But You Are Not Blood

But You Are Not Blood.

My aunt and uncle, Karen and Jim Williams, visit the parents of Karen annually in December for a weekend, usually between Christmas and the New Years. I am not sure when I first knew this, but I think that in 2003, when I was 18 years old, I asked my mom if she could ask her sister Karen if I could tag along.

I went with them twice I believe. I went like in 2003 and 2004 or something like that. Two different years. My aunt and uncle lived in Warrenton, Oregon USA. They drove a few hours to Forest Grove to pick me up. We drive a few hours to Roseburg.

My aunt Karen Williams is the sister of my mom. Their mom died when my mom was about 20 years old. We went to Roseburg to see my mom's dad, Richard "Dick" Erwin Morehead and his new wife "Skip" who kind of talked snobby and proudful about her ancestors or something like that. She kind of wispered that one of her relatives or ancestors may have a labourer, but she'd be ashamed of that. I made a joke, and was serious, at the dinner table, and said to Skip that she is not blood.

Me, Karen, & Jim went back into the car, & Jim was proud of what I said and he would tell others about it. It is something that Jim would say to until he died in August 2008. We were back in the car to see Jim's relatives, which I liked more than my own.



December 2003
18 years old
Roseburg, Oregon, United States
Joey Arnold, The Original Oatmeal

Woof, Tyler, Rick, Williams, at the Beach

Woof, Tyler, Rick, Williams, at the Beach.

This was our last family reunion of this exact chemistry and size. This was during the summer of the year 2002. Almost every year, our aunt and uncle, Karen and Jim "The Woof" Williams, would pick a lucky member or two or more of the Arnold family and take them off to their house in Warrenton, Oregon, United States, which is near the Pacific Ocean, the beach, Seaside, Astoria, Tillamook.

We have some of this recorded on my then camcorder. I let Tyler play with my frog. Tyler is the son of my cousin, Nathan Williams. My Aunt Karen Williams is the sister of my mom. My dad played basketball with my Uncle Jim "The Woof" Williams in high school in southern Oregon and at the Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon United States. Nathan and Alan Williams are the two only sons of Karen and Jim.


4th of July, 2002
Warrenton, Seaside, the beach, Oregon, United States
Joey Arnold

Family Trip to Warrenton

Family Trip to Warrenton.

My dad drove me and the rest of the family to Warrenton, Oregon USA, so we could see our aunt and uncle, Karen and Jim Williams, and their kids, Nathan and Allan. This may have been the year that my dad drove us the long way, through Tillamook, which took around four hours instead of an hour or two. My mom had to go to the bathroom. She could not hold it. We went to a lake with our relatives. We went to the beach. Later, dad drove me and our family to the Astoria Columns (a tower on top of a hill) in Astoria, Oregon USA. I got lost there when I was 10 years old or so. This was one of our last trips together as a family besides maybe the year 2004 or 2005 or so.

August 1996
11 years old
Warrenton, Oregon, United States
Joey Arnold, the Original Oatmeal

Uncle Jim Williams

Uncle Jim Williams


I started seeing Uncle Jim Williams and Aunt Karen Williams at our house and at their house and at other places from early on.