MOLLY SMITH SPERANDIO: I didn’t get a column written for the previous Hood Magazine, so this column will have info from some of you from 2017 – you can tell by the reference to H. Irma. My drive to PA to reunite with my four older sisters after tax season is always a blessing that we can all still do this – even though three sisters no longer drive themselves and one of those sisters is in dementia and another sister is recuperating from breast cancer surgery and all that went with it. Aged from 82 to 92 always means health is the major issue, but love conquers all that! I enjoyed a trip to CA for my granddaughter’s graduation from San Diego State University and spending time with my eldest son in Buena Park and my youngest son’s family in Davis and San Diego. It’s hard to believe it’s been 13 years since I lost this son and 30 years since my husband died. Life goes on if you embrace it!
ALICE RIDDLE METRY: We just got to FL for 4 months. Hah! We thought we were going to find heat. Soon I guess. Eyesight is not good, nor is my balance. Hope all are surviving the cold. I have talked with Stevie recently, and I hope she writes you about her recent move. Fred and I recently had lunch with Nancy and Roger Brown. Just before Irma hit here, they were evacuated from Naples to Orlando. From there they moved to Pittsburgh and are settled in near family. They flew here to stay with a brother of Roger’s for 5 or 6 days. I do have an address for them. Call me if you are interested. 239-992-3760. It took me a half an hour to type this so I am better on the phone. Nancy and Roger Brown are now living back in Pittsburgh, and Fred and I hope to visit them for a couple of days this summer. We are just recovering from a week’s cruise, 4 extra days, and a granddaughter’s graduation in Hartford, CT.
BARBARA THOMAS YINGER: We spent 3 weeks in Nov. traveling around South America on a cruise ship and had a wonderful time viewing our southern neighbors, visiting quaint villages, seeing penguins and a wonderful assortment of wildlife, especially on Ballestra, Peru islands. We’re in the midst of fixing up our home to possibly make it attractive to someone looking for a place on the water to catch fish and crabs. We are looking at moving to a retirement continuing care community. After taking care of 3 elderly family members I realize the importance of making our own plans rather than leaving everything for the children to do. We’ve been looking for several years, have money in 2, and just had to make a decision at what we think is the “right” time. Such difficult decisions coming for us. To complicate that process I’ve been diagnosed with colon Cancer and will be having surgery in a couple weeks. Same surgery Bob had a year ago!!! In spite of reasonably good health we never know what “bumps in the road” there’ll be. Please note change in email address to: bbyinger@gmail.com Also mailing address as of April 18th to: 6803 Shenandoah Ct., Adamstown, Md. 21710. Yes, it’s for the REAL retirement although their schedule tells me otherwise. Phone there will be 301-644-1463 until we get smart enough to get smart phones. The facility is called Buckingham’s Choice and is just a few miles south of Frederick. Martha Church lived here for awhile before her move to Florida.
Surgery went fine. It was by robot and I really had no pain following, all tumor was successfully removed, Stage I, so I had no follow up chemo or radiation. After a month of no lifting or house work I felt great. Daughter was here a week which was a big help. I do have to have 3 mo. blood tests checking the “markers”, and that happens to be this week. Movers come Monday the 16th, we make sure house is cleaned on the 17th and then move into the “cottage” the 18th. The biggest problem is making decisions on what to keep, what to move with. Right now I’m in the mood to throw away!!!!!!! Yesterday, I took family photos out of frames. They’ll need to go into an album (sometime). Every year we get a new photo of grandkids and a new frame, so I’m returning all but one frame and requesting the same size picture each year so all I have to do is change the photo in the same frame. Hope granddaughter in-law agrees.
We moved on April 18th, 2018 to 6803 Shenandoah Court, Adamstown, Md., 21710. We live in Buckingham’s Choice, a CCC (continuing care community) which is a little south of Frederick, Md. We live in a 2 BR cottage of 1150 sq.’ plus a garage with stacked boxes. Just couldn’t discard all those yearbooks and other memories. The 2nd BR houses a closet full of fabric, my sewing machine, the computer and a sofa bed. Bob misses the fishing and crabbing that was at our “finger tips” having lived in the Northern Neck of VA for 24 yrs. I retired from garden club work and became an Emeritus flower show judge, meaning I no longer am permitted to judge. It’s kind of an honor designation since one has to be an Accredited Master Judge in good standing to be so “promoted”. I am close to Hood College, in fact am going to the alumnae luncheon this coming Sat., and looking forward to attending more happenings at Hood. Another advantage being close to Frederick is not having to travel 4 hours for an annual lunch with 6 other HS friends, including Hood classmates Barbara Kaufman Harrison and Norie Heston Shipley.
