Picnic Culture: Getting Reacquainted, the Three Takes

Suburban Chicago, June 1969. My Parents host a picnic in our backyard. Let's get reacquainted with the characters. From left: my Godmother, my Godfather, my Mom's best friend Donna, Mr. John, my Godmother's husband, my Godfather's wife, her mother, my Mom, Donna's husband Vytenis, little Irene, my paternal Grandmother, Tatjana, and my Godmother's father.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1969. A few of the guests move to the living room, where they look at Dad's 1969 black-and-white photo album. The photo that's visible is from my Parent's twentieth-anniversary party; it's posted here.

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Suburban Chicago, June 1969. Although my Mom adapted somewhat to the fashion shifts of the 1960s, she never changed her skirt length. She always wore a mid-knee hem.