Thrift Shop

The ladies of the Aspen Thrift Shop are all volunteers and work each week sorting, hanging and selling contributed clothing and housewares. Every holiday season they reward themselves with a luncheon at the Hotel Jerome, and they exchange gifts (that they purchase at the Thrift Shop).This past year the Thrift Shop gave $210,000 to local nonprofits, while still saving for their building fund (the shop will expand when the Fire Station does its remodel and expansion). The nonprofits that the Thrift Shop helps finance include the arts, education, youth activities, community, college scholarships and the environment.

The current issue of Mountain House & Home magazine features a photo of a large home in Woody Creek designed by Tim Hagman and owned by Marianne and Dick Kipper.Just back from New York City is Terry Butler, who was there to attend many Explorer Club events. She went to a cocktail reception for new authors at the Guggenheim Museum for the launching of its new book titled “Uptown Lowdown” – about all the famous people who lived in various high-profile buildings through the years in New York. There was a dinner with Jean Kennedy Smith, at her beautiful Sutton Place house. The dinner was in honor of Jean’s nephew Patrick Kennedy, who is running again for Congress. Another dinner was at Stephen and Cathy Graham’s 81st Street townhouse. (He is the son of Katharine and Phil Graham, who owned The Washington Post). Stephen and Cathy plan to spend Christmas in Aspen with Terry at her hotel, The Residence.

Then Terry had lunch at Michael’s with the famous bachelor Michael Fuchs of HBO fame. And she became a member of the Lotus Club, on 65th Street just off Fifth Avenue, the oldest literary club in NYC. (Mark Twain was a former president.) The club is in a beautiful old mansion that looks like a baby Versailles. Guests at this dinner were Lois and Buzz Aldrin and Marilyn and Victor Lounes (who was former head of the Playboy Club in London for 20 years, during the club’s glory years). Dan Rather was the master of ceremonies. Also at Terry’s table was Fritz Selby, a frequent visitor to Aspen. They are heading up a group of explorers to New Guinea in the fall and recently went on flag-carrying expeditions to Mongolia and Tibet.Undercurrent … Ugh. As the snow melts back, everywhere you see cigarette butts, beer cans, whiskey bottles, plastic bags and piles of dog doo.