CAROLYN STEVENS AMSTUTZ: Unless I do this right away, I’ll never get it written. I’ve had a busy year. About a year ago I decided it was time to sell my house and move, which I have done. I’m now very happily living at Edgewood Retirement Community, a CCRC, in North Andover – about a mile from my old house. I spent my summer last year getting rid of what one accumulates over the years. Fortunately the house sale was easy, and I moved the end of October. The best thing I’ve ever done. I love my apartment, and have made new friends, met interesting people, enjoying new activities, etc. And I still have my “old life”, so bridge and church activities continue. My family is well – one daughter, her husband and my two grandsons in Albany NY, and the other daughter, husband and two granddaughters still live just outside of London. I’m planning a trip there in July.
EUGENIA (GENIE) SMITH DURLAND: We moved from Colorado Springs to Littleton, Colo. about a year and a half ago. Our son, Christian and family live in Denver and our daughter Julia and family in Boulder. They have been nagging us for year to move closer to them so this moved accomplished that. We are very busy still (Bill is 87 and I’m 83 like most of you) with the Sanctuary Coalition of Denver and our Quaker Meeting’s sanctuary work as well as local Democratic politics hoping to help get the vote out in June and November. Our kids and grandkids are all doing well. But there are too many of them to start in on their news so this will have to do.
LOUISE REED: I had a stroke in November and am still recuperating. I have help with basics three days a week and can stay in my home. The whole family got together for Christmas at Scott’s home. Marshall and his family moved to Maryland, but managed to come up for the holiday.
MARGARET REEVES LEOPOLD: From Peg’s Christmas letter and note, she seems to be a whirling dervish with her family activities, visitations and and keeping up with the grandkids’ trips. Travels included a mission trip to Oman, vacation in Costa Rico, Virgin Islands and swimming with Beluga whales at Sea World in CA – grandkids, not Peg. She enjoys living vicariously through the grands, but enjoyed our 60th Hood reunion and meeting twice a year with the nursing staff from the years she was in dialysis. Her grand, Morgan, graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and is planning her wedding. Peg has also put pen to paper with this poem she wrote:
My breasts hang low like hanging chad, Disguising the shape that I once had;
My waist is hidden beneath skin That comes from somewhere near my chin;
The weight of pancaked flattened flab Bends back posture into bad;
Head comes up, shoulders go back When boobs get the lift that they now lack.
Despite the changes to my frame, The closing thoughts remain the same –
Be grateful for life, love, and what the body does, Even when the NOW differs from what was!
MARY JANE HARKNESS NACE: I had a knee replacement in January ‘17. Have done very well with recovery and recuperation. At this age it’s often patch, patch, patch! Dick and I celebrated our 60th anniversary with a cruise to Alaska with our two daughters and sons-in-law last summer. It was a fabulous trip and what happy memories we have of that special occasion. We celebrated an early Christmas at our daughter, Cathy (’80) and son-in-law David’s home in Silver Spring, MD. Our daughter, Beth and her husband, John, drove us up from our home in Hendersonville, NC. The six of us had a wonderful early holiday despite some snowy weather. The highlight was an Andrea Bocelli concert in D.C. What a voice and performance. An evening to remember!
NANCY TRESSEL BROWN: We are in Pittsburgh, Pa. as a result of 3 hurricanes hitting FL last fall and my getting sick as a product of being evacuated to Orlando. Now, better, as a result of getting correct diagnosis here and taking dialysis treatments for several months (renal failure in “The Burgh”). Went from the hospital to Friendship Village (another old folks home). So, we’re here (with cat) and snoring away.
SUSAN WINTER SMITH: This past year was not my best at all. On October 10 I woke up with a pain and within an hour we had called 911 and I was on my way to the hospital. The next day I had emergency surgery for ischemic bowel which means part of my small intestine had died and needed to be removed which they did. I spent 2 weeks in ICU, was intubated two times and spent another week in a regular part of the hospital. After I was discharged I spent 4 weeks in a skilled nursing facility. I have been home since the day after Thanksgiving. I am still weak and have very little energy. I am working hard with a physical therapist and getting better but at glacial pace. Aside from all this, the year was fine until October. We spent time with our grandchildren, our oldest granddaughter graduated from Western WA University and is now teaching first grade in Eastern WA. Granddaughter #3 graduated from HS and is working while she figures out what she wants to do with herself.
SYLVIA FELCYN: Hi there! Keith and I have moved to a retirement residence in Roswell, Georgia as of three days ago to be near our daughter Lindsay and family. Our new address is: 11350 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075, Apt. 1332.
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