Weekend in KY - Aunt Louise's 97th birthday etc

I didn't take as many photos as I thought I would, probably because the weather was bad during much of the driving (raining) and I was caught up and overwhelmed with all the talking and socializing with my many cousins.

Though we went through a little bit of West Virginia, most of the drive was across the expanses of corn fields in Ohio.  Wildflowers were thick along the highway.

Coming through Cincinnati ...

And crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky ...

 Then the weather turned very dark, and the rain came down in torrents as we made our way through Lexington and into Bardstown.  John did get this photo of part of a horse farm near Keeneland.

 We made it just in time for Aunt Louise's party.  Lots of people there, many of my 44 cousins whom I haven't seen in ages.

 Held at My Old Kentucky Home Country Club, the very same place where John and I had the reception after our wedding way back in 1973.  Same old place.  The food was wonderful Kentucky fare - salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, some kind of gratin casserole, prime rib and pork chops.

 This was our table, John, my cousin Shirley and her husband John, my cousin Mike and his wife Mary Ann.

 Harry Bill said that Jesus might have served 5000 with a few baskets of bread and fish, but he never knew what Kate Hudson could do in a kitchen!  I loved the way he made a point of honoring all the people who were serving us.

 This is what 97 years old and 100 years old looks like!  (Aunt Louis and her friend, Catherine Wycoff in the photo below).  Two Kentucky beauties.

 The next morning we celebrated the 25th anniversary of Harry's ordination.  Which meant going to Mass at the same church where I was baptized, made my First Communion, married, and from which we buried both of my parents and almost all of my other relatives.

 This is a better look at the altar.

I didn't think I recognized anyone, but a lovely woman came up to me after Mass and told me she was my kinfolk, that she was "Aunt Regina's" neice.  Aunt Regina was my mother's stepmother who died in 1963!  Another woman came up to me and asked me, "Do you know who I am?"  She gave me the hint that we had gone to school together for 12 years.  I guessed "Mary?" (Many of the girls in my class were named Mary something) ... But I was wrong :-(.  Her name was Donna S.  I was very charmed that she remembered me and took the initiative to greet me.

From there we went to the Keene cousins' house for another celebration.  This house is about 2 houses away from where I grew up.  Again, pure Kentucky fare - country ham on bisquits, and champagne drinks that crept up on you.

 Aunt Louise with one of her great grandchildren...

 Aunt Louise with cousin Julie and cousin Lucy behind her.

 My sister and I before our old home.  Looks like some trees have been taken down.

 My sister and I and cousin Mary Lou before our old house.

 From Bardstown, we took a little detour to Dayton (the University of Dayton, from which John graduated in 1972) on our drive back to PA.  This is John before the "Alberta Street House" where he lived when I met him in the summer of 1971.

 I remember climbing out this window to the little roof to smoke a cigarette during hot summer nights.

 Me before the dirty deli, a very popular spot in the neighborhood.

 Walking around the campus I became interested in the Marianist roots of this university.  I loved the stained glass in the chapel.

 We stayed in a hotel where we had a view of the Bell tower.

 Had dinner at a fine Thai restaurant...

 The bell tower was where we kissed on the first night that we met.  We kissed there again!