1962
Sara Zimmerman
813 388 5295

 

Elizabeth “Betts” Davis Ackerman visited charming “Bavarian” village Leavenworth WA during an accordion festival and the Oregon coast for a week for biking, kayaking, and hiking. Judy Hammond Blatchford:  “Park and I traveled to Iceland, French Polynesia, and the Adirondacks.  Our 3rd (of 5) grandchild is starting college.  We continue to see Nancy Turner Heckscher, Jane Hoskins Bollman, Susan Shinnick Hossfeld and husbands from time to time.” Gail Dawson Clarke relocated to the Four Corners area of Colorado, studies plant and animal life, silversmithing, appreciates the landscape, cuts and polishes stones.  She installed wildlife cameras to watch deer, jackrabbits, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. Caroline Fischer Giles: “Downsizing, moving into a continuing care retirement community. Getting rid of stuff, whether giving it to family or donating to various organizations is a real challenge for me, not for husband, Brian.  Keeping our Martha’s Vineyard cottage as a get-away.” Sunny Griffin:  “After 25 years in fabulous Telluride, Colorado, we are moving to Ocean Hills Country Club, an active retirement community in Oceanside, California, to be closer to our grandchildren – 3 year old twins who live in L.A.” Nancy Turner Heckscher shared a photo (see online) of four friends:  Judy Hammond Blatchford, Jane Hoskins Bollman, Susan Shinnick Hossfeld, Nancy Turner Heckscher. They met for lunch in Maryland in June. Susan Shinnick Hossfeld:  “Six family members spent two weeks in Hawaii to celebrate Carl’s 80^th birthday; visited Maui, Kauai, Oahu and the big Island of Hawaii.  Hikes, zip lines (not me), beaches, a hike from the Diamond Head Crater to the top (me too) and swimming with the sharks (not me).” Harriet “Rusty” Papst Hougland: “Bill and I started our annual winter retreat to Amelia Island, FL when we learned that a pipe burst in our Connecticut home.  $3,000 worth of water does a LOT of damage!   Insurance is a good thing!” Doris Dalziel Kimball:  She and George commuted monthly to Minneapolis to care for daughter Marian’s chemo side effects, 10 hospital stays, and stem cell transplant. They are hoping for her to be cured.  Doris enjoys bridge, reading groups, singing with quartets for hospice. Penny Mardoian: “Hi from Maine, My son Richard and wife Christine are now Maine residents of Phippsburg. I will remain in CT where I have lived since 1967. Our family will travel to southern Spain for a week mid-October.” Linda MacDonough Morrow: Visited family and friends from Bellingham, WA to San Jose, CA.  In May, they visited England and Hungary.  In July Lynn hosts the annual Morrow Family Reunion and a reunion of Nicaragua mission team members at Arch Spring Farm, a “non-hosted B&B.”

Beth Pauley Teletski judged quilting shows on Long Island and Brookhaven.  She and Lou cruised from Bucharest to Budapest.  Moving to Heron Point in Chestertown, MD.   Address: 481 Sandpiper Court, Chestertown, MD 21620.  Beth loves life with Lou, driving grandchildren around, talking to plants, reading, attending graduations and quilting. Marvia Slade Perreault:  “Husband of almost 56 years, Bill, died suddenly from heart failure.  Daughters Michele and Melanie were with me; sons Bill and John came the next week.  I have joined the Widows Group ‘majority’ here at Mallard Landing, though that was not my goal.” Barbara Arthur Pretzsch:  At the Chain Link Conference she was on the Master’s Committee; taught a day- long Master’s crochet course, served as reviewer.  Transports dogs to “furever homes.”  Attends exercise classes and line dancing.  Cruised from New Orleans with Linda Martin McManus and Marvia Slade Perreault.” Regina Schlank Pyle:  Winter break on Marco Island, attended ‘Standup 2 Cancer’ conference in Santa Monica as guest of Tom’s oncologist at Mass General.  Traveled to China; attended Beijing wedding of Bikui “Chinese son” who worked with Tom.  Visited Chengdu and the Dujiangyan Panda Base.  Liz Decker Rogers:  Traveled to Greece & Portugal with son Matt, his wife Deepa, Deepa’s mom, 10 yr old Maya & 8 yr old Kishan. Liz plans to take both sons & families for a weeklong trip to Duluth, MN to scatter Bill’s ashes. Barb Kirby Stewart:  “I had a reoccurrence of breast cancer last summer, but avoided chemo.  Live blood test to blood test.  We are enjoying another beautiful Maine summer with exquisite flowering rhododendrons, lupine, and lilacs.  My girls’ families all doing great.” Sara Zimmerman: Crossed the Atlantic again, this time on the QM2.  Honored on board were WWII D-day vets.  Then in Berlin, I participated in the European Unitarian general assembly.  In Tampa, I volunteer with USF OLLI as language and lit instructor and board member.

 

Regina Schlank Pyle
617.267.0393
reginapyle@me.com
Gail Dawson Clarke:  I’ve been in Florida now for quite some time. I was raised a military brat used to relocating again and again. I attended 13 different schools before college and as some of you may remember, I was a transfer student to Hood in my sophomore year. Remaining in one place is almost an uncomfortable feeling. Therefore, when the opportunity for me to relocate arose, I met it with joy. I will be moving in a month or so to the southwest corner of Colorado to a small village outside Durango in the Four Corners Region. There will be mountains to view, lots of horses and wild critters, Indian ruins to explore and a significant lack of mosquitoes, red tide, gators, and mugginess. The acreage is adjacent to the Southern Ute Tribe Reservation and, since I’ve worked with and on Native Reservations in past job experiences, I hope to be able to volunteer some time there. Just now I am waiting for the snowy travel weather to clear and assessing my condo contents …but soon I will be able to contribute a new address for other Hoodlums to either write or visit. Hmmm, do we even write these days besides e mails, texting or snatches on Facebook? I dunno. Hope the rest of you are well.  I’m still vertical with a minimum of aches and pains which I attribute to these damn birthdays that insist on creeping up on us every year!

Ann Holmes Flatt:  2018 was unusually full – some good, some bad. JP, my dear husband of 55 years died of lung cancer in October. His illness was mercifully brief. A lovely memorial service was held in November. Most recently we have traveled to Switzerland this summer with our entire family plus friends and their families. Three generations – such a treat! We enjoyed hiking in the alps and enjoyed the many delights offered by the Swiss culture. Kids and grandkids are all well, pursuing many varied interests. Grandkid’s ages range from 24 to 8!   I still sing with the Worcester Chorus. We are presently rehearsing the Verdi Requiem for a concert in March in Worcester’s magnificent Mechanics Hall with full orchestra.  I also enjoy weekly gatherings with a group of artists where we draw or paint and enjoy each other’s company and friendly critiques.  Yoga, hiking and some fitness training are helping to curb the inevitable challenges of age. I am recovering well from my stem cell bone marrow transplant done exactly 2 years ago and remain ever so grateful for my unknown yet very unselfish donor.  Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Susan Shinnick Hossfeld:  At the end of January, Carl and I will take off for Telluride, CO where Carl skis with the International Rotary ski group and I enjoy the activities of the group and the beautiful town.  In March we leave with Jeff, Craig and the two grandchildren for our annual trip to Snowmass, CO.  Later in June the entire  family will leave for Hawaii to celebrate Carl’s upcoming 80th birthday.  We have signed up for a cruise that visits the four main Islands and many activities along the way. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy New Year!

Midge (Rusty) Papst  Hougland:  Bill and I are still living the lives of migratory birds…fall and spring in a 55+ active adult gated community in Haymarket, VA, summer in Old Saybrook, CT and winter on Amelia Island in Florida.  Life’s good.  This summer my daughter and I are doing a Viking Cruise around the British Isles and Norway.

Penny Misirian Mardoian:  My son, Richard, and I traveled to Armenia, my heritage, in October. Armenia is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, had the first alphabet and became a Christian nation in 301. It is an amazing country. We all gathered in PA for Christmas where I saw Nancy Hecksher and husband, Ben. I am off to Florida for two weeks to see friends who winter there from spending summers in Maine.

Phoebe Adams Marshall:   feel as though my news is always the same.  I play tennis, sing in a chorale and in our church choir.  I love to read and cannot be without a book.  Happy New Year to one and all, and I hope we all have a good 2019.

Kathy Morisse:  Things are going reasonably well these days (health and otherwise). One of my current goals is to retire from various retirement jobs/responsibilities and embrace the concepts of relaxation and enjoying the moment.  Only mild success so far.  However, on a trip to the Rockies last summer for the first time I actually let someone else do all the driving and planning (Road Scholar) — from Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons, to Yellowstone and Glacier National Park, and into Canada (Waterton National Park, Banff, and Jasper).  It was my first time in that part of the world and it provided a wonderful range of sights and sensations (and altitude, and smoke from forest fires, a couple of adventures, and great companions).

Lynn MacDonough Marrow:  George and I are blessed to have wonderful relationships with our children, extended family and cherished friends.  We shared the following news in our Christmas letter in hopes that our friends will also keep us up to date with their lives as well.  All my children and grandsons gathered at Arch Spring Farm for Thanksgiving.  Over that weekend we celebrated Andres’s 12^th birthday by creating small weavings at a local arts and crafts place called “The Makery.”  Other grandsons’ birthday celebrations over the summer included visits to the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, the Red Caboose Motel, PA Railroad Museum and the Adidas Outlet Store.  All the boys (ages 6, 9, 10, 12 and 14) are doing well in school and sports.  I don’t know how parents Laurie & Miguel and Austin & Colleen handle their schedules.  Ralph joined Melanie on her work trips to Indonesia, Europe, and California this year, to which they were able to incorporate time off to visit far flung family and friends, plus tourist stops along the way.

After 7 years of “practicing” with my 5 grandsons, we deemed George “qualified” to have grandchildren of his own.   On March 6 Elizabeth Jean Smith made him a grandfather!  Because her parents, Meg and Dan, now live in State College, we have had the pleasure of spending lots of time with her and watching her grow into a darling 10-month-old.  Dan provides child care enabling Meg to continue her graduate program in music conducting at Penn State School of Music along with a half-time job as band director for Lock Haven University AND a volunteer position as director of the Bellefonte Municipal Band.

Meg’s siblings came from London and from Denver at Easter to meet their baby niece.  In May, Mac & Brea, Bonnie & Gabor, Meg, Dan & Elizabeth, and George & I all shared a condo in Winnipeg, Canada where we gathered for a Pedlow/McKenzie reunion.  I was happy to meet McKenzie cousins as well as to enjoy polar bears at the zoo and the impressive Canadian Museum for Human Rights.  They all traveled again across time zones to spend Christmas with us.

Other than our trip to Winnipeg, our own travels were close to home this year; we decided to delay a visit to London for April/May 2019.  George continues to research the old deeds of my farm and surrounding properties as well as tying things together with his accurate GPS technology.  Much of my time is spent as a volunteer at church and at The Village, which honored me as their volunteer of the year in 2018.  George became an official resident of The Village at Penn State (rather than my guest) which entitles him to health care, meals and other benefits.

Marvia Slade Perreault:  Finally got together with Bobbi Arthur Pretzsch and Linda Martin McManus for a 10 day trip to New Orleans, which included a 5 day cruise with Bobbi’s line dancing class!  Gail Wood Fortin was unable to attend as she was still grieving the loss of her 2nd daughter, Carla.  I had shoulder replacement surgery last July.  Unfortunately, it failed due to a fall shortly after that surgery, which also resulted in broken ribs.  Just had the shoulder revision surgery last week, during which it was discovered my rotator cuff had gradually shredded due to the fall.  Crazy, right? Once I heal from this latest surgery, I’m facing hand and right shoulder replacement surgery.  Ain’t arthritis great??!!  I like to say that whoever called these the golden years should be shot at dawn, if not before!  Beats the alternative, tho!  May 2019 be a better year, in so many ways!!

Joan Terpack Plitt:  We had a wonderful Christmas visit with our son John and grandson Noah over the holidays. We are very proud of Noah. He is 17, does well in school and has his own business. While visiting us, he had several photo shoots for a possible modeling job. Our daughter and her family live in York about a half mile from us, so we see them often and the whole family got together at Christmas. Our granddaughter, Alyssa, is in the Navy Reserves and pursuing studies in cyber security through online classes with Purdue U. Our other granddaughter, Emily, is mother to 3 year-old Jacob, a beautiful, curly headed little guy who is special to all of us.  John and I are doing well and continue to be involved in our antique business.

