Ruthie's Christening 1950

A rare photo of my entire family with my dad's parents, whom we called "Pop" and "Dana". Pop is the one who took so many astonishingly professional, memorable photos of us in Asheville during our visits to their home in the '50s. Dana, our grandmother, was one of those people who are born "good". My sisters and I were all very close to her, less so to Pop, who spent most of our visits sleeping in his living room rocking chair or playing golf at Beaver Lake Country Club north of Asheville.

Big Sis is probably not real thrilled to be wearing a dress exactly like Alicia's. They never got along. Big Sis told me last year that she and Alicia would have fights in our living room in front of company, and she'd be trying her best to kill Alicia.

My sister Alicia: the smiling, damned villain.