Growing up, I remember my grandparents, aunts, and uncles telling tall tales and heavily embellished stories at family gatherings. There were quite a few characters in my family tree, so there was no telling what you would hear between passing the turkey and ladling gravy on your mashed potatoes
For some reason, my Aunt Barbara seemed to frequently have accidents and adventures. I believe she sliced the tip of a finger off while working at the Kroger deli and was once pulled over by a highway patrolman while wearing a nun costume while on the way to work on Halloween.
The most amusing story my aunt shared with us, however, is about the time my cousin, Kelley, decided to teach her mother how to ride a minibike. Things were going well until Aunt Barbara gave the minibike too much gas and shot off with her clinging for her life. Kelley and Uncle Jimmy chased after her and watched in horror as she hit a pothole and her head flew off, just before the minibike fell to its side with her body. When they reached my aunt’s body, they discovered that her head was still–thankfully–attached; it was her wig that had flown off. Unfortunately, she had broken her wrist, I believe.
