The Farmer Family

Monty Farmer brought his wife Jessica and their son Chad to Old Town to celebrate their daughter Lisa's wedding to Luther Smith.  Shortly thereafter, Monty relocated his family to Old Town permanently.

Monty, who was blessed with good looks and a keen eye for detail, found work in the fashion industry, becoming a famous designer before moving on to become a Fashion Columnist.  He still keeps his hand in, watching television each day to see what works and what doesn't, and commenting on it at night while sketching his own ideas on what goes together.

Jessica, from whom Lisa inherited her talent and interest, had been an entertainer before her children were born.  Upon moving to Old Town, with her children fully grown and able to take care of themselves, she returned to the industry, this time as a musician.  She is now a Rock Star and extremely successful, despite her maturity, able to bridge the gap between the people of her generation and those of her children's generation.

Chad, after graduating from college, thought briefly about following his mother and his sister's path, but though he enjoys going to Studio Town for impromptu sessions, he decided the stress wasn't for him.  Instead, he developed his other skills and went into the Paranormal professions, rising to become an Exorcist.

While in college Chad had found a friend in Blake, who had shared his interests in the entertainment industry.  However, while Chad had given up on the idea, Blake had tried to make a go of it.  They reconnected in Studio Town.  Blake, who had been in foster care his entire life, was having a hard time.  Chad invited him home, and Monty and Jessica--despite Blake's having attained his majority--legally adopted him and gave him their family name.  Blake, with Chad's help, also went into the Paranormal professions and became an Exorcist as well.

It came as a surprise to everyone when Blake and Luther Smith came face to face...because they were actually twin brothers, who had been adopted separately and had lost touch with each other.

Chad met one of Blake's friends from Studio Town, and young woman named Sydney.  The two fell in love and married.  Sydney moved into the Farmer home and, deciding that she'd never be as successful as Jessica, went back to college and got a degree in business administration.  She started her own company and now makes nearly as much as a CEO as her husband does.  She and Chad have one son, Gregory.

Blake met a young woman named Lorna while on a trip Downtown.  After a couple of casual dates, things turned serious, and in a short while he asked her to marry him.  Lorna, who had also grown up in foster care, knows only that her father was a major player who carried on with multiple women, and that she probably has brother and sisters somewhere out in the world (actually, she has three younger half-brothers in town, even if she doens't know it--the Millers).  Though she initially thought to work as a Personal Tour Guide, she decided to work with her husband instead, becoming an Exorcist.  She and Blake have a daughter, Robyn.

Incidentally, Monty's sister--his much younger sister, owing to his father remarrying after his first wife died--also lives in town.  Given that she is only a year or two older than his own children, however, and that he was already out of the house when she was born, he barely knows her.  More on her later.

Frustration, thy name be Malware (and Adware and Spyware and Virus...)

For the past week I have been fighting a number of issues with my computer.  Like I reported a week ago, I spent a great deal of time trying to get rid of a computer virus.  Now, today, I'm doing it all over again.

I don't know what's happening or why these stupid things keep popping up on my computer.  I even have Internet Explorer windows popping up...and I'm not even running it!  I've been using Firefox ever since the virus problem last week, but IE has today started opening pop-ups on my screen.  I'm running a virus/adware/malware scan in the background right now, and it just picked something up, but it's really frustrating, you know?

I have to wonder...and it's about the only correlation that seems to match up...but all this happened when I signed up at TSR.  I don't want to blame the site or the downloads--especially since Firefox scanned each download for viruses--but maybe the worms and stuff are hiding in all the ads?

I suppose I could always subscribe just to get the ads to stop popping up.  Anything to avoid all these problems.

But what if it isn't the ads?  What if it's something else?

Hopefully I'll be getting a new computer soon, and a new worm and virus free computer with updated scanning software may be just what I need to prevent anything new from coming in.  After all, if the worms and viruses that hit my current computer did something to it, then the virus and malware scanners may be missing anything that comes in because the worms and viruses rewrote something, right?

Well, here's hoping it will clear up soon.

