It's October 21st of 1995. The California Rattenne's have all converged on the Family homestead in San Jose to celebrate Don and Jayne's birthdays plus their anniversary, all of which occur in October.  Jayne's 8th of October birthday has already gone by, as has their anniversary date, which occured on the 16th. But today, the 21st of October, is Don's 73rd birthday, which had the convenience of falling on a Saturday.

The occasion was not unlike other family dinners that had taken place since...well, time began. The air was festive with joke-snickering and tale-telling (usually by Don)  that always goes on at these things. What none of us knew that night, as we sat around the dinner table eating chocolate pie with real whipping cream and watching our father open presents and tell corny jokes, was that come next October 21st, he would no longer be with us.

So it seems appropriate to assemble here on the Internet what has to be one of the last "family occasion" albums that was recorded with the Califoria Rattenne family intact.- Ken Rattenne