Molly Smith Sperandio
727-393-7446
mollymom76@gmail.com

Barbara Thomas Yinger We’re now great grandparents for a 2nd time with a girl born in March, joining great grandson, Callen, who’ll be 5 this Dec. I’ll be representing our class with Sarah Bulin Hanson at the inauguration of Hood’s new President in October. We have a big trip planned for March 2016 – flying to Rio, Brazil and cruising on the Amazon, stopping at other ports along South Africa for three weeks – a celebration of our 60th year of marriage. Other than that we’re just trying to keep the aches and pains of age under control. Carolyn Stevens Amstutz I traveled to Florida in March, where I saw Nancy Tressel Brown and Alice Riddle Metry at a Hood function in Naples. In August, my family celebrated my upcoming birthday with a trip to Europe. I had a wonderful week at a villa in Southern France (near the Mediterranean) with both my daughters and my grandchildren, followed by five days in Italy with just one daughter and her family (the one who lives in England). On my birthday weekend, I spent one night in Cambridge Massachusetts with my Albany daughter, and two days later spent the night in NYC with my England daughter who was there on business. I am now officially 80! I’m looking forward to having lunch with Margaret Hart Kaminer and Ann Copeland Billings in October. I am still playing golf (poorly) and bridge, and am currently on the search committee for a new minister for my church. Susan Winters Smith We moved from our house on Mercer Island where we lived for 52 years and raised all our children just 20 miles east to Issaquah, a nice little city where we already had doctors and shopping I preferred. Our younger son also lives here with his two young children, the youngest of our 5 grandchildren. We live in a retirement community with lots of activities. We live on the ground floor so we have two patios with lots of flowers. We also were asked to fill the big tubs in the inner courtyard. We get many, many comments about our flowers and what we put in the tubs. Also being on the ground floor, we have a little dog we rescued from the Humane Society shelter in Yakima in eastern Washington. Our daughter, Cyndy, teaches 8th grade science and science for teachers in her educational district. Her daughter, Aislinn, our oldest granddaughter, is a senior at Western WA University majoring in Education, the 4th generation of teachers. Our son, Steven, and his wife just moved to Phoenix. Another son, Chris, lives here in Issaquah with his family. His son, Christopher is 10 and in the 5th grade. His daughter, Erica is 6 and in the 1st grade. Our younger daughter, Liz, has bought a house with her partner in Bow, a small community north of here. They have 11 acres and she is busily gardening and maintaining her business as a Massage Therapist. Her older daughter, Brynn, just entered Evergreen College as a freshman and her younger daughter is a junior in Burlington HS. We are well for a couple of old folks, with the usual aches and pains, but nothing major so far. We go to water aerobics and exercise classes. I knit once a week with a group of friends. We call ourselves the KnitWits. Every week we have a showing of the TedTalks on television, which I heartily recommend to anyone who doesn’t know them yet. I walk daily and keep busy. Alice Riddle Metry Our family, 14, ages 8 to 82, got together for 3 1/2 days on Mackinac Island in July. Only means of transportation on the island are horses or bikes, or lots of walking. Good weather and all had a good time. Molly Smith Sperandio I’m writing this column from my sister’s home in Willow Valley, Pennsylvania – up here for our annual sisters/cousins’ reunion, and for me to enjoy the cool weather and see some of the trees in glorious color. I had lovely trips to Pennsylvania in April and June as well. Not much different in my life – happy to report no new surgeries, but as with most of us, arthritis is my constant companion. This report is a quick turn-around, so I am sorry that I will not be rewriting any of those who have not responded via e-mail to my plea for news nor will I be able to call those who have no email addresses. For most of us this is our 80th year – enjoy the life with which we have been blessed. We are awesome!