Catherine Brooke Buckingham had a hip replacement on Nov. 27. We hope all went well. Nancy Curran Crowley reported that she and Joe have had a rough year with illnesses. Joe is recovering from shingles, vertigo and cancer. The Crowleys had a great family Thanksgiving, hosted by their oldest son and his wife. They celebrated the birth of a fifth granddaughter. Tarun Comegys Johns has a new knee that she said is as good as or better than the original. She experienced a fabulous adventure in August by traveling to the High Arctic and has established a connection for helping an Inuit school in the northernmost community in North America. She said that a wonderful group of people went on the expedition, and she had the opportunity to see and do things she had never dreamed of. Tarun also reports that she is a great-grandmother as of Aug. 30 when Savannah Lee arrived. Tarun took her annual trip to Sarasota, Fla., in November, enjoying a visit with Martha Shortiss Allen. Tarun planned to spend Christmas on Prince Edward Island.

Nancy Fletcher Artlett wrote that last summer she enjoyed a most satisfying trip from her home in Australia to visit family and friends in the U.S. While attending a high school reunion in Massachusetts, she stayed with Carol Ann Watts Davis ’61 (Merle Lehmkuhl Best’s Little Sister). Later, she spent a relaxing and fun time with Fritz and Nancy Rogers Huntsinger in Ventura, Calif. She also enjoyed a gathering of former neighbours and friends in Richmond, Va. Fletch said that she and her husband Frank (now 91) are aging but doing their best to keep going. Gloria Friedman Greenspun and Dick spent Thanksgiving in Los Angeles with three of their children and families. They looked forward to visits from Dick’s New York daughters and Gloria’s daughter Jamie during the Christmas break. Jamie Pachino is writing scripts for Franklin and Bash, a show in its third season to be aired on TNT. Gloria and Dick plan to spend January through April in Naples, Fla. Hurricane Sandy flooded their basement in Baltimore, leaving a mess. The Meyran group–the Greenspuns, Anne Montesano Ellis and friend Jim Price, Jan Knecht Huber and husband Leo Ditz, Dan and Betty Kutz Mager, Myra Silberstein Goldgeier and Merle Winer Pollak ’58 and husband Tom Benson–met in the Pennsylvania Brandywine Valley in early October. They visited Longwood Gardens, Brandywine River Museum and Winterthur, dining in lovely places and celebrating their collective 75th birthdays.

Mary Ann Guild Simmons sends campus news that the interior of Brodbeck Hall has been painted. The ceiling is a deep blue with glossy white beams, and the walls are a blue-grey. The elegant friezes have been cleaned and are now pure white. “The hall looks great,” said Mary Ann. “The campus is planted with drifts of pansies, and all the horticulture is groomed and looking very good. Men are outside skateboarding and around town cycling and jogging and looking good, too. It appears to be a healthy, happy time at Hood.” Gayle Hamilton Blakeslee and Natalie Starr sold their apartment in Washington, D.C., and have moved to Broadmead, a retirement community in Hunt Valley, north of Baltimore. Janet Hobbs Cotton is in her fourth year as a Hood trustee. She said it is a pleasure to serve and be a part of the dynamic changes happening on campus. Janet invites everyone to visit Hood soon. She recommends tours of the Athletic Center, which opened last fall and has “a fabulous basketball arena as well as exercise rooms, offices, classrooms, etc.” The College also now has new tennis courts near the 7th Street entrance and a new playing field with artificial turf. Janet added that the swimming pool has been enlarged and renovated, and a new facility with offices and changing rooms has been built. Janet said that sports have become a significant factor in student enrollment, and Hood has done a remarkable job in three years to be in step with athletic needs. “The staff has also done an excellent job on landscaping and maintenance all around the campus,” Janet continued, making the campus beautiful. Brodbeck Hall has been restored; the main auditorium looks wonderful. Less noticeable improvements include sprinklers in the residence halls and a new heating system throughout. Future plans include new classrooms and labs in the Hodson Science Center and a renovation of Tatem Arts Center. A study of how best to use Gambrill Gym is under way.

