Talk About Apps

            Back in the late 1960s the Apps clan decided to hold a family reunion each year.  Last Saturday we held our 45^th consecutive gathering of the descendants of my Grandfather, George Apps who arrived in Wisconsin from England after the Civil War.

            It is always a grand and glorious affair, held at Bird Creek Park in Wautoma, WI with a tremendous potluck meal, lots of talking and catching up and a short planned program.

            When the noon meal was finished, the president of the group, now 91 years old called the group to order and we heard a reading of the minutes of the last reunion, and were brought up-to-date on the financial situation of the group.  This year the treasurer announced that we were in the black to the tune of $2.54.  Someone suggested we should file for nonprofit status, but rather than doing that we passed the hat with everyone throwing in a dollar or two and we are, at least for the coming year, in good financial standing.

            Then on to the program, which consisted of a variety of competitions.  Who traveled the farthest—this year someone from Washington, D. C. Who prepared the best casserole (we vote)—winner received a box of “Roadkill Hamburger Helper”, the best dessert, the best salad—close votes on all.  Then on to which woman had the shortest hair, which man had the longest hair, which person had the smallest foot size, which had the largest (size 13 won this year). Who had the oldest coin in their pocket—a 1965 nickle.  A prize was given to the Apps who had his or her picture in the Waushara Argus most often in the past year—Ruth clipped all the photos and makes a poster of them.  Some 35 Apps photos were in the local paper last year.

           

            The most prestigious award of all is the “Apps Knows” award.  The Apps men, not the women, are noted for their very prominent noses—they are, to be right up front,  uncommonly long.  Rather than calling the award the “Apps Nose” award, we hide what we are really doing with a word that sounds the same but has a considerably different meaning.  In fact, a person reading in the paper about the Apps Knows Award one time said to me that he’d never met an Apps who seemed to know much of anything.

            The award can only be won once and the winner receives a traveling trophy that he can display on his wall indicating the he has won the most prestigious award of all, the “Apps Knows Award.”

            A year from now we’ll do it all over again.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: You can tell who is an Apps, but you can’t tell them much.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Book Signing at The Clearing (Jens Jensen Center) from 4-6, Saturday June 22 (following my writing workshop on that day).  Public is invited.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

June 20, 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Rapids Public Library.  Limping Through Life.

June 22, 9-4. Writing Workshop.  The Clearing, Ellison Bay, WI.

June 22, 4-6.  Book Signing.  The Clearing Ellison Bay, WI.  The public is invited.

June 25, 8:30-10:00.  Bethel Lutheran Church, Madison.  Homeless Book Club. Limping Through  Life.

June 29-30, Chicago. McCormick Place. Presentation, American Library Association Convention.

July 2, Boscobel Library, 10:00 a.m.

July 13-20.  Writing Retreat, Rhinelander.

August 3-4. Kansas City, Kansas Public TV, Kansas City. A Farm Story.

August 6-7, Nebraska Public TV, Lincoln, Nebraska.  A Farm Story.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING “JERRY APPS: A FARM STORY” DVD

DVD Jerry Apps: A Farm Story List $16.95 The Patterson’s price only $15.00 ($20.00 shipped)
Special Bundle Offer exclusively by the Patterson:
Tamarack River Ghost & Jerry Apps: A Farm Story – List $43.90
The Patterson’s Price Only $35.00 ($43.00 shipped)

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division St. PO Box 305
Wild Rose, WI 54984

(All items are sold by the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library. They will accept checks or cash, they’re sorry but they don’t have any way to accept credit or debit cards, checks should be made out to the Friends of Patterson Memorial Library.