Family Matriarch Vera Autrey in New Chair
Vera, Jan, Ken
Jane Clare Bosher's First Thanksgiving
Nephew J.L. Reppert, Matthew, Jane Clare, Tess
Rounding out a month of heavy travel, lots of road miles, we're in Alexandria, VA with Tess, Matthew, and Jane Clare for Thanksgiving weekend. Last weekend, we drove to Auburn, AL for a visit with Mom, sister Jan, and bro-in-law Joe.
Because of travel on Thursday, we elected to have Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, and the bonus was that nephew J.L. Reppert was able to join us. We collaborated on the meal, with Tess doing the bulk of the cooking. While Tess was cooking turkey and pies, Janne and I took Jane Clare down to Old Town Alexandria, where we located The Torpedo Factory, a three-floor collection of artist's studios and showrooms: pottery, fabrics, painting, prints, glassware. Richie Arenberg had taken us there when we visited him here in the 1970's, and it remains much as I remember it, perhaps somewhat expanded. Our dinner was at 4:30 p.m.
This afternoon we'll take advantage of the beautiful weather to drive down to the Washington Mall and visit the National Gallery of Art. Tonight Janne and I will take Jane Clare to dinner at cousin Sheila Harrison's. She lives only 10 minutes away. We'll leave for home early tomorrow, hoping to avoid the post-holiday I-95 traffic that will surely be oppressive later in the day.
This year's holiday photo collage, to be accompanied in the mail by Janne's annual list of extended family members, their locations, and occupations.
Here's Akane Igarashi, our "adopted" Japanese daughter from Sapporo, Japan. She enrolled at Francis Marion University, where I was introduced to her by exchange students from Russia and Ukraine. Akane subsequently transferred to the University of South Carolina, where she is majoring in journalism and minoring in photography. Her parents have visited us twice before and will return for Christmas--followed up by a trip to Orlando and then New York. Akane will graduate in May.
