Dear Sara, my sweet dead Sister,
Lots to unpack this month, Sis, even while packing the red car for the 23rd Annual Subdued Stringband Jamboree. I’m going up on Wednesday and staying through Saturday, yes, sleeping in my car.
This is the first photo I’ve sent to you of the car I purchased with your generous, and very surprising, annuity given to all three shocked siblings. It’s a 2015 Kia Soul, red, with a moon roof, I named it “GO SARA,” and acquired vanity plates to seal the deal. I found a tent that hangs off the open back door, actually called a “tailgate tent;” but, most important, the hanging tent extends the back of the Kia long enough to stretch out, for like, sleeping?
Took the rig to Jamboree ‘18 and it worked out fine for sleeping … once you're inside!
In 2019, I set out on an epic road trip to Quebec with the GO SARA rig, on a quest to locate our French Grandmother’s baptism records! (Yes, the same quest you took with Mom and came up empty handed … more on that trip in another letter.)
One of my favorite pictures of your last Jamboree also shows the role a good camping chair plays attending the festival. For this year, I found the chair (pictured above) on sale at REI, called the “Camper Chair,” so now I will fit in. I remember sitting next to you in my uncomfortable camping chair and you were so strong to know that this was your last Jamboree. Looking again at your smile!
Of course, this is my very favorite photo of us together. It was sent to me following the news of your death from our friend Dick Ramsey. (Thank you, Dick.) The shot was captured at the 16th Annual Jamboree and we are saluting the man with the camera. We look to be wearing uniforms with narrow black sashes!
I missed the 19th Annual while on my epic road trip. And the 20th was Covid, which you know nothing about. And, I couldn’t feel the spirit of Jamborees ’21 and ‘22 … I was missing you, and our uniforms, I suppose.
But this year, I have a mission: to let our Jamboree friends know that I am writing you these letters, I imagine they are missing you too. I will share my experiences with you next month.
We miss you every day, dear Sara.
If you are new to this letter, follow this link for the background of our monthly Letters to Sara; and, if you enjoyed reading this letter, please share it with a friend. Thanks ~w.
Beautiful, as always. Thank you for sharing these. And I'll look forward to seeing you at the Jamboree!
Thanks, Rosemary -- see you soon ~w.