Regina Schlank Pyle:  I continue to enjoy living in Boston and sharing my condo with Monty (9 yr. old cairn terrier) and Rossy (14 yr. old cat).  My days are filled with volunteering, dealing with condo issues and keeping up with friends – near in person and  friends -far via email.  I also enjoyed some fun travel.  Attended a bar mitzvah held on Mercer Island, WA – the celebrant is a granddaughter of a dear friend.  It was a joyous, family oriented ceremony so very different than those I experienced growing up in the Catholic Church.  I spent Thanksgiving visiting my niece and her family in Manhattan Beach, CA – what a wonderful place to live! And spent the New Years’ holiday with an old friend who relocated to Phoenix  – however the weather was as cold as in Boston.  My best news is that my grandkids, Katie and Cam Laughlin, having graduated from college, are now living in Boston.  Great to see them often and keep up with their new exiting jobs.

Sally Zimmerman:  At home in Tampa, I continue to volunteer for USF OLLI as board of advisers member and as instructor for courses including German conversation, Transcendentalism, and Bauhaus architecture.  In the fall, I vacationed for five weeks in Germany, visited friends in Hamburg, studied the Bauhaus movement in Dessau, and took a two week refresher course at a German language school in Schwaebisch Hall near Stuttgart.  Love this Mark Twain quote, Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow mindedness….   

Judi Simonsen Ziobro;  Ed and I are enjoying retirement, ”grandparenthood,” and our own pace of living.  Our health is good, other than usual aches when we try to do things that we did 25 years ago – which at that time, caused no after effects.  We get to see and interact with most of our kids’ families and that is a real joy to us. To see our kids become such great parents means we must have done something right  (where else would they have learned it from?)  But our life is pretty simple and – to us – very rewarding!   Hope others in the class can jazz up this column with their adventures.

1962
Sara Zimmerman
revsaraz@gmail.com

Judi Simonsen Ziobro reports good health, enjoyment at their bay house with grands, singing and playing handbells in church choir, and keeping in touch with Judy Jensen Burgess, Judy Bailey Allison, Betty Wright, Matile “Teal” West Hugo and spouses.
Beth Davis Teletski’s grandchildren range in age from preschool to college graduate. She and Lou plan fishing trips in Montana and Germany. Beth continues quilting activities.
Judy Hammond Blatchford reports they went on National Geographic Expeditions to Belize and Guatemala and produced photo albums to enjoy in their later years.
Penny Misirian Mardoian’s oldest grandson graduated from Trinity College. Travels this year take Penny to Israel and Armenia.
Lynn MacDonough Morrow attended George’s family celebrations in Winnipeg and his 50th class reunion at Dickinson College.
Elizabeth Appel Bailey and Tom cruised from Prague to Budapest. Oldest granddaughter (14) made the National Water Polo Team. Betty and Tom are helping to plan a midterm reunion in San Diego for the USNA class of ’61.
Teal West Hugo’s husband Mike went to Baltimore and D.C. on Honor Flight Maine and was met by Judi Simonsen Ziobro. Tom received honors for service in the Marine Corps and on the staff of the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives.
Liz Decker Rogers and family traveled to Australia where daughter-in-law Deepa reports for The World on NPR. Liz says, “Otherwise, same issues on the table, when to make the big move and where.”
Barbara Arthur Pretzsch heads to Portland, OR for her crochet conference in July. She organized a line dancing cruise for Hood friends Linda Martin McManus, Gail Wood Fortin and Marvia Slade Perreault. Marvia enjoys life at the 55+ Mallard Landing Community in Salisbury, MD. She is having left shoulder replacement surgery.
Doris Dalziel Kimball and George’s daughter Marian suffers with blood cancer and needs a stem cell replacement. You are in our prayers.
Phoebe Adams Marshall plays tennis and sings with the Masterworks Chorale at the U of SC-Aiken. Her granddaughter just graduated from high school in Charleston and traveled with her mother to Japan and Korea.
Barbara Kirby Stewart says they appreciated their break from the Maine winter when, courtesy of Jan Zwinck Morrison, they stayed in a New Bern, SC condo and visited Jan and Steve at their beautiful home in Raleigh. Jan and Steve spend their summers in Maine. Their daughter Cheryl served as lead scientist on a NOAA research cruise off our southern coast.
Sarah Enos Karpowitz lives in Wisconsin, works for Rent-a-Daughter as caregiver, has been widowed 33 years, has five grandchildren, 9 – 20. She enjoys bible study, friends and family.
Jody Merritt Watson and Peter “live life in the slower lane and enjoy it!” Jody volunteers at a homeless shelter in Brunswick, enjoys quilting and yoga. She saw Nancy Turner Heckscher and Ben recently.
Gail Dawson Clarke reports from Florida: “nothing earth-shaking going on …sometimes I value that as much as the whoop-de-do-moments. I’m still vertical, planning on trips out west.”
Liz Kovacs Washburn lives in Lake Oswego, OR and visits children and grandchildren in San Diego. Daughter Natasha will teach at Santa Fe Christian where one granddaughter just graduated. Another granddaughter graduated from Boston U.
Sue Shinnick Hossfeld and Carl travel this summer to Luebeck, Hamburg and Berlin, Germany, where they board a river boat to Prague. On return, their family will visit Rehoboth Beach for annual week of fun.
Ann Holmes Flatt recovers from stem cell bone marrow transplant to treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She thanks her supporters including hubby Jean-Pierre, her team at UMass Hospital, friends and family. Now Ann resumes hiking, singing and gardening, and traveling with family to Switzerland.
Marjorie Simmons Carlson and Bill celebrated their 55th anniversary. As a retiree from 37 years as ‘library lady’ she volunteers with the school’s book fair and enjoys 11 grandchildren in DC.
Regina Schlank Pyle escapes wintry Boston by visiting friends in Marco Island, FL and Phoenix, AZ. In DC, she checked out the Newseum and recommends it. Both grandchildren graduated from college this year.
Caroline Fischer Giles and Brian enjoyed a month in Tarpon Springs, FL staying at Joy Engle Demas and Bill’s villa. Caroline and Brian volunteer less now and are considering CCRCs in the U of New Hampshire area.
Sara (Sally) Zimmerman- I volunteer for the U South Florida Osher Life Long Learning Institute as instructor and board member and am having the time of my life. Thank you to classmates who contributed to this column. See unedited version online.

Regina Schlank Pyle
617.267.0393
reginapyle@me.com

 

 

 

 

 

Judith Hammond Blatchford
My family and I continue in good health allowing Park and me to continue traveling a few times a year.  Most recently we had a beautiful trip to Greenland and the arctic areas of eastern Canada followed by two weeks in Tuscany, a nice contrast in extraordinary history and art appreciation.” With great sadness I learned recently that Sandra Warren Owens’ husband, Bruce, passed away on September 20th after a heroic struggle.  You may possibly hear more from her.

 

 

Susan Shinnick Hossfeld

 

 

Carl and I are beginning to travel again after a recent knee replacement, with two trips out west in the winter of 2018.  One trip is with the International Rotary Ski group and one with the children and grandchildren to Snowmass, Colorado. After the Rotary Ski Trip we plan to continue our travels to Santa Fe.  In the Summer we are taking an Elbe River Cruise which leaves from Berlin and ends in Prague with stops along the way in Meissen, Dresden and Wittenberg. Before the trip we plan to extend our visit to Luebeck and extra time in Berlin.  Sometime in the near future, we hope to go to New Orleans which is on our bucket list.  Carl and I both enjoy catching up on everyone’s news!

 

 

Rusty Papst Hougland

 

 

Last January and February Bill and I enjoyed a great ocean front condo on Amelia Island, Florida. During the summer we welcomed children and grandchildren to our old farm house in Connecticut.

 

 

Penny Misirian Mardoian

 

 

This summer I hosted the Blatchford’s, Bollman’s, Hecksher’s and Hossfeld’s at my South Bristol, ME home for 3 days. The weather was fabulous. We visited a local boat builder, a historic ice house, the Pemaquid Lighthouse peninsula and the Coastal Botanic Gardens in Boothbay.

 

Phoebe Adams Marshall

 

I’m still playing tennis, singing in Masterworks Chorale and our church choir.  Am also on the Vestry at church.  Hope all is well with you.

 

 

Barbie Reeves McGee

 

 

This past year has been has been a year of loss for me. Last December my brother who was my only sibling passed away at age 63. Then in June of 2017, we lost our Afghan Hound suddenly. The worst loss was that of my husband of 46 years in July. Larry had health issues for the past two years but his passing was not expected. I try to keep busy including teaching two days a week but it has been a struggle for me. I have had a lot of support which I am grateful for.  A new chapter of my life begins. Hope all is well with you.

 

Martha Atkinson Meadows

 

I taught my last class at Hood last spring and am still adjusting to less planned days.  My grand-daughter, Corryn, has transferred to Hood-a third generation Hoodlum!  I traveled to Normandy, France on a Hood alum tour with my two daughters.

 

Linda MacDonough Morrow

 

George and I spent a week in Crested Butte, CO to attend his son’s wedding.  What an honor that George was Mac’s Best Man!  With the extra time in the mountains, we enjoyed 4 days of hiking when the aspens were at their most spectacular sunshine color in September.  Wedding day was the only one without sun…..but photos of the bridesmaids walking under white umbrellas in the SNOW were unique and the views of snow-capped mountains on Sunday’s hike were only possible due to the wedding day precipitation.  The bride rolled with it and never lost her cool–showed off her cowboy boots under her wedding gown as her acknowledgement to function over fashion.

 

Beth Davis Pauley

 

Lou and I just returned from a riverboat cruise up the Rhine River. We are season ticket holders for Drexel Women’s basketball games. We attended the Navy vs Tulane game at the Academy. In two weeks we go to Virginia Tech for a football game. Ulia, my granddaughter, will graduate from Virginia Wesleyan in May; Rachel, my granddaughter, is looking at colleges for next year as is Lou’s grandson, John. Life is good.

 

Joan Terpak Plitt

 

I am retired from the newspaper I worked for, but I still have several businesses going. I have been an antique dealer and also a Mary Kay consultant for the past 30 years. Presently, I attend numerous classes at the York campus of Penn State University. These are OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) classes that cover a broad range of subjects. I highly recommend them if our classmates live in an area where they are offered. As part of our June visit to Myrtle Beach (SC), we met Phoebe Adams Marshall and Al near Charleston and they were gracious enough to show us around some of the islands and areas where they previously lived. We had a great time and try to get together with them every summer.  We are great-grandparents to Jacob who will be 2 in December.

 

Barbara Arthur Pretzsch

 

I still line dance, and attend several exercise groups and a crochet group.  We have added a dog to our menagerie.  Evie belonged to the owner of a house we bought to renovate who couldn’t take her with her.

 

Sandy Owens

 

Here is my sad news. My husband of 35 years, Bruce, passed away on September 20^th at Emory Hospital in Decatur, Georgia. He had suffered from lung and heart issues for several years. I’m still getting my life back together with the help of family and friends near and far.

 

Regina Schlank Pyle

 

Having sold my home in France last winter, I delighted in spending the summer in Boston.  At the end of September, I left on a 7 day road trip with my pal, Monica, and her large dog Francesca, an Italian Spinone, in the back seat.  Destination Phoenix, where Monica was born and now moving back to escape Boston’s cold winters.  2,690 miles were travelled in the most direct route because sightseeing with Francesca was not an option but we gained an appreciation for the vastness of the country, the thousands of trucks that transport our everyday needs and the friendliness of those we met along the way.

 

Elizabeth Decker Rogers

 

Great trip to see a close friend in Chattanooga during Oct. What a happening city! Great public art, nice galleries, museum, fine repurposing of old buildings, worth the effort & lovely old house of all sizes. Warm weather so leaves were still green. Plan a trip to India in Dec with son Matt, his wife Deepa, whose family is originally from India but now live in Australia, my 2 grands & Deepa’s family. Keeping my fingers crossed that no medical issues pop up. Thanksgiving will be with family, not sure where yet.

 

Helen Hill Rountree

 

I am retiring at year end, long since stopped taking wilderness trips. I’m selling the apartment Asa and I shared for nineteen deeply happy years; renovating a pied a terre in the same building, including a to-the-studs demolition of the 1928 (!) bathroom. In August, I bought a wee Cape on .12 acres in my home town. We call it Grafton Manor; my 2002 Subaru, Bentley, graces its very short driveway. It is walking distance to my family’s place, where I will continue to battle fruitlessly the five entrenched invasive vines. I will also do some writing, mostly on race, in my view, our nation’s greatest sin and one too many of us continue obdurate about. If I can, I will work with little boys who are struggling to read.