The Miller Family

Neither Lionel nor Jason left the Silver home, so the next son who left would be Harrison.  He moved into the Talbot home, so now I extend outward from the Talbot household via one of their member's ex-husband into the Miller household.

Donald, Toby, and Jefferson Miller moved into Old Town to get away from their domineering father and their repulsive step-mother:  though they all had the same father, they all had different mothers, and the woman who was their current step-mother had no blood connection to any of them, so they felt no reluctance in parting ways with them.  Old Town offered a good chance to start all over.  Despite their different mothers, the three half-brothers got along well with each other, so they decided to pool their funds, share a house, and stick together.

Donald, the oldest, has their father's bright red hair but his mother's personality.  He also shares her love of learning and her intellect.  Combined with his father's drive for success, he made it through high school and graduated two years ahead of the rest of his age group, and breezed through college.  Now he works as a Theorist--not a well-paying job, but the one best suited to his skills and abilities.  Despite that, he is friendly and outgoing, and has no problem setting aside his studies for socializing.  Of course, all of his friends are Theorists like him, so they always have new things to talk about.

Toby has his mother's looks and personality.  Other than his father's eyes, there's nothing of the old man in him.  Certainly, he didn't inherit his paranormal abilities from the unimaginitive, unromantic old man.  As an Exorcist, he brings in the second highest salary in the household, more than older brother.  Still, he envies Donald for his shorter work hours and that his brother can do most of his work sitting and reading and writing while he exhausts his internal and mental strength driving out rogue spirits.

Jefferson has deeply tanned skin and blond hair...go figure.  His exotic looks comes from his mother (skin color) and his maternal grandfather (hair).  His talents, his mother told him, come from his maternal grandmother.  Skilled in performance music and blessed with a terrific voice, from his father he draws showmanship and charisma, making him a popular Rock Star.  Although a solo act, he has collaborated with many of the other Rock Stars in Old Town.

Chester was a party-hearty Townie when the Millers met him Downtown.  The problem was that he was a party-hearty Townie who worked daytime in politics, and his wild lifestyle was takin a toll on his career.  The Millers took him home one night after he passed out drunk.  Despite his love of partying, he knew he had to do something and asked if he could move out of the Downtown area and in with them.  Friendly and supportive, they agreed, and Chester moved in.  With their assistance, he sobered up, quit drinking, and managed to rise to become a Judge.  However, he became fed up with dealing with other people's civil and criminal problems and decided to change careers.  He hasn't yet decided what he wants to do now, though he feels the business path might be the best.

Eric Jones, who went prematurely white, visited his brother in Old Town after he graduated from college.  Looking for a place to stay--his brother's house was completely full--he met the Millers, who had just moved into a new house and had room to spare.  He moved in and began practicing his craft--cooking.  After studying and experimenting--and alternately astounding the Millers with terrific food and scaring them with strange exotic dishes--he entered the culinary field full time.  It didn't take long for him to become a Celebrity Chef whose particular strong point was creating and recreating strange exotic dishes...which he continues to torture his family with, even if the food does taste good.

Aaron Generic arrived in town to visit his three half-sisters and thought to move in with them, but rather than be outnumbered by them in any family discussions--which he remembered had happened often enough--he met with and moved in with the Millers instead.  Strong and athletic, Aaron started off as a mascot but quickly made his way to the top of the team.  An injury sidelined him...permanently.  Still, with his knowledge and skill, he was able to get a job as a coach.  He'll never play in any sports professionally, but he is able to do enough to stay in shape and still get paid.

Hector and his son Randy moved to Old Town after his divorce from his wife, Misty.  The divorce, because he had admitted to preferring men to women, was to set her free.  While in the Downtown area he met Chester.  Chester, who shared his preferences, fell in love with Hector and vice-versa.  In short order Hector and Randy moved in with the rest of the Miller family.  Happy, Hector has begun looking at Xtreme professions with an eye towards becoming a Grand Prix Driver.

Randy has no problem with his father loving another man.  He's too busy adjusting to having six new uncles where before he only had two whom he rarely saw.  With all the different interests and professions in the household, however, he's been doing amazingly well in school in all subjects, even those he was weakest at--PE and Science.

