Almost a month since my last post! June 22nd saw the arrival of my sister Sara, her son John and his fiancée Casey. John and Casey live in New York City and took the bus to DC to see Sara. They left on Sunday and Monday and then Bill, Sara and I went to Asheville, NC for our annual Sisters' Gathering.

We walked and talked and laughed and ate and slept and walked and talked and laughed and ate and slept and shopped! Some fun pics of our time together!

 

On the way home, Bill, Sara and I stopped at Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. We also visited the Fralin Art Museum at the University of Va. After spending the night in Charlottesville, Va we took a tour of Monticello. We were most impressed with the tours we took of the home, slave quarters and gardens. We appreciated the fact that the docents didn't shy away from discussions of  slavery and how 500+ slaves facilitated the running and maintaining of Thomas Jefferson's estate. 



 

Immediately after we returned home, Dan's step-daughter Sarah, husband Daniel and sons Christopher and Joshua came for a week long visit. Here we are after climbing Sugarloaf Mountain on a hot muggy day. We're so happy to have reached the top!!

 

We celebrated Christopher's 11th birthday on July 2nd and Talli's 11th birthday on July 6th!!!! Sarah and her family gave Talli the best gift ever. A microphone for singing karaoke! We have had so much fun "performing" for each other!!!

 

One day last week Bill and I went into DC and visited the Smithsonian Institution Building, the Freer and Sackler Galleries http://www.asia.si.edu/, the National Museum of African Art http://africa.si.edu/ and the Sculpture Garden. Lots of amazing art on a hot, muggy Washington DC day and all for free! One of the wonderful things about our nation's capital!

 

Saturday, July 13 we drove to St. Michael's, Md which is a small town in Talbot County, Maryland, USA. The population was 1,029 at the 2010 census. Saint Michaels derives its name from the Episcopal Parish established here in 1677. The church attracted settlers who engaged in tobacco growing and ship building. They have a great maritime museum there with tons of info about boat building and crabbing!

 

The weather like much of the east coast is hot and muggy so we're trying to walk earlier and earlier in the morning. It still feels like walking through warm pea soup!!!

 

More later,

Cappy