 

To my pleased surprise, this year my book was republished after 35 (!) years. It demonstrated that, theory to the contrary, capital flowed from productive sectors to financial centers. Sound familiar? It’s now one in a set on economic history for libraries around the world. (My younger colleagues were more impressed that this doddering old woman had a letter published in Rolling Stone.) I have been very lucky, had extraordinary, unimagined, professional opportunities, worked with men and women of intellect, wit, and grace. Google lists 298,000 citations for my name; if you put it in quotes, it plummets to 1,200. Much more appropriate.

 

To me, political issues are too real for real people for me not to be ever-active.  The most intense and most fun, in 2007, I collected an email group of 800 women from all over the country to work for the election of Barack Obama. On NY Primary Day, February, 2008, I stood in intermittent rain for twelve hours for a last chance to affect people’s votes. It nearly did me in. You take your joy where you can find it. You have to. With all, I grieve for what will be lost if Homo sap. doesn’t swiftly reverse his heedless race to self-immolation. Who will there be to thrill to Shakespeare, Leonardo, Bernini, the great acts of kindness and courage of people throughout history who struggled to make the world better?

 

My grandson is 6’3”, thin as a rail, a history buff, and terrifyingly knowledgeable about professional sports. My two daughters are good women, journalists, one managing editor of a global finance weekly, the other an investigative reporter and producer with This American Life. My brother, CA, 62, who has Down Syndrome, thrives, to the happy amazement of his cardiologist. He will share his Star Wars obsession with anyone willing to sit still. Hearing the Bee Gee’s Saturday Night Fever music, he is instantly on his feet, John Travolta to a T. It’s a good life.

 

Barbara Kirby Stewart

 

Paul and I are still enjoying life in our special part of Maine.  We did, we think, our last cross country road trip last summer to Sonoma for grandson Zachary graduation from Sonoma State Univ.; and the to San Diego for granddaughter Meghan’s high school graduation.  Along the way I crossed a few more things off my bucket list – Devil’s Tower, the Huntington Library, Kings Canyon and Sequoia NP. Back in Maine continued on with volunteer activities, quilting, rug hooking, gardening, tai chi and more walking now than hiking.  I still celebrate birthdays with Janet Zwinck Morrison who summers in Milbridge.

 

Elizabeth Kovacs Washburn

 

Sadly Guil’s stepmother (gorgeous blonde) died recently (in her 90’s). We got a new dog. (Our Josie had died in Jan.) New dog a sweet Papillon/Cavalier mix, a “pavilion” named Ginger.

 

Jody Merritt Watson

 

We are escaping with our son and family to Quebec for the Thanksgiving weekend, since they don’t celebrate at the same time we do.

 

Pamela Roberts Welham

 

In June, Betsy George Ohnegian and I stayed with Janet McDougall in her newly renovated apartment (beautifully done!)  for a mini-55th reunion in New York City.  Betsy and Janet had planned a wonderful few days for us along with ample time to talk and reminisce.  We saw “Come From Away” and loved it all- the staging, songs, and message about a small town in Canada that welcomed stranded travelers after the 9/11 attack.  We went to an evening concert in Central Park at the Naumberg Bandshell- the weather was perfect and the music wonderful!  A long walk in Central Park to the Conservatory Garden was followed by a delicious lunch at the cafe run by the church where Janet sings in several concerts during the year. My special request was to visit the MoMA.  The exhibits and lunch didn’t disappoint.  We probably had the best four days of weather in NYC of the summer which added to making this a memorable trip. Hard to believe that we all met as freshman living in Shriner Hall in the fall of 1958- 59 years ago.

 

Sally Zimmerman

 

In September I was back in Germany for the whole month, adding up to a total of four months or a third of the calendar year October to October 2016 – 2017.  This time I worked with two Unitarian congregations — Hamburg and Luebeck — in a variety of ministerial roles that included giving an hour-long lecture in German in a 12th century building in Luebeck on the subject of  R.W. Emerson’s Transcendentalism.  Thank the professor-goddess Mary Elizabeth Osborn, Hood English teacher in 1958++, for teaching us how to write a good narrative. For the lecture in Luebeck, my source was Emerson’s journals which I find much more interesting and less ponderous than his essays.  Dear Miss Osborn, you’ll never know how much I’ve grown to appreciate your wisdom!  In Luebeck, I was out of my comfort zone with the German while quite secure with the organization of my comments.  Since coming home in early October, I’ve resumed work with the University of South Florida OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) as a volunteer in multiple roles, including teaching and Board member. Lately I’m learning that it takes no effort to overcommit ones self, and no effort to gain back the five pounds that I somehow lost in Germany from climbing stairs and walking everywhere while eating unlimited amounts of great bread and delicious cheese.

 

Sara (“Sally”) Zimmerman
revsaraz@gmail.com  

Liz Decker Rogers:  “Seems just like yesterday that the call went out but maybe it was 6, 9m ago? Anyway, had I been to Peru? It was fun & just enough of a challenge to let me know I am still alive & better than I thought. That was end of Nov ’16. Traveling with family which includes a resourceful, Spanish speaking D-I-L, is the best! Best news is the 6y home makeover is finally done, well except for a couple of little things. Next challenge is sorting all the stuff in the middle of the basement, covered by tarps. That could take more time! I am leaving that to the sons. They can do it now or later when I am in assisted living. I’m hoping to be around here for awhile to finally enjoy it, however. Underlying annoyance is neuropathy on the left quadrant of my head due to having had shingles last year. The shot is not full proof protection. It’s almost a year & I am thinking this will be with me forever as it doesn’t seem to be dissipating.I am anticipating a trip to Oregon to hopefully view the solar eclipse in August with the same son & family. Keep your ear out for my other D-I-L, Deepa Fernandes, a radio journalist, who has had informative pieces on NPR, BBC’s The World. Her focus has been Latin & South America. That’s it!”  

Beth Pauley Teketski:  “Lou and I are going on a Viking cruise down the Rhine River in June. We just returned from his high school reunion in Wilkes Barre, PA. We are making plans for fly fishing trips to West Virginia and New York. In the mean time I’m judging quilt shows in Lewis, DE, and Quakertown, PA.”

Margo Friedman Friedman:  “I cannot believe it is 55 years since we gave each other graduation hugs.  I am sorry not to be at the reunion, but will think of you all.  We continue to delight in our CT children and grandchildren.   Sid is still directing theatre at Boston University, but he and I have both retired from teaching. I am very busy with volunteering, clubs, and friends.  I have been in touch by phone or mail with Linda Keyler White, Barbie Reeves McGee, Jane Stevenson Rule, Jean Lenhart Golden.  Marty Robertson Williams visited us in Wellesley last August.  We would welcome 1962 classmates, if you are in the Wellesley area.”

Teal West Hugo:   “I never have any news, but this time I do have something. I led a hymn sing based on the life of Sojourner Truth for the Presbyterian Women of Northern New England last weekend (May 13). This was the biggest research project I have done since graduating from Hood!  Mike is in nursing home care at the Veterans Home in Scarborough ME.  His long term memory is amazing, and we share reminiscences about all sorts of topics from the good old days.” 

Nancy Turner Heckscher–   “In January  The Blatchfords   Judy Hammond and Park and the Heckschers  Nancy and Ben drove to Baltimore to go Museum gazing and met Carl and Susan Shinnick Hossfeld for lunch. I often see Penny Mardoian as she comes down to see her son and family!     I am completing (end of June) my 2nd and last year as Judging Rep. for The Garden Club of America.  This has been a challenging job- really 5 jobs: placing, educating, recruiting, evaluating, keeping forms both digitally and in paper files.  I love the people and most of the job but time to hand it over to someone else to perfect!  I continue to play bridge and attend 2 garden club meeting’s and Park House Museum meetings and hook into my kids lives.  Jon and Amanda have moved back from Hong Kong and are in Boston with their 3 girls.  Kali is still in Maine with her athletic Tom and Kali.  They are all going to Europe this summer.   Katie (14) is on an exchange program.  Ben’s Chris just had our newest grandchild in Hong Kong, Marcus.  That makes 8 grands.  David’s Alisa just finished her freshman year in Ohio.  Everyone is healthy and doing their things.   If in Phila. do come and visit.  Judy Blatchford is next door!!”

Judy Hammond Blatchford:  “I’m afraid I sound like a broken record.  Park and I continue in good health as do our kids and grandchildren and so we are traveling while we can, in August to Greenland/Iceland for 3 weeks and in October to Tuscany/Venice for 2 weeks.”

Sunny Griffin:  “Our biggest news is that we finally have our first grandchildren. My daughter, Kelly, had twins (at 44), Oliver and Mabel, and we are over the moon with happiness. Because we want to be able to see them we have sold our home in Thailand and are now living full time in Telluride, Colorado. On a sour note, I have to have a spinal fusion surgery so most of the summer will be spent on my back. After 8 brain surgeries, a crushed nose (from a fall) and pulverized neck (car accident) I am sick of surgery.  Getting old is not for sissies!”

Penny Misirian Mardoian:  “I had a wonderful week in London with my daughter-in-law’s mother. Not one drop of rain! My second grandson graduated from high school in West Chester, PA and will be going to Kutztown University in August. My oldest grandson is interning at Ernst and Young in Boston before he enters his senior year at Trinity in Hartford. I am in my Maine home for 5 months returning mid-October. Life is good!”

Jane Hoskins Bollman: “Art for me is still a big part of my life: painting, selling sporadically, teaching.  I guess old school teachers (which I was eons ago in junior high school) never let teaching go.  I don’t run marathons but I do exercise and do yoga at our wonderful YMCA, which is close enough that I walk there.  Gardening is my other form of exercise.  It wears us out, but the results are worth it.  Children fine, no grandchildren.  Don’t sing with the Met, but we love the simulcasts which we can also walk to.  If you think you don’t like opera, you should try this at least once.  Bridge and book clubs keep the old brain in reasonable shape.  So, bottom line, we are good and not suffering from too many aches and pains at 77.  Seventy seven?  How can that be?  Fond memories of Hood have not faded even after all these years.  We are looking forward to the reunion, certain to be fun.”  

Lynn MacDonough Morrow:  “Traveled in May to southern Germany to visit a cousin of George’s.  It was my first time hiking in the Black Forest.  Then to France for a couple of days in Paris before we joined G’s younger daughter (a grad student in Paris) for a trip to Normandy to visit Mt. Saint Michel, Juno Beach, etc.  Just five days back home and we drove to NYC to stay with another cousin while we spent time with G’s older daughter and son-in-law in town for Fleet Week concerts with their Navy Band Northeast.  Had my first trip to Ellis Island–quite an experience. Hood Reunion weekend will wrap up for me with visits to my two daughters and their families in Baltimore and near Harrisburg on our way home to State College, PA.”

Phoebe Adams Marshall: “I did not go to the reunion this year.  Hope to get to the 60th, if possible.  I keep busy playing tennis three or four times a week.  I also sing in a Masterworks Chorale at the U. of SC – Aiken.  We are planning a couple of trips this summer.  We’re getting together with Joan Terpak Plitt and John.  We’re planning to drive out to Indiana to see my sister, Shirley Adams Beheler (Hood ’56) and her family.  We’ll also have visits to or from grandchildren at some point.”

Barbara Arthur Pretzsch:  “Our lives have gotten more active this year.  We bought a house to “flip” and decided to move into it which we did in December.  It has a fenced in back yard (for the dogs), space for the 5^thwheel,  a house all on one floor and 3 parking spaces for our 3 vehicles.  Our son, Rob, joined us in the business from Kentucky and added another business; refinishing kitchen counters and bathroom tubs and showers.   He brought 4 cats and a dog with him which makes our menagerie more numerous that the humans living here.  He is living in the 5^th wheel.  The business just bought house #18, #15 is about ready to sell and houses # 16 and #17 are midst renovation.  I still do exercises and line dancing although my body is saying “slow down a little” my mind says “No way”.  I have been called into grandchildren sitting.  Sean, now 9 is playing basketball (last winter) and baseball now.  Jaclyn is a typical preteen at 11 nearly as tall as I am.  I’m planning another crochet conference in Chicago in July.  I am a junior reviewer for the CGOA Master’s Program.  Evaluating the portfolios of candidates for the Master’s Program is a challenging experience.  And another mini reunion with my Hood roommates is in the wind.  If anyone is tripping east to west or west to east on Interstate 10, we are only about 3 miles off the interstate.  Come and visit.”