A long entry, but it's a big family with far-reaching connections throughout Old Town.  How far? Well, wait and see.

The Venii Family

Warren Silver married into the Gold family and took their name.  Two of his sisters-in-law married two of the handsome Adonii brothers.  Two of his brothers-in-law married into the Venii family.

The Venii family consists of 6 sisters, four of whom are graduated out of high school and/or college, and two of whom are still students. In truth, their real name isn't Venii at all, but it is the name they adopted to hide themselves from their parents, who still live.  Mother got her daughters out of the house as quickly as possible, to spare them the torment and torture of living with their abusive father.  Under no circumstances are they allowed to contact her--Father has no idea where they are, and is still looking for them--so they have resigned themselves to treating their parents as if they were already dead.

Deliai, the oldest sister, has taken on the role of "mother" to her two youngest sisters.  Though she doesn't have the beauty so sought after by the modern fashionistas, she possesses a classic beauty which shines through even without make-up.  In fact, she focuses on emphasizing minimal cosmetics in her writing as a Fashion Columnist.  The hours are bad for her, because she hardly sees her two youngest sisters, but the money she brings in is just as important, and with her other sisters around, she feels that she's not totally abandoning them.  Still, it's hard for her.

Florai, sister number two, shares her older sister's burden as breadwinner.  Fortunately, she has the beauty to be immediately noticed as well as the talent to reach out to audiences everywhere.  As a Rock Star, her hours are even worse than Delia's, but the money's nice.  Although she and her sisters had some concerns about becoming famous and recognizable, their father would never bother looking at their professions--and rock music is definitely not his thing.

Hollyi, the third girl, went the academic route instead.  However, she has proven herself successful in attracting a male audience for her lectures as a Theorist.  And as her father had no love of learning, she feels safe in her profession, because there would be no way he'd ever bother looking at science journals to find his daughters.

Unlike her other sisters, fourth sister Meredith went the tomboy route and focused on athletics.  Her scores in academic subjects were never very high, but they sufficed to get her diploma, and her athleticism and physical capability helped her rise to the rank of Coach.  Her team hasn't won any championships yet, but most of Old Town thinks it's only a matter of time.  And because her father can't stand sports, Meredith has no fear he'll ever look in the sports section of a newspaper and find her.

The two youngest sisters, Susanna and Violetta, miss their mother terribly, but not their father--they were too scared of him.  With their sisters watching out for them, they've come to terms with their separation from their mother, but they hope for the day when they can someday go home to her again.  Still, with all the friends they've made in Old Town, they're able to distract themselves readily enough.

Although Delia and Flora never had any intention of marrying, they wavered when they met Emil and Raoul Gold, who were visiting their mother Jacqueline.  After two wild, whirlwind courtships, Delia married Emil and Flora married Raoul.  The two brothers joined the six sisters, providing two father figures to Susanna and Violetta--better than fathers, really, since both men sincerely wanted to be their friends and part of the family.

Emil, who had been cruising through life without really picking a direction, is still trying to decide what kind of job he wants.  In the meantime, he's happy to take care of the house while everyone else goes out to work.  Raoul, on the other hand, was interested in Delia's profession--he'd first become interested because his brother Henri was also a Fashion Columnist--and was working with her to get into the fashion industry himself.

With the two Gold brothers to help them out--them and the skilled lawyers their families could afford--the Venii sisters are less fearful of being discovered by their father.  Still, they don't want to risk their mother's well-being, so they haven't called home.

Yet.

The Adonii Family

Warren Silver married into the Gold family, and some of his in-laws married into other families in town.  Here is one of the two they married into, the Adonii family.

The Adonii family consists of 6 good looking young men.  Well, 4 good looking men and 2 cute boys.  They moved into town after their parents died, with the older 4 taking charge of the younger 2.  They found a very expensive rental, but with a lot of diligent job searching and hard work, they earned enough to buy it and renovate to suit their needs.

Devon, the oldest, was the most depressed by their parents' deaths, due in part to his greater than average empathy.  However, he set his own emotions aside to care for his siblings.  Upon settling in town, he was fortunate enough to quickly find a job in the paranormal field.  He's grateful that his job as an Exorcist pays so much--1000 Simoleons a day--because it enabled the family to better settle in, an important issue for his youngest brothers who were having the hardest time of it all.

