Microsoft OneDrive Reminds Us Of Aunt Alice's Affair With Santa Claus

Day after day, despite my best efforts to resist, the Christmas spirit draws me back in.

That totally Christmas image, which you see above, showed up via my daily Microsoft OneDrive Memories from this Day.

This particular memory was from several years ago. 

Aunt Alice, in the town of Tonasket, in Eastern Washington. got herself involved with the guy who, for years, had been the Tonasket Santa Claus.

Holding court on a throne in downtown Tonasket, passing out candy canes to kids waiting to sit on his lap and share their Christmas wishes.

Aunt Alice, recently free of Uncle Albert, soon found herself having a whimsical affair with the Tonasket Santa Claus.

For two Christmas seasons, Aunt Alice agreed to play the role of Mrs. Santa Claus, which we see her enjoying in the photo documentation.

Aunt Alice's relationship with Santa Claus came to an end when Santa wanted to formalize the relationship, but Aunt Alice was not yet ready for such, still trying to recover from her years with Uncle Albert...

This Morning Finding Aunt Alice Surfing With Abraham Lincoln

Yesterday, on Facebook, I enhanced a photo Aunt Alice had posted, which was a tad faded. Aunt Alice always appreciates it when I do this type thing.

This time Aunt Alice commented with...

"Thanks sweetheart. Miss pictures you used to make me into. Probably some on MySpace still."

Hard to remember back when MySpace was a thing. MySpace sort of deserved to die. Nowadays I find myself thinking the same fate should befall Facebook.

Anyway, way back when MySpace was a thing I had fun making photos of Aunt Alice and sticking them on her MySpace space.  

After Aunt Alice made mention of those long gone photos I found that they still exist on Microsoft's OneDrive. So, this morning Aunt Alice has been seeing photos she likely long forgot about, like the one above, or one where she is biking in the Seattle Fremont Naked Bike Ride Parade, or being a Cowgirl at the Omak Stampede, or being the only celebrator of Naked Gardening Day in Tonasket, or auditioning on America's Got Talent with Aunt Alice's Dolly Parton rendition.

There are dozens of these photos, I had long forgotten about them, as likely also has Aunt Alice. I only remember making a few of them. Like the one where Aunt Alice is surfing. Or on a date with Abraham Lincoln.

Aunt Alice was always to totally onboard and good-natured about the photos, not matter how outrageous. I like that sort of free-spirited spirit....

Merry Christmas & Happy New Decade From Tootsie Tonasket

This morning in my mailbox I found a Christmas card from one of my favorite Eastern Wsshingtonians.

Aunt Alice.

Also known as Tootsie Tonasket.

I first came to know Tootsie Tonasket back near the start of the current century when Tootsie emailed me a question after she saw my webpage about the Branch-Davidians and Mount Carmel.

Somehow Tootsie mis-understood and thought I was a survivor of that massacre and so she had some rather interesting questions to ask the answers to which I did not have.

Thus begun what is now almost two decades of emails, text messages, letters and phone calls.

I have seen Aunt Alice through getting on MySpace, and then Facebook, finding a long lost sister, getting rid of Uncle Albert, SWAT raids due suspected purloined deer, the shock of Cousin Wade being murdered by an Omak policeman.

And much much more.

Aunt Alice has now rid herself of the house she shared with Uncle Albert, and has now moved atop a mountain near Tonasket, where she is currently in the process of acquiring a she shed and possibly a snow plow due to already having way too much of the white stuff piling up.

I thought Aunt Alice would make a good roommate for mom, but that arrangement never came to fruition.

Getting this card and letter today from Aunt Alice has reminded me that I have some letter writing to do. Along with some happy birthday wishing.

Merry Christmas, Aunt Alice.

And I'm sure the new decade is gonna be your best ever...

Today Aunt Alice's Son Wade Rests In Peace

Last night I was surprised, on Facebook, to learn that Aunt Alice's son, Wade, had been taken to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, due to seizures causing his brain to bleed.

I assume Wade was flown to Seattle in an emergency air ambulance.

I was struck by all the people expressing their support for Aunt Alice. Her kindly nature really does bring out the best in an awful lot of people.

I learned a few minutes ago, also on Facebook, that Wade died this morning.

Aunt Alice tried to call me yesterday. It was an odd call. Suddenly Facebook notified me that Aunt Alice was calling me. How did Facebook know this? Then my phone lit up, telling me I had a call, but it was not the usual thing I see when I get a call. I couldn't figure out how to answer it.

My friend on the planet of the longest duration, Linda R, asked me a couple weeks ago if Aunt Alice was my mom or my dad's sister, because Linda did not remember me having an aunt named Alice.

Well, Aunt Alice is not really my aunt. I just call her that. And she refers to  me as her Sweet Nephew. Aunt Alice is also known as Tootsie Tonasket of the Okanogan Tribe. Alice used to be married to Uncle Albert, last name Hudson, which makes Wade's name Wade Hudson. Aunt Alice used to be Alice Hudson, tell she reverted  to Alice Odella, her pre-married name.

I have known Aunt Alice for a long time. But I have never met her in person. Or Wade. I think I have only been to Eastern Washington once since I came to know Aunt Alice.

Years ago Alice emailed me a question about the Branch-Davidians. She'd been to my webpage that documented my visit to the site of that tragedy and somehow thought I was associated with that cult. This began years of email exchanges.

I've seen Aunt Alice change drastically over the years, growing way more confident. MySpace and then Facebook connected Aunt Alice with the rest of the world in a way she did not have available to her prior to social media. Via Facebook Aunt Alice re-connected with her sister she'd been separated from since she was a little kid.

Aunt Alice is not rich in material goods, she has some health issues stemming from childhood meningitis. But, Aunt Alice is rich in heart and spirit. And she's a real good cook.

Wade was the same age as two of my nephews, Spencer Jack's uncle Joey and my nephew Jeremy's big brother, Christopher.

Soon after I met Aunt Alice she became a grandma. Wade had a baby with Veronica, a girl named Lavada. Lavada is now in high school. Time flies.

I assume Wade was getting good medical care. ObamaCare did not get compromised in Washington, like it did in Texas. No one should die from lack of decent medical care in the country which touts itself as the best in the world with the world's highest standard of living.

Sentiments which actually are not reality based....