Betty Appel Bailey:  “All is well with us …. thank goodness.  Our daughter, son-in-law and 3 grandchildren live nearby in Carlsbad, CA.  The girls are all in sports and doing well.  We took a great trip this past spring starting in Jekyll Island, GA and up the coast to Savannah, Hilton Head Island, and ending in Charleston.  This was out 6th Tauck trip and as usual they took care of everything.  We are still in San Diego, CA but we recently sold our 2nd home in Palm Desert which we owned for 15 years.  It was time to pare down.  Best to all.”

Judith Simonsen Ziobro: “Ed and I are in reasonably good health, being able to do just about everything we WANT to do and enjoying life greatly!  We spend a good amount of quality time with our kids and their families (except for the one based in AZ.  That’s a long way to come for a cookout.)  This is especially true at our Bay House  – just off the Chesapeake Bay.  We love being around them. I do some financial bookkeeping at my church, and still am allowed to sing in the vocal choir and play in the handbell choir. I do sewing and altering as well (people keep coming back – that means that I must pretty good, or that I don’t charge enough!).  Ed spends time setting up games and exercises to develop math skills in the 6 – 10year old grandkids.  They love it that they know how to read Roman Numerals (however, that is a skill that may not be all that useful anymore — I understand that even movies have stopped using roman numerals in the copyright area in the final credits section. Oh well…)  Life for us is good and I hope to continue it for a long time!”

Regina Schlank Pyle:  “Every spring my private high school in New York commemorates the holocaust by giving a special presentation to honor a beloved instructor who was a holocaust survivor.  It was my pleasure to introduce my elementary public school classmate, Michael Bornstein, author of “Survivors Club: The True Story of a very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz.”  Michael was one of the youngest to be liberated by the Russians and his story is a testament to love and endurance. I traveled in China for three weeks this spring with a close friend.   The impetus for the trip was for me to finally visit Beijing where my dear friend, Bikui, lives.  He worked with my late husband, Tom, in 2000, they became good friends and he’s been in my life ever since.  We started in Beijing and Bikui showed us all of the non-touristy sights and then we began a tour created for us by an excellent company.  After Beijing we went to Xian to see the terracotta warriors, then to Chendgu to see the pandas, then a river trip through the Three Gorges and ending in Shanghai.  Bikui arranged to have a business trip there so he was a wonderful guide. To say the least it was an eye opening trip and caused me to realize that the USA lags behind China is so many ways.  Of course their style of government allows them the ability to forge ahead in many ways we can’t but in the past 30 years or so have created a fantastic highway system, hi-speed rail and excellent air lines, cellular technology, sophisticated cities with gleaming architecture and a highly educated population.  And with a population of almost 1.4 billion, there are plenty willing to be sweepers who keep the streets immaculate.  The people were most welcoming and the weather sunny and smog free! In early June I attended what would have been Tom’s 50^th reunion of the Harvard Business School.  We were married and shared that fantastic experience so it was wonderful to reconnect with many of his section mates and share memories.

Me, “Sally” Sara Zimmerman:  I am teaching an introductory conversational German course as a volunteer with the University of South Florida OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute), and was elected in May to serve on the USF-OLLI board of advisors. The German language is a decades-old hobby of mine; so is singing. Early in 2017 I joined Friendship Singers, a Tampa chorus.  We perform mostly in nursing homes and encourage everyone to sing along to our renditions of songs that were popular in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s.  (Think ‘Toot, Toot, Tootsie, Goodbye.’) In an effort to walk taller, I’m at the New Tampa YMCA for a half hour three times a week where I use the resistance machines and lift weights.  My health is very good; however, when I’m meeting someone new, or especially when teaching a new class, I have to explain that my ever-more-noticeable shaking is due to ‘essential tremor,’ a benign, heritable condition.  It was first diagnosed in the mid 1970s when it was barely noticeable.  And if people I’m explaining my tremor to are old enough to remember her, they say, “Oh, just like Katherine Hepburn and her tremor.’  And I say, ‘Yes, just like that.’”

CLASS NEWS 1962:  FALL and WINTER

Class Reporter:  Regina Pyle, substituting for Sally Zimmerman

Thanks to everyone below who sent news which appears below as submitted.

A shorter version (750 words) will appear in the Alumnae News.

Wishing everyone the best for 2017!

Betty Appel Bailey

We are still living in north country San Diego and our daughter and her family live nearby.  In May Tom and I took a 9 day coach trip through the Canyons starting in Phoenix, on to Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, rafting on the Colorado River, and then to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon.  In September we flew back east to attend Tom’s

55^th Naval Academy class reunion.  It is always great fun to see old friends some we have known for 50+ years.  I still miss two of my dear friends from Hood both of whom have passed away….Care Dickely Heeks and Carol Bahlke Holmes.

Judy Hammond Blatchford

We’re enjoy good health, and volunteer jobs (especially working with senior citizens), continue to travel (this past year to Baja California and Scotland), spend summers in the Adirondacks, have 1 granddaughter who has graduated from college and 4 of the 5 are taller than their grandmother!

Gail Dawson Clarke

This end of summer I took a cruise up North away from this Florida heat. I went along with 4,000 of my “closest friends” cruising up to Boston, Maine and Canadian coastal towns. At the same time, I learned that a friend from middle school has a cottage in Bar Harbor, Maine. So…after 61 years she and I reconnected and the years just melted away. I fell in love with the down-east Maine coast…the rugged coast line, the unique birds, the lifestyle and the grit and respect for the environment of the lobster men. My children are in a good place…one in the North Carolina mountains and one down here in Florida partnering with his high school friend to distill rum. For a while my legs were problematic, but I am in good health now. We seldom appreciate it when we have it, but once it disappears, oh how we value it. Cheers to you all, ladies of Hood. May the coming year bring you many blessings. I’d love to hear from you (gc.mumstheword@gmail.com)

Sunny Griffin

While I imagine that many of my classmates are having great grandchildren, I have just gotten my first – twins who are now 8 months old, Mabel and Oliver!  We are going to Thailand this winter to try to sell our house in Chiang Mai because I don’t want to be on the other side of the world from my only grandchildren, and my daughter really needs help with twins. I am loving being with the babies and don’t want to miss a moment of their lives. It is particularly wonderful because I had to work all the time when my daughters were young so it is such fun playing with babies.

Doris Dalziel Kimball

All the decades disappear when I connect with Hood acquaintances.  George and I still go to Anna Maria Island in April when the gulf is warm enough for Yankees and grands have their break.  We will participate in our 9th Road Scholar adventure, this time in Martinique.  A trip to Sedona in February will give us another chance to hike through those stunning red hills.  Same volunteer jobs give us a chance to pay back for the many blessings we have received during 54 years together.

Penny Misirian Mardoian

I had a mini-reunion with Judy Blatchford and Nancy Heckscher and husbands at the end of October. My grandson, Michael, will be spending a semester in Barcelona through Trinity College. I will be in London for a week at the end of March. My life is busy and full.

Lynn MacDonough Morrow

George and I are gearing up for what will probably be our final mission trip to Nicaragua.  January 2017 will be my 8th trip; it has been a meaningful part of my life over the past decade and a source of satisfaction that George has enthusiastically joined me on the trips.  One of the missionary couples is retiring back to the US; it is not clear that the local church will continue to sponsor trips and we would eventually “age out” of being able to participate so it seems like a natural time for us to say our good-byes to our Nicaraguan friends when we are there for 10 days this winter.  We can continue to support the educational program of providing school supplies to the local kids through financial contributions.

Barbara Arthur Pretzsch

We have just moved to a new house in the same town, more space, big back yard to hold our 5th wheel and fenced for the dogs. I have been too busy to do much but “pack up” and “unpack” and find stuff I could before we moved. Hope everyone is enjoying a prosperous new year.

Regina Schlank Pyle

The drama of selling my home in France unexpectedly continued throughout the year with the French real estate lawyers, aka “Notaires”, causing mischief and bureaucratic delays. A young family who rents in the association and have family living there presented themselves as buyers in March.   Ideal buyers until their need to get financing arose and there is no provision for banks to give preapproval for a loan.  Fast forward I spent two weeks there in July trying to get the deal moving and a closing was set for November lst.  That morning the notaires discovered a “petit problem” – i.e. the shares of my house hadn’t been transferred to the buyers as necessary.  A novel solution was suggested and approved that the buyers move in as tenants until the mess had been cleared up.

I’m more that delighted to say that as of 12/29, a mere 16 months later, I no longer own property in France.  Given the length of the process, I dread receiving an accounting of the legal bills which will be paid from the proceeds of the sale.  Once done the remainder will go for scholarships to Harvard Business School and the Kennedy School of Government and for research at Mass General Hospital’s cancer center.  Of course I have lots of wonderful memories and will return to visit friends but it’s a great relief both mentally and financially to have it off the books.  And whenever someone rhapsodizes about owning a house in the French country side, I remind them of a four letter word that begins with “R”.

One of the pleasures of living in Boston is that friends want to visit and many did – including some from London and Beijing.  I spent Thanksgiving with my niece and her family in Manhattan Beach.  Her boys, 10 and 13, take after their father and every day weather permitting, they suit up, grab their boards and head for the beach. Really fun to watch. Life in Boston remains busy with wonderful friends and a couple of non-profit boards. Monty, my 6 year old cairn terrier, continues to co-habitat with Rossy, a domestic short hair who’s now 12.   Both are a delight and every night assume their side of the bed.  To say the least life is good.

Barbara Stewart

Paul and I are continuing to enjoy life in Maine.  We seem to be into cross country road trips.  We had a great one last summer visiting two grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Ryan graduating from high school in Missouri and California.  2017 will have two more graduates in Sonoma and San Diego…Zachary from Sonoma State and Meghan from Eastlake HS which will give us an excuse for another road trip.  I am still into rug hooking, quilting, and some watercolor attempts, plus community volunteering.

Elizabeth Kovacs Washburn

My daughter, Natasha, is in Spain and London visiting granddaughter, Jacquelyn, who is on junior year abroad with Boston University. Their pictures on Facebook are stunning. Ted and I had a “miracle” Christmas. Our dog Josey came back from death’s door Christmas Eve.  We had a “doggie” Christmas with Josey and Natasha’s dog, Bene. We also hosted Christmas yummies  after church. ‘Tis the season of joy and gratitude!

Jody Merritt Watson

No big trips this year, but Peter and I are enjoying the good features of condo living. I started a book club here this year, and can’t believe it is my first one! We still love living in Maine, with all the erratic weather patterns and hopefully some good snow storms this year.  Our kids and grands all live in Portland, so it’s great to keep up with their concerts, sports, and busy lives. All of them enjoy skiing but are anxious to sample snowboarding this winter. Can our 55th be right around the corner?!?

Sara Zimmerman

One of my hobbies for decades has been the German language. It all started back in high school when our music teacher drove a car full of us from Harrisburg to NYC.  We stayed overnight and in the space of two days saw three musicals.  One, off Broadway, was the Three Penny Opera.  At 16, I fell in love with Kurt Weill’s score and Bert Brecht’s lyrics, and memorized the lyrics in both English and the original German.

Wildly skipping far ahead, in Oct and Nov 2016, I completed a two-month intensive German course at the Goethe Institute in Freiburg im Breigau, Germany, my fourth course at a GI in the space of 53 years. In my section this time, my 12 classmates came from nine countries including China, Thailand, Japan, Syria, Israel, Italy, Barbados, England, and Switzerland and averaged in age about 23.  I’ve always enjoyed working with young people and international experiences.  Now in December 2016, I’m in Switzerland working on family history. The Zimmermans were Anabaptists, persecuted by local governments for their religious principles, and fled to Alsace, France where they settled before heading to the US in the 18th century.  My nephew Mike in Harrisburg is the true family genealogist; I’m assisting him with translations of documents and by taking photos of the very small towns of our great-great-great-great-great grandparents.  With much gratitude to Regina for being correspondent.
revsaraz@gmail.com

Judith Ziobro

My news isn’t news, in that Ed and I do pretty much the same things – eat, sleep, do a little exercise daily, and enjoy as much time as our daughters and their families are able to share with us.  That makes for some boring reading, but from my perspective – a great life.  I still do volunteer accounting, and money-handling work at my church, sing in the vocal choir and ring in the handbell choir regularly.  Earlier this year I helped the church prepare several hundred “Days for Girls” kits for some primitive areas in Swaziland.  Since I was the only one who admitted owning a serger, I wound up making 600 liners for the project. Needless to say, I keep busy doing the things that I like.

Sara (“Sally”) Zimmerman
Class Reporter

Greetings You Talented, Dedicated, Traveling, Major-Life-Decision-Making, Care-giving, Creative, Fit, Physically active, Musical, Mini-reunion loving, Spouse-Children- Grandchildren- and -Pet adoring, Teaching, Newly-retiring, Still working, Volunteering, Gardening, Reading, Art and Fiber-art making, Amends-making, Life-loving, and Beautiful-people Classmates!