Kenny, the second brother, capitalized on the good looks the entire family shared and went into the fashion industry.  After making a lot of good money as a model--despite the occasional nude shots--he finally got his clothes back on and rose up to become a  Fashion Columnist for a national magazine.  He makes more than Devon, but the hours are less friendly--in fact, he only sees his family briefly in the morning, assuming he gets up in time.

Alexis, brother number three, used his good looks to make a lot of connections as he worked his way out of the mailroom of one company and into the CEO seat of his own.  Something of a playboy, he has no problem wining and dining men as well as women; he hasn't committed any indescretions with either gender, though he's had any number of propositions from both.

Jackson, the fourth brother, is more bashful and reticent than his brothers, in part because--despite how good looking he himself is--his brothers always outshone him in school.  As a result, he opted to excel in his studies, especially in science.  Now he works as a Theorist.  Despite the lower pay, he's happy with his life, secretly gloating that his brothers have to work longer hours for relatively less pay (his roughly 218 Simoleons per hour to Devon's 200 or Alexis' 136).

The two youngest brothers, Thomas and Chip, are both still at school.  Thomas' personality screams "average" but he's at least playful and outgoing, if not excessively so.  Chip, being the youngest, was also the most spoiled (as well as the most bulled), but because he was also so protected by his brothers, he got over his parents' death faster than Thomas did.  It shows in how many more friends Chip has been able to make than his older brother.

When they dropped in to visit their mother, Jacqueline, Lucille and Marie Gold happened to see the Adonii brothers while they were shopping downtown.  Immediately smitten, the two sisters went out of their way to meet the brothers and started flirting.  Alexis ignored them, Jackson was too shy, and Thomas and Chip could have cared less.  Devon and Kenny, however, were definiely interested.  In short order Devon married Lucille, the older sister, and Kenny married Marie.

Lucille, who had been a nurse, now wanted to do more and began pursuing her education to become a doctor.  Soon enough she became a medical researcher, and her quick smarts and deductive reasoning skills saved many a patient.  Marie, who had been studying modeling, took some time off to establish her credentials in town.  Though still unrepresented and unemployed, she intends to--with Kenny's contacts' help--take the fashion world by storm, rising to the top until she can become the be-all-end-all of fashion in the nation, if not the world.

A word on their name:  the Adonii came about because I wanted to make a family consisting of nothing but good-looking males, all related.  I named them Adonii to connect them to "Adonis."  Adonii sounds a little more exotic than Adonises, and a lot less presumptuous, don't you think?

Don't worry, I gave women fair treatment through the other family the Golds married into.  You'll meet them later.

The Smith Family

With the oldest Silver boys done, now it's time for the stories of the last two.

When pacifist Michael Silver flat-out refused to enlist in the military, his father Grant disowned him and kicked him out.  Fortunately, through scholarships, financial aid, and part-time work, Michael was able to get through university.  While there, he roomed with a young man named Luther who had left his uncaring foster parents and was also at university on scholarship.  Together the two young men worked their ways through four years to their diplomas.  While at the university, Michael met a young woman named Natalie Rutherford, who was studying business administration and taking culinary classes--her dream was to own a chain of fine-dining restaurants across the country, if not around the world.

After graduation, Michael and Luther went their separate ways, but Michael also started dating Natalie.  Eventually he worked up the courage to follow Natalie home to Old Town and propose to her.  When she accepted, he moved in temporarily with her family.  The two moved out later when they had enough to put a downpayment on their own home.  Michael also changed his name from Silver to Smith.  Now he put his developing psychic abilities to good use and began working in the Paranormal field.  Natalie, in the meantime, began working on her own dream.  In short order, he had risen to become an Exorcist while she had not only attained her dream of owning a chain of restaurants but had also gone on to become a Celebrity Chef.