Edee Howard Hogan’s husband, John Edward Hogan, died on Nov. 7 at Cadbury at Lewes, Del. Edee was with him and said she is thankful he is at peace. Edee underwent a total knee replacement on Oct. 22 and spent time recovering in rehab at the same skilled nursing unit where John was staying. Her daughter Chrysti was with her for the surgery, joined later by her son Terry and his wife. Carole Jones Rogers came through Baltimore twice last summer. She helped take her granddaughter Olivia to MIT and evicted her rent-delinquent tenant from her deceased mother’s house (a process which took months!). Carole played an active role in the build-up to the November Presidential election. Her communications from the front lines in swing-state Ohio were gripping. She described the struggle to maintain early voting and then the long lines of people and many miles of cars lined up in both directions from the early-voting site. As an Ohioan, she was besieged with political mail, television ads and people brandishing placards. After spending many hours canvassing and making telephone calls, Carole managed to get tickets to the Obama rally with Bruce Springsteen. She said, “I am guessing that I may be the oldest white woman to rap with Jay-Z. Just put my arms in the air and rocked the way the young people in the arena around me were doing.” After all of this excitement Carole spent a quiet Thanksgiving with son Bobby and was looking forward to a week with daughter Caroline and granddaughter Olivia at Christmastime.

Marcia King Wilke and husband Norm have been seeing doctors this past year but hope that they are now on the mend. After back surgery in January, Norm celebrated his 80th birthday in March. He now uses a walker or a cane to aid his balance after a bad fall in early July. Marcia and their older daughter Cate flew east in late September for a family reunion, spending three days in D.C. Marcia talked on the phone with her Little Sister Connie Koste Cox ’61 who lives in Alexandria, Va. Marcia and Cate then celebrated Marcia’s sister’s 85th birthday in Westminster, Md. Carol Koreywo LeGore substitutes two or three times a week in any academic subject at the local high school in Walkersville. She is frequently requested by teachers because she is such a reliable veteran. Carol enjoys gardening. Both sons live nearby in Walkersville. One granddaughter is getting married. The other is a junior at James Madison Univ. and is spending a semester in Belgium. Kuulei Mobley Green has been living in Idaho for four years now. Kuulei’s son Marc lives in Boise, and her daughter Amy lives in Los Angeles. Kuulei is happy to be able to continue using her seminary training by serving as a supply pastor for her church. She is chairperson of her church’s worship committee and feels that she has developed a meaningful nondenominational service for those who want to worship in this way. Alley-cat, her 20-year-old pet, died in September. Kuulei now has adopted Juan, a purebred Siamese from the San Juan Islands off of Seattle. Judy Moreland Granger and Bob had a wonderful road trip this summer, visiting family in Missouri, Ohio and North Carolina. They were in Columbus to celebrate Judy’s uncle’s 90th birthday and while there enjoyed an evening with Carole Jones Rogers and her son at her home. Another of the Grangers’ grandchildren graduated from high school in May, and the youngest began kindergarten in September. With eight grandchildren with the age span of 6-24, there is always some event to attend or celebrate.

Gail Mulliken Painter has had a rough few months. What should have been a routine cataract-removal surgery in mid-August became complicated by a staph infection in the affected eye. Gail made three or four trips to two eye doctors each week for more than two months. The frequency of visits is decreasing, and Gail is thankful that her eye is finally progressing. Gail planned to spend Christmas in New York City with her daughter Cheryl and family from Australia. She will then go to Florida for her annual month’s stay with her brother and five of Roger’s brothers and sisters. Jeannette Phelps continues to enjoy life in Baltimore, going to ballgames, movies and cultural events. Her favorite movie this year was Beasts of the Southern Wild. Joanne Peper Milnor and her former sister-in-law met in Amsterdam last spring for a riverboat cruise through Belgium and the Netherlands, where the tulips were just starting to bloom. Joanne celebrated her 75th birthday in mid-August by joining a group in Australia for a tour of the East Coast and New Zealand. She is now back in Myrtle Beach, chairing a fund-raising event for the local symphony and volunteering at the mission for the homeless. Joanne looked forward to her archeology group’s new dig at Brookgreen Gardens, a botanical/sculpture garden near her home, where she will screen and catalogue artifacts. In early November she joined a friend for a cruise and tour from Paris to Prague. Joanne goes to Sarasota, Fla., several times a year to visit her brother, who is active in the arts community there and chairs fund-raising events for that community.