Thank you everyone who sent news:

Linda MacDonough Morrow : “George and I spent two weeks in Europe in May. His youngest is living near Paris while in grad school. George, as a dutiful father, visited her to be sure she is doing OK (in Paris!) and I, as a good wife, accompanied him (to Paris!). We also spent a few days in Barcelona to visit a former Penn State nutrition student/friend.

In September my 42-yr-old daughter married for the first time to a man 10 years her senior who had never been married before. I’m sure there was a lot of adjustment to be made on both sides, but they seem to be doing well. George and I visited them over the Mother’s Day weekend and had a great day touring Ft. McHenry, near their Baltimore home.”

Marjorie Simmons Carlson: “Our oldest grandson, Chris, Jr., is now an attorney in the States Attorney’s Office in Charleston, WVA – he recently vacationed with two buddies in Iceland; Bill and I were at High Point University on May 7 to attend the graduation of our granddaughter, Hannah; granddaughter Molly Carlson Berger will receive her Elementary Ed. Degree from Maryland Univ. on May 19, and…the “Library Lady” (that’s me) will be retiring from Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, MD, on June 8 after 37 years of service. These are the highlights; there’s much more ‘on my plate’!”

Candee Mack Westdorp: “We have two grandsons graduating from college. Our granddaughter is in her second year of serving in the Peace Corps after graduating from college.
We are fine and playing lots of tennis. Best wishes to all classmates.”

Jane Hoskins Bollman: “Not much has changed for me, but as I write this, just home from teaching a weekly art class, I’d have to mention the enjoyment I get teaching senior citizens (as opposed to junior high students in the 60’s). It is a lot more fun! Thanks to Jack Davis at Hood for developing my passion for art.”

Pam Roberts Welham: “Bonjour! Walt and I were in Paris for a three week visit- another item off our bucket list. We had an apartment in the Marais with a small ‘place’ across the street that has a Wed and Sat market. Yesterday I bought cherries, strawberries, cheese, and lilacs. Idyllic! We took a two-day tour to the Loire Valley and also visited Chartres for a day. Otherwise, we learned more about the Paris bus system and visited some of our favorite places in this wonderful city.
We sold our house in Annandale, VA before leaving on this trip and will move to the retirement community nearby, The Fairfax, in August. We are looking forward to living in smaller quarters with less upkeep- easier to leave when we travel. A classmate of Walt, USNA ’62, and his wife (Joan and Pete Odell) are staying in our house while we are away and they wait for their apartment at Bay Woods, an Annapolis retirement community, to be completed. A sign of the times for our contemporaries. We are looking forward to this next chapter- what better way to begin than a trip to Paris?!!!”

Marvia Slade Perreult: “We flew to Buffalo in February to spend time with daughter Melanie, now the Provost of Buffalo State University, and had our return trip delayed one day due to snow. I’m becoming involved in committees in the 55+ community in which we live. Also have been volunteering at Salisbury University, in the Historical Research Center, transcribing a 1799 handwritten (duh!) diary of a prominent local figure to computer. Very interesting!

Other than that, looking forward to finally getting together again with Bobbi Arthur Pretzsch, Linda Martin McManus, and Gail Wood Fortin this September in Fenwick Island, DE.

Barbara Arthur Pretzsch: Our business (daughter, Lyn included) of buying houses in foreclosure, renovating and selling them has been quite a challenge. Mostly I’m a “gopher” and a baby sitter for the grandchildren. When I’m not helping at a house under renovation I’ve been active in 2 line dancing groups, some Zumba classes, Silver Sneakers classes and a crochet and knitting group. Bob and I recently went on a cruise to Cozumel and Progresso. It was lots of fun as several of the cruisers in this group were some of the line dancers in one of my groups. My other line dancing group put on a fund raiser for the Gulf Coast Woman’s Center for Nonviolence. We had 3 line dance teachers, food and door prizes and made nearly $1000.00 for the center. I’m planning on another Crochet Conference trip, one to the Hemingway Days in Key West (my brother-in-law is a Hemingway Look-alike and as such helps select the next Papa Hemingway) and to visit with Hood friends, Gail Wood Fortin, Marvia Slade Perreault and Linda Martin Mc Manus in September. It will be a busy summer. My grandchildren are growing up as they are wont to do and playing baseball/softball this season. They have also played basketball, soccer and karate. Going to games takes up a number of hours each week.
BTW I was at one of my grandchildren’s basketball games and saw a car with a Hood license plate frame. I left a card on the car to let them know there was another Hoodlum in Gulfport, MS but never got a call. Anyone know of anyone in this “neck of the woods” from Hood?”

Doris Dalziel Kimball: “Greetings, all. There are no big changes in our lives. George and I still love living in this cozy condo right on the lake. It is like living on a cruise ship except no one makes our bed or turns the towels into elephants. I plan and plant the gardens surrounding the building because it is still a pleasure. Am trying to find time to do watercolors again and continue to walk around the lake, read for two book clubs and try to remember all the cards played at Bridge. Helping the staff to serve the patients at our gorgeous, local hospice facility is about the only volunteer work I still do. Life is good and precious.”

Judy Hammond Blatchford: “ Park and I continue to travel with Lindblad Expeditions a couple of times a year, most recently to Peru, Chile and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in addition to two weeks in Baja California. We love experiencing nature and exotic animals and places on their small ships with expert naturalists and photography advisors.

This spring we are celebrating two of our granddaughters’ graduations (from Lehigh and Proctor Academy) while our three younger grands are in middle and high schools. Soon thereafter we’ll be heading north to the Adirondacks for the summer. As I write this at the end of May, in three days we’ll be gathering in Baltimore for a mini-reunion with Roger and Jane Hoskins Bollman, Carl and Susan Shinnick Hossfeld, Susan Rugemer Kurtz, Penny Misirian Mardoian, and Ben and Nancy Turner Heckscher. Hard to realize it has been 58 years since we girls first met one another on the Hood campus!”

Penny Mardoian: I went on a wonderful 3 week trip with Smithsonian Journeys to Australia and New Zealand. The highlight of the trip, for me, was seeing the Sydney Opera House from every conceivable location. It has been two years since Art passed away and my life is full of family, friends and volunteer work.”

Susan Shinnick Hossfeld: “Carl and I just returned from a trip to France, five days in Paris in a small, eclectic Latin Quarter apartment, followed by a River Boat Cruise on the Seine. Highlights on the Seine were: charming French villages, Rouen, Normandy, Honfleur and Monet’s House and Gardens. We had a wonderful get-together with Judy and Parker Blatchford, Jane and Roger Bollman, Penny Mardoian, Susan Kurtz , Nancy Heckscher and Ben.”

Harriet Rusty Papst Midge Hoagland: “In May, Bill and I returned from an exciting Viking Ocean cruise to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia and Finland. Now we look forward to an array of events… a grandson’s last crew meet, the national championship in Philadelphia and his high school graduation, a granddaughter’s ballet performance at the Kirov and the youngest of my daughter’s boys receiving his Eagle Boy Scout award. This summer all the children and grandchildren (4 boys, 1 girl) have found time to spend time with us at our summer home in Old Saybrook, CT. Hooray! Life is good.”

Lillian Detrick Blood: “Dave and I have been busy with our organic vegetable garden. This year it was chosen to be featured on the Ridgewood Garden tour. Our 19 year grandson, Aiden flew in from Hermosa Beach, CA to give us some extra help. We are fortunate to be in good health and continue to ski, hike, kayak and spend time with our family. Dave continues to practice cardiology, however, I retired to pursue other interests.”

Elizabeth (Betts) Davis Ackerman: “Here’s the latest exciting(?) news from the Pacific Northwest…….
The nicest part of being a piano teacher right now is that I am teaching my little 8-year old granddaughter. What could be lovelier? This year I have gotten into contra dancing and English country dancing; both lots of fun and good exercise. I am about to put in my veggie garden. My Japanese garden is an ongoing project which I share with my landscape architect son. Recent travels include Cabo San Lucas and Williamsburg Virginia where I learned so much about our history. I live in a beautiful part of the country and welcome any classmates who would like a tour guide.”

Regina Schlank Pyle: “Celebrating our 75 birthdays, I joined a long time pal in Phoenix, where she grew up, and spent February and March, renting a condo to escape Boston’s winter. Monica had driven out with her wonderful albeit large dog, Francesca, and I offered to drive back. So we had a wonderful road trip- 8 days, 2,700 miles, 6 dog friendly motels and visits with friends and relatives along the way. No real sight-seeing because of Francesca but gained a new appreciation for how vast the country is, how totally different various parts are, and just how much of what we buy every day is transported by the thousands of semi-trailers we passed along the way. My major souvenir is a semi-flashy T-shirt with Route 66 emblazoned in sequins.
In early May I attended the first ever reunion of my NYC elementary school – PS 6 – class of 1954 – a mere 62 later. Two gals came up with the idea and through the internet and various networking connections were able to find about half of the 90 classmates. The gal who found me was best friends in high school with my best friend in college, Liz Kovacs, and we were bride’s maids in her wedding…and she remembered. The gals were the hardest to find because of name change. 29 attend the reunion along with 11 spouses. We had a tour of the school with lunch and a dinner reception and buffet at the University Club donated anonymously by a generous class mate. It was an amazing gathering to say the least.

When I was contacted I shared my memories shrouded all these years in shame about a boy who joined our class in 5th grade, 1951 – shy, pudgy, spoke little English and had numbers on his arm. The shame was that no teacher told us what Michael had been through – surviving Auschwitz and being freed 1/45 when 4 years old. He was reunited with his mother who had been sent to another camp and they immigrated to NYC in ’51. The organizers were able to find Michael Bornstein through a holocaust website and he came with his wife. He earned advanced degrees in chemistry and worked for Eli Lilly and Johnson and Johnson; now retired he lives in NYC and New Jersey. After the event he emailed that he wasn’t sure why he attended but now felt closure after 62 years meeting the children that shunned him and the adults who now embraced him. He has co-authored a book, Survivors Club: The True Story of a Very Young Prisoner of Auschwitz, with his daughter, Debbie Bornstein Holinstat, available on Amazon 3/7/17.
All is well in Boston – keeping busy chairing my neighborhood association and a trustee of my condo association. Fortunate to be in great health and sharing my life with Monty, a cairn terrier, and Rossy, a cat.”

Elizabeth Kovacs Dudley Washburn: “Small world. Regina Schlank Pyle (who was my dear half sister at Hood) was invited by my dear friend from Music and Art High School, Lillie Anderson, to attend their 54th Reunion at P.S. 6 in New York City. They had a blast. Both were bridesmaids in my wedding in 1963. My husband Ted and I are enjoying retirement immensely: family time, good friends, entertaining. church activities, gardening – Portland is “Rose City”, doggie time, reading great books, “Silver Sneakers” aerobic classes, etc. I’m painting as much as I can and exhibiting here and there. Since we lived overseas for 16 years (England, Kenya and Turkey) we are happy to stay put. We are always ready to share a meal and visit with any Hoodite passing through Lake Oswego, Oregon.”

Ann Holmes Flatt: “Aside from a few health issues, JP and I have gratefully enjoyed another good year, keeping happily occupied with family, friends, community activities, trips in our RV, and travels abroad, most recently a Safari in Kenya. I never thought that item in my bucket list would become a reality. WOW! What a treat! In September we have plans to return to Switzerland to visit family and friends.
Art classes have me exploring different mediums. For now it’s challenging watercolor. Singing with the Worcester Chorus has been rewarding in many ways. In addition to our 4 annual concerts, we recently hosted singers from Mexico City for a week and performed 2 concerts with them in New Haven, CT and in Worcester, MA. This August we will be going to Québec City for a week to perform in a Music Festival. Two of our concerts will be with a Québec chorus.
Skiing in the winter, yoga, hikes up our local Mt Wachusett, and happy hours in my garden help to keep me centered and sane!
JP and I enjoy occasional get-togethers with Rusty Papst and Bill Hoagland. We welcome any other Hood classmates to visit us whenever they are in the area. We are still in our large turn-of-the-century home in Princeton, MA and like to have reasons to keep it! We are not ready to downsize – yet – but realistically know it is not far away!”