Around this time Luther reentered their lives.  He dropped into town on assignment for the newspaper he was working at--despite his science background, journalism had been the only field available--and the hours were taking their toll.  Michael invited Luther to move in and stay with them until he could get his life back into order.  Grateful for the opportunity, Luther quit his job and in a few weeks an opening at the nearby community college enabled him to reembrace his dreams of a laboratory job.  His old skills came back to him and he quickly rose to become a Theorist.

Michael, Natalie, and Luther often went out together on Natalie's rare nights off.  On one such occassion, Luther ran into--literally, since he was running to the restroom--a young woman named Lisa Farmer.  After apologizing profusely to her, he promptly asked her out.  She accepted, and in short order she became Mrs. Luther Smith, moving in to the Smith household.

Lisa had dreams of becoming a big Rock Star and with Luther's support (and Michael's financial backing) began pursuing a career in the music industry.  With a natural talent for performance, she quickly rose to become a Rock Star.  She even entertained dreams of going to Studio Town to be discovered, but being unable to control herself around celebrities, she gave it up.  Too soon she and Natalie realized that their late hours were taking tolls on their relationships with their husbands, and--both being a little tired of being out all night--decided to quit their evening jobs to look for something in the daylight hours.  Lisa, whose other interest was science, decided to work with her husband in the lab and through hard, diligent work became a Theorist herself.  Natalie, who had discovered she now possessed a sort of sixth sense--possibly due to her relationship with Michael--decided to study and develop it, and soon became an Exorcist like her husband.

With their relationships back on track, and intimacy soon following, it wasn't long before Natalie presented Michael with a son, Kevin.  Not long after Lisa presented Luther with a daughter, Gwendolyn.  The two children have been raised as brother and sister and, despite knowing the truth, regard each other as such.

It was shortly after Kevin and Gwendolyn began middle school that Michael's younger brother, Casper, resigned from the military for being in a relationship with a man and was subsequently disowned and kicked out by their father, Grant.  Michael invited Casper to move in.  He was a little reluctant to let Casper's boyfriend Ned Talbot also move in, but when he saw how much the two loved each other, he readily welcomed him into the family.

After a few weeks of doing nothing all day--to deal with the turmoil surrounding recent events--Casper and Ned decided the time had come to stop being freeloaders and start contributing to the household.  Using some of Lisa's old contacts, the two soon worked their way to the top of the music industry.  Now they are the Rock Star duo known as Casned.

Though Grant Silver initially moved his family into Old Town intending to revenge himself on his three sons who dared find happiness outside of the family legacy, he found he couldn't:  Warren was a Police Chief and was too well connected thanks to the Jacqueline Gold and the businesses she represented.  Casper, as a famous rock star, was too public a figure and beyond his reach.  And Michael...well, Michael scared him, despite his pacifist nature: Grant didn't understand paranormal powers, and what he didn't understand he either ignored or feared.  So all three disowned Silver sons were now beyond his reach.

After Grant left the Silver family, Gertrude made overtures to her outcast sons, and though they aren't necessarily friendly, they are at least reconciled now.  Neither Michael or Casper, however, have any intention of ever talking to their father again, however.

Hmm...maybe that's too much drama?  Nah!

The Talbot Family

I started with the Silver family, branched off to the Verde family (since Gertrude's new husband comes from there), and then did the Gold family (because oldest son Warren married into it).  Since Lionel and Jason--the second and third sons--still live with Gertrude, I'll talk about fourth son Harrison, who moved out recently.

Harrison Silver had been in a relationship with his older brother Lionel.  However, when he found out that Lionel was not only cheating on him with a woman but actually intended to marry her and move her into the Silver household (Grant had already moved in with his mistress/new wife), the betrayal was too much.  He took a walk around town to cool off.

During his solitary trek he met a newcomer to town, Stanford Talbot.  He had just moved because his younger brother had told him how friendly and accepting the town was.  Harrison and Stanford talked for a bit, really hitting it off.  Harrison, though he was still angry with his brother, went home to think things through.

When Lionel's new wife, Michelle, moved in, Harrison accepted her...after all, it wasn't her fault his brother was a fickle fool, right?  Besides, now that he had made a new friend--and a friend, besides, who seemed interested in developing it further--he could handle the situation.  Eventually, Stanford invited Harrison to move in with him, and Harrison left the Silver household, taking the name of Talbot for his own.

