Baby shower!

Today we picked up Anne Janeway in Marlboro and drove over to Bennington for a baby shower for Mark Nissen and his partner, Jenn. Mark and Jenn live in Denver, and they had come all the way to Vermont for this shower - but so had Mark's sister, Erica, and her husband, Tom, and children, Julien and Clare - they came all the way from Capetown, South Africa! Also there were Mary's sister, Chris, from North Carolina, and her sister-in-law, Jeannie, and Jeannie's daughter, Lily, also from North Carolina. Tom's parents, Nancy and Len, were there from their home near Boston; Sue, a friend of Mary's, and an old friend and work colleague of John Nissen's, Timmy, also came. And of course, Mary Anderson herself, mother of Mark and Erica, who was the host, about 17 all-told. The event had been planned for Mary's backyard, but it rained. Fortunately, some folks were staying nearby at an AirBnB which was sort of amazing - a beautiful old brick building, the Old Academy, a former school, which provided a large room in which we could gather and not be jammed together. It was a very nice event, with a beautiful custom-made cake which featured a scene of Jenn and Mark running with a jogging stroller - anticipating the future! Jenn is a dedicated runner and will probaby enter a big marathon next summer. There were snacks and gifts as well. I had a comfortable place to sit and people came by to visit, especiallly Mark and Jenn. I had not seen Mark since the year Betsey died - 2016 - he came to see her in Boulder. And I had never met Jenn. I have a strong connection with this family having married both John and Mary in 1974 and Erica and Tom in 2003, as well as having been a work colleague of John's for over a decade and a friend for over forty years, up until his death in 2013. So this was a special event. I'm so glad we were able to be there.

The Old Academy, where we had the baby shower

The specially-made cake.

Mark and Jenn, preparing to cut the cake.

The group gathered in the kitchen.