Judi Simonsen Ziobro: “Ed and I are still enjoying good health and as much family time with our kids and their kids as they are able to share with us. We did our usual Florida trip in March, saw Judy Bailey Allison and Tom, then did a cruise with Judy Jensen Burgess and Gordon to the Panama Canal and some other ports along the coasts of South and Central America. Beautiful scenery and a truly wonderful experience with our only mosquito encounter happening in Ft. Lauderdale before the cruise began. I still am involved in making music in my church, in both vocal and handbell choirs, and sewing of all sorts for all sorts of projects (Shepherds’ robes, Days for Girls kits, alterations for prom dresses, etc.). It keeps the mind active and gives me an excuse for not doing housekeeping duties. Life is good!”

Barbie Reeves McGee: “Wow – What a year it has been for me. My husband has been in the hospital twice for heart issues. He is stable now but is not in good health. As for me, I am lucky to be in good health. I just keep going. Being busy is good for me. I finished another year of subbing – had decided to give it up but changed my mind. I need the mental stimulation of dealing with the youth of today.

I am also involved in a retired teachers group. My position is to plan five luncheons a year. Then I work with a “Find Arts” group to raise funds for scholarships for high school seniors who are going to college in the arts.

For a great read: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. It’s non-fiction but reads like a novel.

I wonder what Dr. Lewis would have to say about the ‘2016 Race to the White House.’ Looking forward to our next reunion.”

Sara (aka Sally) Zimmerman: class reporter…. For all of you who said you may get in touch with me next time you are coming to the west coast of Florida, yes, do it! I have a small home on a lake preserve and bird watchers’ paradise on Esprit Drive in New Tampa, only three miles off of I-75, and I love sharing it with friends. Not during these summer months, though. It’s a good time to beat the heat, and I’ll be flying to Columbus, OH in a few weeks for a national meeting of Unitarian Universalist ministers and a visit with a niece and her family. In July, I’m booked for a trip to Milwaukee to visit my daughter and grandchildren Henry (12) and Helen (9). Henry just graduated from 6th grade. In August, I’ll be flying to Pennsylvania to attend our 58th Central Dauphin high school reunion. Now in retirement from full-time parish ministry, I’m much busier as a consultant and free-lance minister doing Sunday pulpit supply than I ever thought I would be and loving it. SZ

Sara “Sally” Zimmerman
813-971-8390
revsaraz@aol.com

From the 25 responses received, I can report that we love and are proud of our children and grandchildren, we travel, read many books, deal with health crises –our own and those of our loved ones. One of us got engaged; others celebrated long marriages. We exercise, some of us play bridge, paint, and work at mastering new technology. This is not easy; after all, we hand wrote English class papers or used manual typewriters! Marjorie Westergaard, my sophomore year roommate, says she’s trying to figure the ins and outs of Facebook. “Gotta keep up with modern times,” she says. Jane Hoskins Bollman, having computer problems says, “I hate getting used to new technology – anyone else feel that way?” Jane reads a lot and recommends The Boys in the Boat. She also teaches art, paints, plays bridge, and exercises at the Y. Lillian Detrick Blood recommends Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard; Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick; and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Lillian and Janet McDougall met for an enjoyable lunch in NYC. Penny Misirian Mardoian hosted Nancy Turner Heckscher and Ben at her home in Maine this summer. Penny is looking forward to three weeks of touring Australia and New Zealand with a close friend at the end of January. Phoebe Adams Marshall visited her sister (Shirley Adams Beheler, Hood ’56) and her family. Phoebe plays tennis four days a week and sings with a Masterworks Chorale and church choir. Elizabeth Davis Ackerman greets us from Vancouver. She is now in her 55th year of teaching piano, and has 26 students, the most favorite her eight- year-old granddaughter. She reports many winners at state, regional, and national levels. She currently serves as president for the Clark County (WA) National Federation of Music Clubs. This summer she visited a music friend in the San Juan Islands. Betts says, “If anyone wants to come to the Portland area, I would be happy to show them around. From my house I have views of the Cascades, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams.” Barbara Arthur Pretzsch traveled to San Diego to attend the Knit and Crochet Show, as she tries to do each year. Congratulations to Barbara for the honor of being asked to be a Junior Reviewer for the Crochet Guild of America Master’s program. Judy Hammond Blatchford reports that she and Park had a wonderful trip to South Africa that featured a foremost export on the lemurs of Madagascar, none other than Patricia Chappie Wright, Hood ’66. Judy and Park also traveled to Peru, Chile, and Easter Island. Regina Schlank Pyle successfully bid on a fabulous seven-day safari in Zulu Nyala, an hour north of Durbin. On her return trip, she spent five days in London catching up with friends. “Life is good and I’m fortunate,” Regina says. Dr. Martha Atkinson Meadows reports that she still teaches part time at Hood. Martha travels – most recently to Provence with the Hood alum tour and says: “Excellent and beautiful. I encourage all to consider the next alum sponsored trip.” Susan Shinnick Hossfeld and Carl traveled to London and Scotland this summer with Jane Hoskins Bollman and Roger who joined them in Scotland. Barbara Kirby Stewart and Paul headed west in May, met Paul’s daughters at Crystal Bridges (the Walmart heiress’ art museum), then on to Monument Valley, Moab, Death Valley Furnace Creek Ranch, San Diego to visit Barbara’s daughters and families, then LA, Utah, and home through the Rockies.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Pauley who recently became engaged to Lou. They met in 1959. Beth says, “Two years ago I read about the death of Lou’s wife in the county paper. I sent him a note. He invited me to breakfast. We have been doing things together since, like fly fishing.” The happy couple traveled to England, France and Switzerland in August. Lynn MacDonough Morrow hosted her daughter’s wedding reception at her farm. Lynn says, “Both the 42 year old bride and the 52 year old groom were making their first trip to the altar after 18 years of knowing each other and three years of dating.”
Betty Appel Bailey and Tom celebrated their 50th anniversary in July and took a coach trip up the California coast. They are simplifying their lives by selling their second home in Palm Desert, CA. They enjoy attending the soccer games and swim meets of their three granddaughters. Marjorie Simmons Carlson reports impressive happenings in the lives of her nine grandkids. Some highlights: Christopher passed the W. Virginia Bar and works at the state’s attorney’s office in Charleston, W. Va.; granddaughter Molly got married; Thomas went to Towson U.; and Hannah will graduate next May from High Point Univ. Sarah Enos Karpowitz’s daughter Jennifer and her husband Steve have three children, and Sarah’s son Jim and wife have two teenagers. Sarah goes to water aerobics regularly and says she is “working on staying healthy and productive as time marches on!” She works part time taking care of clients who need help.
Congratulations to Margo Friedman and Sidney whose daughter Dr. Lisa Miller’s book The Spiritual Child: The New Science of Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving, was published recently by St. Martin’s Press. Lisa has appeared on the Today Show and in early fall was interviewed by Robin Young on NPR. Lisa is Director of the Clinical Psychology Program and Director of the Mind Body Institute at Columbia U.
Jody Merritt Watson is moving and promises more news next time. Marvia Slade Perreault’s daughter Melanie encouraged her parents to move to Salisbury, MD to be near her, and they did so. Then Melanie was offered the position of Provost at Buffalo State University, part of SUNY. Now Melanie would like them to move to Buffalo. Marvia says, “The idea of moving again is not on our bucket list.” Liz Decker Rogers reports that Bill, who has Lewy Body Dementia, was moved to a memory care facility in Alameda, CA closer to home, easier for her. Liz is “recovering from a dog dust up that ended up with several pelvic fractures and a fractured humerus.” She recovered enough to travel to Baja in early October to celebrate her daughter-in-law’s birthday, her son Matt’s 45th, and her own 75th. Liz says it has been a challenging year and adds: “I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will rise to whatever occasions come my way.” Just before submitting this column, I received a PS from Liz: “I had an absolutely great 75th surprise birthday party” (back home in Alameda).
Linda Keyler White reported trying to help her elderly mother have a peaceful ending to her 98 years of life here on earth and that she is very busy making many decisions. Hugs for you, Linda.
Rusty Papst Hougland: Last fall Rusty and Bill traveled to Portugal and Spain. This summer, she had two melanoma surgeries on her left shin. Rusty says: “Now all is well. In spite of that I managed a wonderful trip to Europe with my daughter, Mary. We were celebrating her 50th birthday. I think I broke my all time reading record: I read 15 books in the three months I had to sit with my leg elevated.”
Judi Simonsen Ziobro describes herself as “a content woman, with a life full of love and good things. My joys are my family and friends, music, and trips to our bay house where we eat great seafood, and watch the water and sunsets. This summer we enjoyed a visit from 20 dolphins who toured our creek and played with the raft we were pulling behind our boat. The grandkids were sooooo impressed with the dolphins. Better than anything at Sea World! Life is so good!”
Sunny Griffin recently wrote a chapter of a newly published book, which has become a number one best seller over the last few days. The book title is One Crazy Broccoli—My Body is Smarter than My Disease.
Sara “Sally” Zimmerman Until I find the fountain of youth here in Florida, I am working out at the New Tampa YMCA four days a week, mostly resistance and balance exercises. Post retirement, I continue to be active as a minister, about six times a year writing and giving sermons as guest speaker on Sunday mornings, and I serve my Unitarian Universalist colleagues in Florida as a volunteer Good Officer. (sort of a trouble shooter, mediator role). I start every day by naming 10 things I am grateful for, and every day this week, I have been grateful to all of you.

Sara “Sally” Zimmerman
813-971-8390
revsaraz@aol.com

From Betty Appel Bailey: “Nothing has changed …. fortunately. All is well.”

From Jane Bollman: “Teaching art classes and taking art workshops, two book clubs, two bridge clubs, occasional R&R at our little one-room cabin in Tidewater Virginia, and some travel out of the country keeps me out of trouble.” Jane’s April update: “I’m happy to emerge from a long cold winter so I can go outside and do some plein air painting.”

Marjorie Simmons Carlson: “Bill and I have reached a new family “milestone”: our granddaughter, Molly, junior at MD U in Elementary Ed, will be married July 11.***Our grandson, Christopher, Jr., will graduate from George Washington Law School in May.” signed “L.L.” (aka “Library Lady”)

Ann Holmes Flatt observes: “2014 was a wonderful year, filled with many happy family gatherings, several travel adventures and good health. Our three ‘kids’ are all well, engaged in various activities and trying to keep up with their kids, our 5 grandchildren! The oldest grandson, 20, is now a sophomore at William and Mary. Youngest grand twins are now 4 and we are lucky to have them living not far from here. We enjoy frequent times spent with our special needs daughter who lives in a nearby town. Our RV continues to bring us on amazing trips and adventures throughout the US. Having left it in AZ for the winter, we drove it home to MA travelling through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut – so many beautiful sites. We loved every mile!