Harrison remained a Theorist, and his limited income was vital in supporting the two of them because Stanford was working to establish himself in the Paranormal field.  Even after he rose to become an Exorcist, the two had to practice careful budgeting--1870 Simoleons a day don't go very far.  Around this time, Harrison learned that Stanford's younger brother was Ned Smith, and that he was actually the boyfriend of Harrison's own youngest brother Casper, who had been asked to leave the military.

Crystal Talbot, one of Stanford's sisters, moved into town with her son Calvin.  Recently widowed, she was struggling to make ends meet.  Determined to make it on her own, though, she fought hard and became a Fashion Columnist, all on her own merits.  Realizing that Calvin needed a father figure, however, she accepted Stanford's invitation to move in with him and Harrison.  Although reluctant, Crystal decided it was for the best:  Stanford and Harrison could take care of Calvin while she worked evenings, and Harrison was a much better cook than she was anyway.

On the way to work one day, she met Nicholas, a traveler who had stopped over for a little while.  They hit it off, and Nicholas decided to settle in town.  Originally from circus stock, he reconnected with his heritage and found work at the nearby permanent circus grounds.  When their schedules permitted, he and Crystal dated.  Eventually they married and Nicholas moved into the Talbot home.  Shortly after rising to become a Lion Tamer, he and Crystal had a son, Cody.

Although Calvin liked having three fathers, it felt a little weird to have only one mother.  However, shortly before Cody's appearance, Stanford's other younger sister Misty came looking for a place to stay.  Recently divorced from her husband (whom she learned preferred men to women) she had custody of one of their sons, Mickey.  They moved in, and now Calvin had two mothers, three fathers, and counting Mickey and Cody, two brothers as well.

Misty, freed from the burden of raising a child by herself, was able to go back to school and earn a business administration degree.  Now as the CEO of her own company, she contributes to the family income, boosting it considerably.  Now, instead of just Stanford and Harrison's paltry 1870 Simoleons a day, their income was 4645 Simoleons a day.  Now they could afford to really expand their home and enjoy the "wants" instead of just meeting the "needs."

Incidentally, Crystal's husband's death and Misty's ex-husband will be returned to in other families...just to let you know.

What to do...

I have to remember to "Enable comments" each time I post a blog.  I keep forgetting.

Okay, so I did get one comment, and I appreciate it.  It's a good one, suggesting that instead of posting stories about my families here in the blog I should do it elsewhere.  I'd need to take screenshots and all, but...

The problem with that, though, is that it looks like all the stories already posted are for Sims 2 and Sims 3.  Would anyone want the admittedly inferior screenshots from Sims 1 attached to a story there?  Not that I'm even sure I can post a Sims 1 story there anyway.  I mean, I'd be willing to try, I guess, but in the meantime, I think I'll stick to the blogs for now.

I guess...

The Gold Family

Gertrude Silver has six sons...her firstborn, Warren, was disowned after he left the military.  So here's the story of his new family.  It's tied to both the Silver and the Verde families.  Jacques Verde arrived in town after his sister told him about it.  She's the matriarch of the Gold family, Jacqueline.

Jacqueline Gold is Jacques Verde's younger twin sister.  She married a wealthy business man and gave him six children:  Giselle, Emil, Raoul, Lucille, Marie, and Henri.  When her husband died, he left behind millions, but because it was all tied up with his various companies, Jacqueline couldn't touch any of it.  As a result, she was basically penniless.  She had enough set aside to enable her to move, and with a satisfactory--if not comfortable--allowance from the companies, she was able to establish herself in a new town:  Old Town.

Since she, like her brother, possessed certain psychic abilities, she worked on developing them and was soon able to secure a position as an Exorcist.  With the sizeable steady income and the home renovations that it enabled, she was able to honestly tell her brother that Old Town was a good place to live, resulting in her brother following her soon thereafter.

