Angela Mogin ask all members of the Class of ’67 who remember Dr. Lewis’ classes if they would like to contribute to her memorial via the Dr. V. Lewis Fund/Institutional Advancement Dept.

Judy Lehman Ballinger is enjoying getting to new places & activities in Berks Co. PA, even getting to a Hood basketball game and meeting local alums. My silk painting “business” keeps growing, grand kids have increased to seven. One thing: When my 1st grade teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, my reply was “artist”. I just celebrated my 69th birthday and I think that I am finally Grown-up and an artist! I enjoyed seeing Ginny Munson Hammell last summer in Cape May Point, and hope to meet up again this summer. I am looking forward to my first trip to Europe since 2001, to an art workshop in southern France in May.

Speaking of Ginny Munson, she is still retired. She writes: Spent a wonderful few days in March-April with Pat Jones Van Mater at her and Peter’s fab digs in Naples and is trying to work her way down to Sicily.Sadly no grand kids. Hilary is an attorney, Davis still not sure about his career. I live in Alexandria and love it. Not this winter!!! I m on the Board of Community Lodgings here. We move families to independence through our transitional housing/job training/ education programs.

Marianne Kearney has moved permanently to Woodstock, NY, my beloved childhood “summer place.” The new address is 167 Glenford Wittenberg Rd. Glenford, NY 12433 845-6570-6224. Now retired from independent school education in St. Louis, I have returned to local activism having joined in the hydraulic gas fracking controversy in NYS. Not so surprising, Dr. Lewis in on my mind all the time. Company is always welcome, so I hope classmates will consider stopping by or staying over when traveling in the Hudson River Valley area.

Kris Campbell Joyce writes that her 96 yr. old mother Ann Campbell died on Feb. 8 peacefully in her sleep. So the French House triple roomies, Judy Lehman Ballinger, Cheryl Wray Kirk and I, have all lost our long life Mothers over the past couple years. We have been sharing what an impact these losses
are. I am grateful to have this comfort.

Beth Hobby says life has had its “ups and downs” lately – the tornadoes last fall missed the house (an “up”) but we did have some interesting detritus land all over the yard…a roll of wallpaper, a German hymnal and a bucket full of charcoal briquettes being the three most interesting. While not dodging flying stuff I have been doing art work again, and will be having an exhibit for the month of May – another of the aforementioned “ups!” My sculpture, assemblages and collages (some of them made from the tornado stuff) will probably cause the more conventional residents of Morris, IL to raise their eyebrows a bit at the very least. I lost my mom in February just short of her 91st birthday; getting used to not visiting her every week has been one of the “downs.” My partner Sandy’s health is not always the best, but I’ve been blessed in that respect, although I don’t always recognize the lady I’m looking at in the mirror! Finally, as the best “up,” I have a fabulous 8 month old great-nephew who plays bongos and dances at the same time, and goes by the name JAME-O. Who could ask for more in a kid?

Ann Goodhart is enjoying retirement and spending time gardening, reading and cooking. She returned to the east coast in 2010 when she retired from over 40 years as a librarian and the last 13 years as a library director in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Her husband, James Delgado, is Director of Maritime Heritage for NOAA and an underwater archaeologist. They love travel but are now spending more of their travel time in California with a new granddaughter born the day before Thanksgiving in 2013.

Cynthia Newby writes semi-retirement as a McGraw-Hill author of post-secondary medical administration texts–more happily, working in the garden (Garden Conservancy tour planned for Sept 7 this year) — but never completely out of work I hope. Cyndi shared a great quote that many of us can relate to from Margaret Atwood:
In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
Gail Witham Pohl reports we are now up to 18 grandchildren, which is our biggest news. The oldest one is 13. Doug has retired from teaching but is still teaching at the university, so our life in Georgia hasn’t changed much. We love to travel and enjoyed a trip to China in December and anticipate a trip to Uganda this summer. Our daughter’s family lives there, including 8 of our grandchildren whom we haven’t seen for 2 years.

I keep up with Dorrie MacGregor Spurlock who works full-time at the U. of Utah in Salt Lake City after having taught first grade. Quite a jump.

Barbara Herron and husband Craig are working on another indie Western. He’s the director of photography and will be doing lots of visual effects. I’m doing costume design, and have a bit part as the saloon owner’s mother. We’ll be shooting on weekends pretty much all summer.

I love being retired and am having fun sewing and cooking and reading, and look forward to gardening weather.

Elly McHale Szum writes from bucolic New Hampshire:
Hmmm, my life in a nut shell. Well, it has been a very pleasant life without too many slings and arrows thrown my way and for that I thank the good Lord.

I left Hood and wended my way to Cambridge, MA, where I earned a Masters in Education with a focus on the Emotionally Disturbed child. Cambridge was where I met my husband, Richard.

In 1972 we married and moved to a rural part of Amherst, NH where we raised our family. In 1979 we became parents. Actually we became “Soccer Parents”. But we also offered our children a pretty idyllic life. As we lived in the middle of farm country our few neighbors had the same values we worked to instill in our kids.

I taught troubled children until the twins were born (1982) and then I stayed home. When the oldest went to a private Catholic school, I headed back to work. I retired this past year after working as an elementary school librarian. Richard retired two years ago after many years of global travel working for Siemens.

We are now retired and our children have left the nest. The oldest, Carolyn, is living and working in Beijing, daughter Kate is living with her husband in Ithaca, NY while twin brother John is in the military currently stationed in California.

So that is about it. We are not grandparents. We do not travel too much. We both enjoy our home and gardens. I have become quite fond of dandelions and wild grasses.

I (Pat Kearns, this year’s reporter) am posting these because we have a limited word count in the printed Hood magazine that comes out this summer and I don’t want to leave anything out. I will also try to give first priority in that magazine to those who haven’t heard from. Many thanks to those of you who responded. My own news is much the same, still working, now have four beautiful grandchildren, two of whom will be moving far away to Santa Rosa CA in June so now I have two in north Georgia and two in Santa Rosa, CA. Needless to say, I’m working on my exit strategy (not THAT exit) so I can have more time to travel and keep in touch. Will miss all those massive Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Luckily I still have two-my oldest and my youngest – in DC but that, too, can change.