In early November, I got to meet my Father’s Brother’s oldest daughter….Cousin Denise! Denise lives in Florida and was ooming to Virginia to vacation about an hour from me. The best place to meet in the middle was my hometown of Occoquan. We settled in on Madigans by the water for our lunch spot. When I got there, Denise was already inside- in the bar looking for the Florida Gator’s Football game on the big screen and chatting up the bar tenders. Denise and I were immediately comfortable and chatty with each other. We shared all sorts of childhood stories and details. Turns out that we are in fact, very similar. She’s slightly older and she confessed she hoped she would remain in the family spot! I have no problem with that. I enjoyed seeing many of her traits in myself. She’s bubbly and draws you right into the conversation and she’s hilarious and witty.
Denise and I also follow fairly strict diets. I’m sugar/carb free which also knocks out gluten too. She’s gluten and dairy free. Both of us do this for health reasons and we find that we see great improvement in joint inflammation and stomach distress when we stick to proper meal planning. We enjoyed salads and seafood. My kind of gal!!! Denise tried the crab soup too. I didn’t it had a flour base but smelled delicious! We have so many things in common. It was fascinating to compare how two people who grew up so differently to be so similar. I guess that’s DNA for you. I hope to see her again soon!
Kelly's Journey 