Here winter is throwing us an impressive punch. With today’s latest storm we have a good five feet of while fluffy snow. (Ann’s update on 2/19/15: “We’re now up to 8 feet, 9 inches.”) We have been enjoying some wonderful skiing on our local Mount Wachusett Ski Area and cross country skiing and snow shoeing on many nearby trails. Tonight’s temps will plummet to below zero – a bit less fun! More snow is expected in the next few days with ‘significant accumulation’. So far I’m still loving it! At the end of Feb. we are travelling to Switzerland for 10 days to surprise JP’s brother on his 80th birthday. In late March we are going to Mexico with one of our grandsons, continuing our plan to take each grandchild on a trip when they reach 16. I am still singing with the Worcester Chorus now rehearsing Bach’s St John’s Passion for our next concert and also enjoy taking a painting class at the Worcester Art Museum.”
From Caroline Fischer Giles: “Other than surviving severe winter storms here in New Hampshire, we have been planning our trips for the year ahead. We are scheduled to go to Monterey, CA in March to visit our son and daughter-in-law Katy. This June we plan to be in Brazil (Sao Luis) visiting with another daughter-in-law’ s family and then in September, a house exchange with our cottage is planned for Normandy, France. We are fortunate to enjoy good health and try to stay in shape using the fitness center at UNH. I still love my work with the UNH Marine Docent Program and Brian continues his work with environmental issues at the state and local level. One of the greatest joys these past few years, has been our times with our grandchildren, Brenon (3 and 1/2) and Benjamin, (1and 1/2). As you might guess, we are the oldest grandparents of the youngest grandchildren, and we are thoroughly enjoying our roles as Nana and Grandpa.”
Sunny Griffin writes from Thailand: “Our year has been pretty wonderful with my oldest daughter, Kelly, getting married in a fabulous wedding at the home of a billionaire on the beach in Malibu in September. Kelly is a movie producer, she married an agent, and the wedding was a gift from the billionaire. It was like a Hollywood dream come true ….. followed immediately by a 2 week trip to China for my husband and me. The Chinese importer of my skin care line, Astara, invited us to Beijing and Shanghai to do PR for the product line and treated us like celebrities the entire time we were there. There are 300 million WEALTHY middle class people in China today, all potential customers for us, and the country is amazing and must be seen to be believed. A Chinese website, TMall (that carries Astara products as well as thousands of other brands) sells $1 BILLION A DAY!!!!! We will spend the rest of the winter in Thailand and return to Telluride sometime in May.”
Nancy Turner Heckscher observes: “Not much news here except I see Judy Hammond Blatchford as she and Park live next to us here in Berwyn. We did go to Hong Kong for Christmas to see our Grands and stay with step son, Chris and Evonne and my son Jon and Amanda and their 3 girls! Such fun and busy household with a 9 month Labradoodle!!!!”
Susan Shinnick Hossfeld says: “Carl and I are still traveling while we are able. Fall found us on a river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest and on to Vienna for three days. Late January 2015, we leave for Big Sky, Montana , winter in Yellowstone National Park and on the way home we are stopping off in San Francisco, Monterey and Carmel. We leave in March for Snowmass, Colorado with the children and grandchildren for a week of skiing. (Unfortunately, I had to give up skiing) In late July we leave for Scotland and London. Our summer plans include a trip to Rehoboth Beach with our extended family of twelve.”
From Doris Dalziel Kimball: “George and I drove out east last fall to French Canada by way of Cape Cod. The fall colors were exceptional all the way north. A trip of walking and hiking back and forth between Vermont and Canada provided by Road Scholar inspired the whole trip. We were headquartered in a wee town called Glen Sutton which is where wildly famous Canadian author Louise Penny wrote her first Inspector Gamache mysteries. Three Pines was fashioned after Glen Sutton. Some of my friends are actually jealous that we were seeing places that inspired the author Louise Penny.” April update: “After volunteering for the Lake Area Free Health Clinic for about 8 years, I added the beautiful hospice facility in my town to my helping list. After hearing a group of women singing to the patients I joined the local Threshold Choir singers (one of about 1700 groups nationwide) and will soon be singing to the patients as well as assisting family and staff as they bid their loved ones a final good-bye.”
Penny M. Mardoian writes: “I spent a week in Budapest, Hungary at Thanksgiving. My life is going forward since my husband Art passed away. My oldest grandson, Michael, is at Trinity College in Hartford and so I get to see more of my PA family.”
Susan Auf Der Hyde Markscheffel responded to my remarks in an email about food in the Virgin Islands: “I enjoyed reading of your pleasure in roti!!! Made me hungry!!! I’m a “foreign” (?) food junkie and love Ethiopian, West Indian, Indian, and Middle Eastern foods. I’m fortunate to have a daughter and granddaughter who will enjoy it all, right along with me. (oink!)”
Janet Zwinck Morrison asks: “Remember sun bathing on the gym roof? We even used baby oil mixed with iodine to improve our tans. As a result I now call my skin color “age Spot.”

From Lynn MacDonough Morrow: “George and I returned Feb. 8 from a 2-week mission trip in Nicaragua. It was my 6th time to go; each year it gets better as I am building relationships with team members, the missionaries and especially with the local Nicaraguans. I practice my modest Spanish with the children and teens who know some English and we share a lot of laughs as we use body language and the little we know in each others’ language to communicate.
One of the jobs I do each year is to help fill over 600 backpacks with school supplies, purchased on the local economy with funds donated by supporters in PA. The Nica. school year coincides with the calendar year so school resumes the first of February. We reward the local kids who earned good grades the previous school year with the supplies they need to start in their new grade. Public schools are so poor that the kids have to supply their own notebooks, pencils, etc. to copy what the teachers write on the black board because there aren’t text books for the children. Without supplies the children can’t go to school; the families in the community typically can’t afford to buy the spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, rulers, etc they need, so our donations are not only a reward for past learning but also make it possible for the children to continue their education.”

Lynn’s April 2015 update: “I think my biggest news is that my hair color is now silver.
Years ago we all made our own decisions about whether to color our hair when the gray appeared. Some of us who “hit the bottle” are still a youthful brown or blonde but others have gone through the transition to “natural”……whatever turned out to be hiding under the purchased color. I had fretted for years over how I would let the bottle brown grow out. My mother had stunning white hair but close examination in the mirror of my roots before monthly coloring had convinced me that I had not inherited her white hair genes. Last summer the sun, swimming pool chlorine, lighter purchased color and advanced years all combined to indicate it was time for me to go natural. The sun- and pool-bleached color was so light that I hoped the demarcation line wouldn’t be too hideous so I returned my unopened packages of Preference hair color to remove temptation and never looked back. Last month my hair dresser cut the final tips of colored hair and I have to say that I’m happy with the “real me.” It took about 7 months (August to March) and I do have rather short hair so it wasn’t as dreadful as I had feared. What is funny is that I have noticed that friends my age and older tend to comment about my new color but younger people don’t mention it…..do they think it would be rude, like asking someone about the big zit on their chin? I want to say, “I know it’s gray…..It is my choice…..you may comment because I know it’s a big change.”

From Barbara Arthur Pretzsch: “Bob worked in Utah last summer. I drove out alone but back with Lyn and the grandkids. We visited in the Ogden area then on the way home stopped at Bryce Canyon, Best Friends in Kanab, then Colorado to take the Silverton Durango train and then a stop at Pagosa Springs for a dip in their hot springs.
In July I took a trip to the Crochet Guild conference in Manchester, NH and took a few days before to travel up the coast with a friend and visited Teal West Hugo. I also visited with Gail Wood Fortin, Marvia Slade Perreault and Linda Martin McManus the end of the summer at Fenwick Island, DE. We have been taking a trip together for quite a few years now.
My line dancing is one way I stay active. We had a nice cruise in November with other line dancers. We got a taste of what it was like on a rocking ship for the dancers who put on the evening shows we saw each evening. We learned a new line dance on the stage one afternoon.
Our 4 legged kid situation has changed. Patches, our Shih Tzu, was with Bob last summer. I decided to add another dog to the family: a little Chihuahua (with the name Patches) we named Little Patch. I was worried that Patches might not approve but they get along fine.
I wish anyone traveling along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Interstate 10 would stop and say hi, or stay overnight with me. We are about equidistant between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL. Call me at 859-588-3911.”
Arden Reynolds echoes what most of you in New England are saying about January/February: “As I write this I’m looking out at more snow falling, after the two feet of snow a few days after the blizzard of 2015 here in Massachusetts. We are also knee deep in converting our screened in porch to a year round sunroom. It all started when we decided to switch from electric heat to gas heat, and from there it snowballed (another winter reference!) to a kitchen renovation and sunroom.”
Liz Decker Rogers in CA: On hearing my news that I was doing ministry in St. John, V.I. in January, Liz wrote: “I have fond memories of that island.”
From Barbara Stewart: “We are in constant battle with SNOW and the frigid cold here in Downeast Maine. In spite of it all we are still loving our life here. I have made up for lost time by taking up watercolors, rug hooking and quilting. I was not able to enjoy my crafts while working. Paul enjoys shoveling snow, weeding, mowing, and house painting.
We have been taking long road trips in the US and Canada. We will be heading for San Diego in June to celebrate another big birthday with my daughters and their families. At this point in our lives, all is good. You can’t ask for more than that!”

Liz Kovacs Dudley Washburn observes: “It’s hard to believe we’re approaching 75! Looking back, the “Cold War” loomed large. Now we have new dangers. I’ve been very fortunate to have lived in England, Kenya and Turkey as well as the East and West coasts of the USA. All of them were political “hot spots”. In all those places there was violence; criminal as well as terrorist. Yet what really stands out is the beauty, warmth and hospitality of each. Reading what other ’62 alums have done, I would say we are a well traveled group. All this traveling around and international connectedness is making the world a better place. We retirees are so blessed! We have time to graciously volunteer, be there for our families, “fill in the cracks’ as one friend put it. My husband and I are very involved in family life, our church, art: I paint, he makes furniture. We do charity work, travel, do animal care, reading and a movie group. Life is full! We live in Lake Oswego, Oregon, near Portland and would love to hear from fellow alums who may travel this way.
We are in a thought provoking study series at church, “Why Evil Exists”, video lectures by Prof. Charles Mathewes, PhD (Great Courses series). He surveys 3000 years of history, philosophy and theology. The course is immensely helpful in trying to understand the “evils’ that exist in today’s world as well as the past. So I give credit to our Liberal Arts education at Hood and our excellent professors, Dr. Mehl, et al. for instilling in us a lifelong love of learning.”
In Liz’s April update, she commented on the Feb. online column. She said, “It is inspiring to read what everyone is doing. It is humbling to acknowledge that we made it through the 20th century to live into our 70’s, many of us now grandmothers. Love does make the world go ‘round, so it seems.”

Jody M. Watson says: “Peter and I just celebrated our 50th anniversary in November and we’re certainly looking forward to many more. We may downsize to eliminate some of the hassles of home-ownership, such as shoveling out from the blizzard we just experienced here on the Maine coast! We haven’t heard too many complaints about that kind of a move.
We do look forward to a Florida trip in early March.”

From Pam Roberts Welham: “Our planned Baltic cruise was cancelled for two reasons- one, Vladimir Putin and second, Walt was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Instead, we had a “radiation vacation” for two months in Jacksonville, Fl in July and August. Jacksonville has one of about twenty centers for proton-beam radiation therapy in our country. This is an extremely effective treatment for prostate cancer which has minimal side effects. We had two friends who had their treatment in JAX and recommended it highly. We had a great time- Walt chose to have the treatment every weekday morning leaving the rest of the day and weekends for sight-seeing in the area and visiting FL, GA and NC friends. JAX is a wonderful city with beautiful beaches and great restaurants. All in all, everything worked well for us. We are strong supporters of proton-beam treatment, which is becoming available for more and more types of cancer that need radiation treatment.” In a few days we leave on what Walt calls his “sayonara WestPac” cruise- Hong Kong to Beijing. We will travel with Navy friends of over 50 years!! My first trip to Japan was in 1964 when I met Walt’s submarine- I expect to see great changes!!!”
From Judi Ziobro: “Ed and I are healthy, enjoying our lives, and look forward to getting together with our friends whenever the opportunity presents itself. We are close (physical distance) to 5 of the 6 grandchildren (all 8 and under – so they still enjoy being with us), and that fills our “spare” time. I am still very active in music — vocal choir and handbell choirs at the church – various church committees (mostly dealing with $$), and sewing (of all kinds). I seem to have no lack of things to do. Ed, on the other hand, while he still dabbles in real estate, is pursuing perfection in retirement. Life is good!”
And now, from me, your class reporter, Sara (you can call me Sally) Zimmerman: I was diagnosed with a small breast cancer last fall, had a lumpectomy in October, and radiation therapy the first week in December: five days of radiation (“brachytherapy”), twice a day, very focused. Then later in December, when the last-minute opportunity came up to travel to St. John, V.I., and do three weeks of ministry there in January 2015, I jumped at the opportunity, and all worked out just fine. April update: More recently, I enjoyed lunch with Caroline Fischer Giles and Brian during their visit to nearby Tarpon Springs, FL; and spent a couple of days on Anna Maria Island with Doris Dalziel Kimball and George. Great dolphin and bird watching! My 2014 stage one breast cancer surgery and radiation are well behind me now, and I’m feeling well and grateful.
I share the interest that many of you express in other places, countries, and cultures. That reminds me: remember Heba Brynjolfs (Mrs. H. Heba Brynjolfs Wilde ’65) from Reykjavik, Iceland, who attended Hood in ’61 and ’62? She lived in England for many years but is now back in Reykjavik. We kept in touch for awhile, and Hood provided me with her current contact information, so that when my daughter Jenny and a friend visited Reykjavik last summer, Heba and her son met them for coffee.
I loved hearing from everyone and thank you. Sally Zimmerman, Tampa, FL revsaraz@aol.com

Sally Zimmerman, Class Reporter
revsaraz@aol.com

From Betty Appel Bailey:  “Nothing has changed  …. fortunately.  All is well.”

From Jane Bollman:  “Teaching art classes and taking art workshops, two book clubs, two bridge clubs, occasional R&R at our little one-room cabin in Tidewater Virginia, and some travel out of the country keeps me out of trouble.”

Marjorie Simmons Carlson: “Bill and I have reached a new family “milestone”:  our granddaughter, Molly, junior at MD U in Elementary Ed, will be married July 11.***Our grandson, Christopher, Jr., will graduate from George Washington Law School in May.” signed “L.L.”  (aka “Library Lady”)

Ann Holmes Flatt observes:  “2014 was a wonderful year, filled with many happy family gatherings, several travel adventures and good health. Our three ‘kids’ are all well, engaged in various activities and trying to keep up with their kids, our 5 grandchildren! The oldest grandson, 20, is now a sophomore at William and Mary. Youngest grand twins are now 4 and we are lucky to have them living not far from here. We enjoy frequent times spent with our special needs daughter who lives in a nearby town. Our RV continues to bring us on amazing trips and adventures throughout the US.  Having left it in AZ for the winter, we drove it home to MA travelling through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut   –  so many beautiful sites.  We loved every mile!

Here winter is throwing us an impressive punch.  With today’s latest storm we have a good five feet of while fluffy snow.  (Ann’s update on 2/19/15:  “We’re now up to 8 feet, 9 inches.”)  We have been enjoying some wonderful skiing on our local Mount Wachusett Ski Area and cross country skiing and snow shoeing on many nearby trails.  Tonight’s temps will plummet to below zero   –  a bit less fun! More snow is expected in the next few days with ‘significant accumulation’.  So far I’m still loving it!  At the end of Feb. we are travelling to Switzerland for 10 days to surprise JP’s brother on his 80^th birthday.  In late March we are going to Mexico with one of our grandsons, continuing our plan to take each grandchild on a trip when they reach 16.  I am still singing with the Worcester Chorus now rehearsing Bach’s St John’s Passion for our next concert and also enjoy taking a painting class at the Worcester Art Museum.”

From Caroline Fischer Giles:  “Other than surviving severe winter storms here in New Hampshire, we have been planning our trips for the year ahead.  We are scheduled to go to Monterey, CA in March to visit our son and daughter-in-law Katy.  This June we plan to be in Brazil (Sao Luis) visiting with another daughter-in-law’ s family and then in September, a house exchange with our cottage is planned for Normandy, France.   We are fortunate to enjoy good health and try to stay in shape using the fitness center at UNH. I still love my work with the UNH Marine Docent Program and Brian continues  his work with environmental issues at the state and local level.  One of the greatest joys these past few years, has been our times with our grandchildren, Brenon (3 and 1/2) and Benjamin, (1and 1/2). As you might guess, we are the oldest grandparents of the youngest grandchildren, and we are thoroughly enjoying our roles as Nana and Grandpa.”

Sunny Griffin writes from Thailand:  “Our year has been pretty wonderful with my oldest daughter, Kelly, getting married in a fabulous wedding at the home of a billionaire on the beach in Malibu in September. Kelly is a movie producer, she married an agent, and the wedding was a gift from the billionaire. It was like a Hollywood dream come true ….. followed immediately by a 2 week trip to China for my husband and me. The Chinese importer of my skin care line, Astara, invited us to Beijing and Shanghai to do PR for the product line and treated us like celebrities the entire time we were there. There are 300 million WEALTHY middle class people in China today, all potential customers for us, and the country is amazing and must be seen to be believed. A Chinese website, TMall (that carries Astara products as well as thousands of other brands) sells $1 BILLION A DAY!!!!! We will spend the rest of the winter in Thailand and return to Telluride sometime in May.”

Nancy Turner Heckscher observes:  “Not much news here except I see Judy Hammond Blatchford as she and Park live next to us here in Berwyn.  We did go to Hong Kong for Christmas to see our Grands and stay with step son, Chris and Evonne and my son Jon and Amanda and their 3 girls!  Such fun and busy household with a 9 month Labradoodle!!!!”

Susan Shinnick Hossfeld says:  “Carl and I are still traveling while we are able.  Fall found us on a river cruise from Bucharest to Budapest and on to Vienna for three days.  Late January 2015, we leave for Big Sky, Montana , winter in Yellowstone National  Park and on the way home we are stopping off in San Francisco, Monterey and Carmel.  We leave  in March for Snowmass, Colorado with the children and grandchildren for a week of skiing. (Unfortunately, I had to give up skiing) In late July we leave for Scotland and London.  Our summer plans include a trip to Rehoboth Beach with our extended family of twelve.”

From Doris Dalziel Kimball:  “George and I drove out east last fall to French Canada by way of Cape Cod.  The fall colors were exceptional all the way north.  A trip of walking and hiking back and forth between Vermont and Canada provided by Road Scholar inspired the whole trip.  We were headquartered in a wee town called Glen Sutton which is where wildly famous Canadian author Louise Penny wrote her first Inspector Gamache mysteries.  Three Pines was fashioned after Glen Sutton.  Some of my friends are actually jealous that we were seeing places that inspired the author Louise Penny.”

Penny M. Mardoian writes:  “I spent a week in Budapest, Hungary at Thanksgiving.  My life is going forward since my husband Art passed away.  My oldest grandson, Michael, is at Trinity College in Hartford and so I get to see more of my PA family.”

Susan Auf Der Hyde Markscheffel responded to my remarks in an email about food in the Virgin Islands: “I enjoyed reading of your pleasure in roti!!!  Made me hungry!!! I’m a “foreign” (?) food junkie and love Ethiopian, West Indian, Indian, and Middle Eastern foods.  I’m fortunate to have a daughter and granddaughter who will enjoy it all, right along with me. (oink!)”

Janet Zwinck Morrison asks:  “Remember sun bathing on the gym roof?  We even used baby oil mixed with iodine to improve our tans.  As a result I now call my skin color “age Spot.”

From Lynn MacDonough Morrow:  “George and I returned Feb. 8 from a 2-week mission trip in Nicaragua.   It was my 6th time to go; each year it gets better as I am building relationships with team members, the missionaries and especially with the local Nicaraguans.  I practice my modest Spanish with the children and teens who know some English and we share a lot of laughs as we use body language and the little we know in each others’ language to communicate. One of the jobs I do each year is to help fill over 600 backpacks with school supplies, purchased on the local economy with funds donated by supporters in PA. The Nica. school year coincides with the calendar year so school resumes the first of February.  We reward the local kids who earned good grades the previous school year with the supplies they need to start in their new grade. Public schools are so poor that the kids have to supply their own notebooks, pencils, etc. to copy what the teachers write on the black board because there aren’t text books for the children.  Without supplies the children can’t go to school; the families in the community typically can’t afford to buy the spiral notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, rulers, etc they need, so our donations are not only a reward for past learning but also make it possible for the children to continue their education.”

From Barbara Arthur Pretzsch:  “Bob worked in Utah last summer.  I drove out alone but back with Lyn and the grandkids.  We visited in the Ogden area then on the way home stopped at Bryce Canyon, Best Friends in Kanab, then Colorado to take the Silverton Durango train and then a stop at Pagosa Springs for a dip in their hot springs.

In July I took a trip to the Crochet Guild conference in Manchester, NH and took a few days before to travel up the coast with a friend and visited Teal West Hugo.  I also visited with Gail Wood Fortin, Marvia Slade Perreault and Linda Martin McManus the end of the summer at Fenwick Island, DE. We have been taking a trip together for quite a few years now.

My line dancing is one way I stay active. We had a nice cruise in November with other line dancers. We got a taste of what it was like on a rocking ship for the dancers who put on the evening shows we saw each evening.  We learned a new line dance on the stage one afternoon.

Our 4 legged kid situation has changed.  Patches, our Shih Tzu, was with Bob last summer.  I decided to add another dog to the family: a little Chihuahua (with the name Patches) we named Little Patch.  I was worried that Patches might not approve but they get along fine.

I wish anyone traveling along the Mississippi Gulf Coast on Interstate 10 would stop and say hi, or stay overnight with me.  We are about equidistant between New Orleans, LA and Mobile, AL.  Call me at 859-588-3911.”

Arden Reynolds echoes what most of you in New England are saying about January/February: “As I write this I’m looking out at more snow falling, after the two feet of snow a few days after the blizzard of 2015 here in Massachusetts.  We are also knee deep in converting our screened in porch to a year round sunroom.  It all started when we decided to switch from electric heat to gas heat, and from there it snowballed (another winter reference!) to a kitchen renovation and sunroom.”

Liz Decker Rogers in CA: On hearing my news that I was doing ministry in St. John, V.I. in January, Liz wrote:  “I have fond memories of that island.”

From Barbara Stewart:  “We are in constant battle with SNOW and the frigid cold here in Downeast Maine. In spite of it all we are still loving our life here.  I have made up for lost time by taking up watercolors, rug hooking and quilting. I was not able to enjoy my crafts while working. Paul enjoys shoveling snow, weeding, mowing, and house painting.

We have been taking long road trips in the US and Canada. We will be heading for San Diego in June to celebrate another big birthday with my daughters and their families.  At this point in our lives, all is good.  You can’t ask for more than that!”

Liz Kovacs Dudley Washburn observes:  “It’s hard to believe we’re approaching 75!   Looking back, the “Cold War” loomed large.  Now we have new dangers. I’ve been very fortunate to have lived in England, Kenya and Turkey as well as the East and West coasts of the USA.  All of them were political “hot spots”. In all those places there was violence; criminal as well as terrorist. Yet what really stands out is the beauty, warmth and hospitality of each. Reading what other ’62 alums have done, I would say we are a well traveled group. All this traveling around and international connectedness is making the world a better place.  We retirees are so blessed!  We have time to graciously volunteer, be there for our families, “fill in the cracks’ as one friend put it. My husband and I are very involved in family life, our church, art: I paint, he makes furniture.  We do charity work, travel, do animal care, reading and a movie group. Life is full! We live in Lake Oswego, Oregon, near Portland and would love to hear from fellow alums who may travel this way.

We are in a thought provoking study series at church, “Why Evil Exists”, video lectures by Prof. Charles Mathewes, PhD (Great Courses series). He surveys 3000 years of history, philosophy and theology.  The course is immensely helpful in trying to understand the “evils’ that exist in today’s world as well as the past.  So I give credit to our Liberal Arts education at Hood and our excellent professors, Dr. Mehl, et al. for instilling in us a lifelong love of learning.”

Jody M. Watson says: “Peter and I just celebrated our 50th anniversary in November and we’re certainly looking forward to many more. We may downsize to eliminate some of the hassles of home-ownership, such as shoveling out from the blizzard we just experienced here on the Maine coast! We haven’t heard too many complaints about that kind of a move.

We do look forward to a Florida trip in early March.”

From Pam Roberts Welham:  “Our planned Baltic cruise was cancelled for two reasons- one, Vladimir Putin and second, Walt was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Instead, we had a “radiation vacation” for two months in Jacksonville, Fl in July and August. Jacksonville has one of about twenty centers for proton-beam radiation therapy in our country.  This is an extremely effective treatment for prostate cancer which has minimal side effects.  We had two friends who had their treatment in JAX and recommended it highly.  We had a great time- Walt chose to have the treatment every weekday morning leaving the rest of the day and weekends for sight-seeing in the area and visiting FL, GA and NC friends. JAX is a wonderful city with beautiful beaches and great restaurants.  All in all, everything worked well for us.  We are strong supporters of proton-beam treatment, which is becoming available for more and more types of cancer that need radiation treatment.”  In a few days we leave on what Walt calls his “sayonara WestPac” cruise- Hong Kong to Beijing.  We will travel with Navy friends of over 50 years!!  My first trip to Japan was in 1964 when I met Walt’s submarine- I expect to see great changes!!!”

From Judi Ziobro:  “Ed and I are healthy, enjoying our lives, and look forward to getting together with our friends whenever the opportunity presents itself.  We are close (physical distance) to 5 of the 6 grandchildren (all 8 and under – so they still enjoy being with us), and that fills our “spare” time.   I am still very active in music — vocal choir and handbell choirs at the church – various church committees  (mostly dealing with $$), and sewing (of all kinds).   I seem to have no lack of things to do.  Ed, on the other hand, while he still dabbles in real estate, is pursuing perfection in retirement.  Life is good!”

And now, from me, your class correspondent, Sara (you can call me Sally) Zimmerman:  I was diagnosed with a small breast cancer last fall, had a lumpectomy in October, and radiation therapy the first week in December:  five days of radiation, twice a day, very focused. Then later in December, when the last-minute opportunity came up to travel to St. John, V.I., and do three weeks of ministry there in January 2015, I jumped at the opportunity, and all worked out just fine. I share the interest that many of you express in other places, countries, and cultures. That reminds me:  remember Heba Brynjolfs (Mrs. H. Heba Brynjolfs Wilde ’65) from Reykjavik, Iceland, who attended Hood in ’61 and ’62?  She lived in England for many years but is now back in Reykjavik.  We kept in touch for awhile, and Hood provided me with her current contact information, so that when my daughter Jenny and a friend visited Reykjavik last summer, Heba and her son met them for coffee.

I loved hearing from everyone and thank you.