Giselle and Henri, who stayed with their mother after their father's death, moved to Old Town with her.  There Giselle ran into Warren Silver, who had only recently left the military for a civilian lifestyle away from his father's domineering ways.  Literally ran into, since she crashed into him on her bicycle.  After a brief courtship, Warren married her and moved in with her family, taking her name to further differentiate himself from his family.

Giselle, who was a talented actress and singer, went into the entertainment business, waiting tables until her dreams came true:  she became a Broadway Star in short order.  The hours are long, but the pay is worth it.  Warren, despite his determination not to don another uniform, found himself enrolling at the police academy.  Through hard work and with his wife's support, he became Chief of Police.  Together they have one daughter, Elaine.

Henri, whether for lack of interest or effort, found no reason to leave and lives with his mother, his sister, and her family.  His hours are somewhat at odds with the rest of the household, so he hardly sees them--he works as a Fashion Columnist and barely has an hour to see his mother and niece in the afternoon when they return from work and school, and hardly ever wakes early enough to see them before the leave in the morning.  Neither Warren nor Giselle, nor even Jacqueline, knows whether Henri has any interest in women or men except to just be friends.  But since his pay is more than Jacqueline's, she has no problem with him staying by her side.  He is, after all, her baby boy.

All of Jacqueline's other children also live in town, but they have married into other families; both boys married into the same family, and both girls did likewise.  Emil and Raoul married the two oldest sisters of the Venii family, while Lucille and Marie married the oldest brothers of the Adonii family.  None of them have children (and won't, since there's no space in those households), so Elaine Gold's only cousins are in the Silver and Verde families.

The Golds also have two cats, strays that they adopted.  Spork and Fluffly are reasonably happy in their new homes.  I'm waiting to see if they'll have a kitten or not; if they don't, then maybe I'll give Henri a significant other--male or female remains to be seen.

The Verde Family

Allthough Jean-Claude is the newest member of the Silver family, he is now married to the matriarch, Gertrude, so I'll talk about his family now.

The Verde family moved into town, led by their patriarch, Jacques Verde.  They came because Jacques' younger twin sister told him it was a lovely spot with friendly, tolerant people.  So, Jacques packed up his family and moved them from wherever they were (Canada or France, I'm thinking, or maybe New Orleans).  Still, the move was hard because it basically wiped out their available funds--moving six people into an unbuilt, unfurnished house isn't cheap, after all.  Despite that, they settled in and, after taking a few odd jobs just to get buy, finally settled into their chosen professions.

Jacques, who always possessed a touch of psychic ability, settled into the paranormal profession and soon rose up to the Exorcist level.  His wife, Adele, chose politics instead and is now a Senator.  She also happens to be friends with Gertrude Silver, and while she has some misgivings about her youngest son marrying a woman old enough to be his mother, she trusts Gertrude and has faith in her son's judgment.

Eldest son Francois, after a bit of floundering, settled down to business and excelled at it.  Now he's a CEO.  His wife, Antoinette, prefers working as little as possible, so she eventually settled into the science profession, and now as a Theorist only has to work 4 hours a day away from home.  They have one daughter, Cecile.  Second son Pierre, also after a bit of floundering, went into music and now works the hardest of the entire family, from 5 in the afternoon to 2 in the morning, as a Rock Star.  Fortunately, his wife Adrienne works similar hours (5 to 12) as a Fashion Columnist, so they at least leave for work together and can spend the day together free from the rest of the family, including their daughter Sabine.  Basically they see Sabine for maybe an hour in the afternoon when she comes home from school and before they leave for work.  If they're rested enough to wake up in the morning, they might get to see Sabine at breakfast.  Basically, the rest of the family raise Sabine.  Given that Pierre and Adrienne make the most, though, no one's complaining.

The Verdes, like the Silvers, are one of the larger families in Old Town in that they have a large number of blood relations spread throughout the neighborhood.  The Silvers seem to be the largest, but if you combine the Verdes with Jacques' sister--who happens to be connected with the Silvers through her daughter's marriage--the Verdes become the largest.  Of course, with Jacques' sister's granddaughter also being a Silver granddaughter, perhaps the three families are one?  That granddaughter, at least, has the largest number of blood connections to three different families.

Confusing?  You have no idea!