More than a decade ago, during an extended-family vacation to Florida, we stopped at an orange grove on the way to the ocean. Rather than gathering around an orange tree for a photo opp like my Michigan Grandma wanted, we cousins were running every which way. In an effort to round us up, she kept repeating, “Pick an orange, children! Pick an orange!” It was chaotic at the time, and honestly not very funny at all. But once parts of the family had moved to places like California and Florida, where orange groves aren’t exactly exotic, the “Pick an orange” situation grew comical and became a family joke.
So, here’s Uncle Chet in Grandma’s yard in Michigan, saying, “Pick an apple, Aveline! Pick an apple! No oranges here. Just apples.” I was laughing so hard.
Here’s to carrying on legendary family jokes to the next generation.
The Oaxacaborn Blog 
…and I think I already know what the motto will be if we visit Georgia anytime soon!
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(should I add an explanation here?) Pick a pecan, children…pick a peach, children! :):)
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My husband and I repeat family jokes that are now in their third generation. Some of them don’t even really make sense, and he never even met the people from whom they were started. My dad’s grandma loved history and always wanted to stop at the historical markers on the side of the road, so every.single.time they drove past one she’d say, “Frank, Frank, a historical marker!” And every.single.time he drove right on by without a word (back in the days when, you know, husbands didn’t actually listen to their wives–that would not work in OUR car :)). Still, she kept saying it and it became a joke with my dad’s parents and my dad. The whole time I was growing up my mom (and then us kids) would say, “Frank, Frank, a historical marker!” every time we passed one, and now I say it to my husband… and if I miss it and he sees it, he’ll say it! :) Now that I’m having a baby in October, I know that we’ll pass it down to her, too. And that’s just one example of many different multi-generational family jokes–I love it! So glad that you’re passing down “pick an orange, children!” :)
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Cameron, this is hilarious! I laughed out loud. Thanks for sharing.
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I must have missed that one(joke). I do remember her telling us to pick an orange so she could get a picture of each of us doing it.
Looking at the photos (Grandpa, Uncle and Aveline) looks like Uncle Chet also taught her to pick a pocket. :) So Cute !!
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