Indianapolis, Indiana
It was a short drive from Columbus and we arrived in time for happy hour and a nice dinner with my cousin Pat, her husband John, and my aunt, Ginny. It’s been four years since I saw them when we drove cross country for our move to San Diego. Pat is my only cousin and the daughter of my father’s brother, George.
Ginny, George and Pat lived in Hagerstown, MD when I was growing up about ten miles away in Greencastle, PA. We didn’t spend a lot of time together but in the last few years we’ve gotten to know each other better through email messages. We spent a lot of time this visit reminiscing about what we remember (or have forgotten) about family members, and trying to piece together bits and pieces about our ancestry. Aunt Ginny turned 90 this past February and contributed some information about what she remembers about those years. Pat & John’s daughter Margaret, lives next door with her husband, Andy, and son and younger daughter. Their older daughter, Katie, and husband have a two-month-old daughter, Megan, who they brought over for me to hold and ooh and aah over. What a little cutie she is. So now there are five generations of women in that family - Ginny, Pat, Margaret, Katie and Megan. Pat & John’s son, Darren, (who owns Polaris Grill) lives with his family in Columbus.
The next day, we went on a nice tour of downtown Indianapolis and spent the afternoon touring the Indiana State (19th state in the Union) Museum, including a delicious lunch at the tea room which is an elegant recreation of the old L. S. Ayres department store tea room that operated from 1905 to 1990. I had to try their specialty, the Chicken Velvet Soup which was fantastic. The museum has exhibits depicting the Ice Age to the 21st century - from the days of the mastodon to the days of the Indianapolis Colts. The exterior is made of rough cut native Indiana limestone. Next to the canal, eight brass whistles on a steam clock mark each quarter hour with a selection from "Back Home Again in Indiana." We enjoyed learning about the history of Indiana, it’s part in the space race and some very interesting art exhibits.
It was a short drive from Columbus and we arrived in time for happy hour and a nice dinner with my cousin Pat, her husband John, and my aunt, Ginny. It’s been four years since I saw them when we drove cross country for our move to San Diego. Pat is my only cousin and the daughter of my father’s brother, George.
Ginny, George and Pat lived in Hagerstown, MD when I was growing up about ten miles away in Greencastle, PA. We didn’t spend a lot of time together but in the last few years we’ve gotten to know each other better through email messages. We spent a lot of time this visit reminiscing about what we remember (or have forgotten) about family members, and trying to piece together bits and pieces about our ancestry. Aunt Ginny turned 90 this past February and contributed some information about what she remembers about those years. Pat & John’s daughter Margaret, lives next door with her husband, Andy, and son and younger daughter. Their older daughter, Katie, and husband have a two-month-old daughter, Megan, who they brought over for me to hold and ooh and aah over. What a little cutie she is. So now there are five generations of women in that family - Ginny, Pat, Margaret, Katie and Megan. Pat & John’s son, Darren, (who owns Polaris Grill) lives with his family in Columbus.
The next day, we went on a nice tour of downtown Indianapolis and spent the afternoon touring the Indiana State (19th state in the Union) Museum, including a delicious lunch at the tea room which is an elegant recreation of the old L. S. Ayres department store tea room that operated from 1905 to 1990. I had to try their specialty, the Chicken Velvet Soup which was fantastic. The museum has exhibits depicting the Ice Age to the 21st century - from the days of the mastodon to the days of the Indianapolis Colts. The exterior is made of rough cut native Indiana limestone. Next to the canal, eight brass whistles on a steam clock mark each quarter hour with a selection from "Back Home Again in Indiana." We enjoyed learning about the history of Indiana, it’s part in the space race and some very interesting art exhibits.
Pat is a very good cook and had planned our meals in advance so that we could spend time visiting and a minimum amount of time in the kitchen. Pat and I expressed regret that we hadn’t been in touch enough over the past years and hope that we’ll now continue to spend time together when our travels and schedules allow. In the meantime, email will be a great way to communicate.
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