A Milestone Anniversary

July 30th was my parents' 65th wedding anniversary.  We planned a family get-together on Sunday, July 28th, and knowing that Rob would not be home until October, we planned to hold a second gathering when he was back home.  However, Rob was able to reschedule his trip home, so we were all able to be together on Sunday.

John and Renee placed announcements in the local newspaper and at the church we grew up in, asking people to send cards. Dad said that an announcement was also made at their current church, and the congregation applauded.

The group at dinner
Clockwise from lower left: Dad, Mom, Dennis' Mom, me, Dennis, Rob, John, Renee

Here we are outside the restaurant: Me, Mom, Dad, John, Rob

I had read in the newspaper that a replica of Christopher Columbus' ship, The Nina, would be docked in Dubuque over the weekend.  So on our way to restaurant, we stopped to take pictures.

Such a small boat in which to cross the Atlantic Ocean

Unfortunately, a local newscaster related that Columbus and his men had crossed the Atlantic to avoid religious persecution in Europe.  I think he was confused between Columbus' voyage in 1492 to find a route to the Orient and the Pilgrims setting out on the Mayflower in 1620.  Moral of the story: don't believe everything you hear on TV.

Another stitching finish relates to our cruise last fall.  One of our ports of call was Rhodes.  Once we got back home, that gave me the incentive to finish a piece, "Variations on a Rhodes Theme," by Freda's Fancy Stitching.  I enjoyed doing the piece so much that I've ordered the two companion patterns, "More Rhodes to Follow" and "All Rhodes Lead to Stitching."