least it happened some.

In the diplomatic whirl of Rio de Janeiro, or socializing with the top brass of Washington DC, when Dad was stationed in either of those national capitals, Mother was always at ease because she was just herself no matter what. With those high mucky-mucks, she was the same person that she was with her family and friends or anyone else. Many of those higher-ups very much appreciated her straightforward friendliness, particularly as they encountered so much phoniness and fawning from others.

Her hands not only played the piano, organ and mandolin, and produced prodigious quantities of wonderful home cooking, but created other forms of beauty with her needle work – crochet and knitting – rug hooking, ceramics, and painting of New Hampshire scenes.

Mother loved New Hampshire dearly – she grew up there – and returned to it whenever she could, although Army life made that difficult. When Dad retired and they were living in Baltimore, she persuaded him to buy a summer cottage on Lake Winnipesaukee, at the secluded end of Moultonborough Neck. Later she persuaded him to abandon Maryland and, while retaining that wonderful cottage facing the Ossipee Mountains, move their home to the Granite State. There, in Laconia, she quietly spent her last days. §

I awoke this morning to a quiet house, all still slumbering from the night's previous revelry. Tidying up for the big celebration, I was struck with the beauty of our surroundings, and the beauty of this energetic and lovely Elliott Clan. How blessed we are! Now on to making blueberry pancakes. Yea!!!   “Suz”

I swam and swam and swam a while
     Until I came to Ellen's Isle.
I came to the shore that was strewn with stones
     And walked up the path of pine needles and cones.
Into Ellen's small hut I peered.
     Sarah and Becca were very a'feared.
The house was so cozy, quaint and sweet.
     We thought that to live there would be such a treat,
The swim back seemed like it took twice as long.
     Especially with that darn current, so strong.
We made it back, tired and triumphant,
     We three cousins and and one aunt.

I loved sitting on the BEESH and feeling the wind in my hair. I truly enjoyed hanging out with such cool people as the Elliotts. The BM was the most delicious meal I've ever had. I feel like my coolness factor has been renewed merely by being in the presence of these lovely (and cool) people. §