Stephanie chooses Towson University

Stephanie has decided to attend Towson University -- her mom's alma mater -- starting in the fall.

After weighing offers from several other schools, and paying a second visit to the campus last weekend, Stephanie decided on Towson, where she intends to study English and music.

Proud mom Cathy shared the "exciting news" and noted that Stephanie "is planning to join the marching band, so I will have another opportunity to be a 'band mom!'

"This will, no doubt, be an exciting year," Cathy wrote. Stephanie, a senior at Hilliard Darby High School in Ohio, is less than two months away from graduation.

Towson University is part of the University System of Maryland. It has some 20,000 undergraduates and a few thousand graduate students enrolled in seven colleges on its 329-acre campus, less than 10 miles north of downtown Baltimore.

The U.S. News & World Report 2018 America’s Best Colleges guide ranked Towson 10th among public regional universities in the North.

Three generations and a clarinet

While her daughter Cathy and granddaughter Stephanie were visiting on Easter weekend, Dolores brought out the clarinet she had played in high school.

Stephanie, who plays clarinet in various high school and regional ensembles at home in Ohio, had just purchased a new instrument for herself. But she was also eager to see the one that both her grandmother and, for a time, her mother had played.

Although it's in need of some refurbishment, Stephanie managed to coax a bit of music out of the clarinet, and Dolores handed it off to her for safekeeping.

Spending Easter weekend with Hugh and Dolores

At Dolores' and Hugh's apartment

Dolores and Hugh played host to daughter Julie, her husband, Dan, and daughter Cathy and her daughter, Stephanie, on Easter weekend in Maryland.

Stephanie and Cathy spent part of Friday touring Towson State University, one of several colleges Stephanie is considering as she nears her high school graduation. Later Friday, the six went to dinner at the Hopkins Club.

It was a productive trip for Stephanie, who also went shopping in Delaware and bought a clarinet -- a significant upgrade from the instrument she has used up to now in all her high school music performances.

The group went to Easter Vigil service Saturday evening at Trinity Church in Towson, the long-time parish of Hugh, Dolores and their children. The weekend concluded with Sunday brunch at the Oakcrest community where Hugh and Dolores reside.

New York finishes 4th in curling Mixed Nationals

After advancing to the playoffs in the USA Curling Mixed Nationals Championship competition, Rebecca's Rochester, N.Y.-based team ran up against stiff competition and finished in fourth place.

"Pretty darn good week at the Mixed Nationals, but unfortunately Team NY finished just out of the medals," Rebecca posted. "So lucky to have amazingly supportive and fun teammates, and thrilled my parents came out for the playoff weekend!"

Lisa and Doug surprised Rebecca by flying in to see the final games at Lakeville, Minn., just outside Minneapolis.

The New York team placed third in the round-robin portion of the tournament, with a 6-3 record. As it happened, it had to face the top two teams in the playoffs. The second-seed team, from North Dakota, prevailed over New York in the semifinal, while top seed Michigan was upset by the fourth-place team, from Seattle, Washington. That pitted New York against Michigan in the game for third place, and Michigan won the bronze medals.

March was a busy curling month for Rebecca, who was also a member of a women's team in the USA Curling 2018 Nationals, held in Fargo, N.D. Her team finished fourth in that tournament -- and Rebecca was chosen the winner of the Ann Brown Sportsmanship Award. The award is "presented annually at the National Championships to one male and one female athlete who are judged to best embody the USCA Spirit of Curling as voted on by their peers," according to USA Curling.