Rachel Ravey Johnson and Carl continue to take wilderness trips in their canoe, and she especially loves her kayak. “As I age,” Rachel said, “I have become more of a ‘mermaid’ and can’t stay out of the water even when chilly!” Carl is still a pastor. Rachel creates stained glass. She is active with animal welfare and environmental groups and has been a Master Naturalist for three years, going into the woods as a volunteer. Rachel said, “The loves of my life are my husband, my daughters Beth and Leah, animals, water, Earth and adventure.” Martha Shortiss Allen enjoyed a May trip to Boston and New York, going to art museums, plays and great restaurants. She visited her friend Kay Keeshen in California, going to museums in San Francisco and to a favorite spot, the Tickle Pink Inn in Carmel, where they both had spent time with their husbands. Martha and her son Tom will spend the holidays with her daughter and family. Tom has two blue-eyed white huskies who talk! When he asks, “Who’s your master?” they respond, “You are!” They bark “I love you” clearly on the telephone. Martha has talked with Edee Howard Hogan, who is adjusting to the loss of her husband. Martha was surprised to encounter former Hood president Martha Church at the Ringling Museum (where Martha Allen was being honored for her service).

Myra Silberstein Goldgeier also reported on the Meyran group’s get-together in the Brandywine Valley. They stayed in a lovely bed-and-breakfast inn in Kennett Square, Pa. Nancy Smith Grissino did not attend the Meyran gathering this year because her brother was ill. Sonya Solosko Baum said she loves her new life in Florida. She sees Jane Atmore Brown about once a week, and one of their favorite pastimes is checking out all the wonderful restaurants in Jupiter to see if they agree with the local food critic. Sonya and Jane were looking forward to a holiday Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Equinox in December. Mary-Lou Trout Haddad and Charles attended the wedding of their granddaughter Gaby on Nov. 10 in Bally, Pa. Joan Victor Boos wrote that this is their big year. Her husband John is retiring at the end of December, and they are heading for warmer weather in Florida, first to visit their daughter Heidi and then to spend time on Siesta Key on the West Coast. They planned to spend Thanksgiving on Jupiter Island with their daughter and other dinner guests Jane Atmore Brown and Sonya Solosko Baum. Joan received a cochlear implant in her right ear in August and the processor in September. She is working diligently trying to re-train the right side of her brain to understand words and conversation. She said, “It is a real challenge and makes me wonder how we ever learned to speak in the first place.”

Mary Faith West worked hard for the Republican Presidential campaign. She is an officer in the local Republican Women’s Club. Her son Christopher and family live in Charlottesville, Va., and are doing well. Two of his daughters won awards at St. Anne-Belfield School in Charlottesville, and his older daughter is in her junior year at James Madison Univ. working toward a master’s degree in childhood education. Son Michael Damien is a paralegal in D.C., looking forward to being able to use his doctorate in psychology eventually. Jim and Caroline Smith Russel stay in touch with him. Mary Faith said she is looking forward to a slower pace but meanwhile plans to host a family reunion over the Epiphany weekend. Pat Wever Knoll said that her best news is that she and Ron are both healthy. They stay busy keeping up with their grandchildren, ages 5-30, trying to go to all their special events and reminding them constantly about the importance of family and God in their lives. The Knolls got away to Hawaii in October for their 52nd anniversary, where they played golf, walked and enjoyed “a real vacation.”

Carol Wick Ericksen and Leif enjoyed a trip to northern Italy for two weeks this fall. Carol is happy to report no damage to their house in Avalon, N.J. from Hurricane Sandy. Carol is still playing golf several times a week in good weather, and her Hallmark store continues to prosper. Sue Wilson Officer recently rescued three small dogs. She continues to work with the National Search Dog Foundation. A large number of their teams (first responders and their companion dogs) helped in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, locating a number of people. In order to train dogs and their human teammates, the organization is building a national facility in Ventura, Calif., which will be used by all teams throughout the U.S. and Mexico. Sue added, “Right now we have three teams at the White House. It is an amazing organization, and I would be happy to forward any information to anyone who is interested in finding out more.

I, Anne Wilson Heuisler, continue to teach one class of English at Stevenson University. I love my new career! The students are terrific, and the material is enjoyable. I look forward to Gayle Blakeslee’s moving nearby and to other friends’ stopovers at my house as they pass through Baltimore. Please send news for next time; deadline probably will be in late May or early June. Please be sure to let me know if your email address has changed. When I send out a group email, several bounce back.

Class Reporter: