Greetings fellow Hood alums. I was lucky to get some response to my last minute plea for news! Please send me an email or find me on Facebook prior to the next column deadline! Cynthia Webb was celebrating her 28th year with the Montgomery County Public School systems in Maryland and is in her eighth year as a special education supervisor. In November, Cynthia met up with Linda Rudy Daugherty, Daphne Byrd Gabb and Carol Whynot Neill for dinner and to attend the 65th anniversary performance of the Messiah at Hood.

Sue Sutton Bartolotto checks in from Woodbridge, Va. Daughter Emily is in her freshman year at Hood hoping to major in elementary special education. Daughter Hannah is a sophomore in high school and son John is in fifth grade. Sue’s husband John is due to retire from the Army after 30 years of service and they are looking to relocate to Rochester, N.Y. Robin Winkler-Pickett’s son Eric, a Marine, has returned from a tour in Afghanistan and was married in July. Eric will soon be relocating closer to home at Fort Meade. Robin was accepted into a competitive leadership education and action program at the National Cancer Institute and is hoping to return to Hood to take some management classes.

Amy Connor Asman reported that daughter Emily is a senior at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind. She will be working at Texas Instruments in Dallas when she graduates. Amy’s son Connor is a freshman at Hood and youngest daughter Erin is in the ninth grade and is homeschooled. So interesting to see a few of our children attending Hood! Tammy Snyder Rall reported from Stafford, Va. Two of her sons are getting married in 2013 and she is planning a family cruise to the Bahamas.

Peggy Smith Bacon reported from Houston. Two of Peggy’s daughters are in college and one is a freshman in high school. Peggy keeps busy doing artwork and is a volunteer and board member of her local Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. Carole King Heine traveled to Stanford Univ. this past February to see daughter Kelsey, who plays for Ohio State, play in a woman’s lacrosse game. While there, Carole met up with her sister Kathleen King Kinsey ’87, Beth Shimer Murphy ’86, and spent time reminiscing with another Hood alum, Anne Merrick Vosti ’58, while there. Carole’s son Kevin is a senior at Oakdale High School along with Karen Craney’s son Tyler. Speaking of Karen Craney, she thought it would be fun to see how everyone is celebrating their 50th birthday this year! A big happy birthday to everyone! Sue Sutton Bartolotto celebrated with a family and friends party under a big “circus” tent in her back yard. Annemarie Hemond Albiston spent a girl’s weekend with her closest childhood friends. They took residence at Burnt Island, Maine, for the weekend and enjoyed beautiful scenery, food and endless reminiscing. Annemarie’s cousin Elaine Patry Jones ’77 is the light keeper of Burnt Island. Laurie Draper Carter spent the weekend in Charleston, S.C., as a surprise from her husband! They spent a wonderful three days enjoying her birthday! Heidi von Storch Miner celebrated her 50th by looking for more adventure! She and her friends went to lunch and then kayaking and a few weeks later Heidi went backpacking and camping with her son in Western Michigan. Susan Brushaber enjoyed brunch with her husband, brother and friend and then flew to Reykjavik, Iceland, where she spent a week soaking in the geothermal pools, riding Icelandic horses, biking, sightseeing and relaxing! Both Karen Curtis Craney and Robin Winkler Pickett had surprise birthday parties thrown for them by their friends and family! Amy Connor Asman spent her birthday weekend with her husband at a B&B at Deep Creek Lake. Tammy Snyder Rall challenged herself to run back-to-back marathons for her 50th birthday. She ran the Marine Corps Marathon on October 28 and planned to run the New York City Marathon the next weekend, but Hurricane Sandy foiled her plans. Carole King Heine has been celebrating her birthday for several months running. She was in Albuqurque, N.M., in June for a wedding and spent time with Katie Farley Babuska. In February, Carole traveled with Jeanne Pensec O’Reilly to Lancaster, Pa., to celebrate Carol Pointer Wanner’s birthday. Carole’s husband threw her a surprise 50th birthday celebration with both old and new friends in attendance. Peggy Smith Bacon celebrated her 50th with a trip to New York City with her husband, where they took in the sights and saw several Broadway shows. Upon their return, she celebrated her birthday at a favorite Italian restaurant with family and friends. For our 50th, my husband and I took our daughter to Disneyworld for vacation. For our real celebration we met up with Lynn Davis at Discovery Cove in Orlando, Fla., and spent the day with the dolphins! We had an amazing experience and it was so nice to catch up with Lynn while she was home from one of her many trips around the world. Thanks to all for sharing your 50th birthdays with us!

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