We started the day off with a quick flight from Baltimore to Providence. Unlike most of our recent flights this one was not full and it was on time. We hoped into a rental car and drove 30 minutes south to Jamestown an picturesque town situated on an island in between the mainland and Newport. In the summer it's lovely to cross the bridges and look out at the sailboats on the water. In a very cold January there weren't any sailboats to see, but the water was lovely. It was a better day to hurry inside to visit with family and friends.
The first party started at cousin Suzie's house. We visited with all number of cousins and exchanged presents. We gave Leo a copy of Anne Tyler's newest book "Noah's Compass."
January 7 is a bellwether birthday day. Not only is it Leo's birthday but it's Dan's AND Suzie's husband Duncan's. So there were lot of presents. Dan is unwrapping a picture of a rock from Narragansett that just happens to be shaped like a heart.
Then a home movie fest showing pictures of nearly everyone back in the day and today as well. A comparison of the photos and some of the current attendees indicated they were all from the same family! Olive often had the same expression Grandma Lulu had in the central photo. Dan's cousin Mobby Larson looks a lot like the picture to Lulu to the right. Several male cousins have the same distinctive hairline as Boppa on the left. There are many pictures of Leo and Olive when they were little. I think that pictures snappers were fixtures even then. These days they're digital, in the 1920s it was probably the Kodak "Brownie."
We got a start on the eating and then moved onto the real dinner at a resturant in Warwicd. The Brown's took over a resturant and more than 40 friends and family showed up for an Italian dinner. There were speeches, more pictures, toasts and lots of catching up.
Leonore Elizabeth Holmes Brown - I've been honored to know her and can only wish her many more years of happiness!
