Walk to End Alzheimer's less than 3 weeks away

Shanna reports that our family team is well on its way to reaching its fund-raising goal for the Walk to End Alzheimer's, taking place Sunday, Oct. 20, in New York's Riverside Park.

2011 Walk

"Thank you all so much for your support," writes Shanna, who has organized our family's participation in this event for the past five years.

We hope you'll consider joining us for the walk, and/or contributing toward our family team's donation total. Visit Shanna's page or our family team page at the Alzheimer's Association web site for more details.

Fresh video: Chris & Darby Marching Band

Click here to watch the video

Cathy shares a video in which she tracked her son Christopher as he performed with the Hilliard-Darby High School Marching Band on Saturday, Sept. 21. Darby was hosting the competition and so was not eligible for awards, but did receive a point score that qualifies the band for the State Competition later this fall.

Dolores helps mark bicentennial of historic bridge

L'artiste travaille en plein air

Dolores was one of several artists who took part in a weekend-long event marking the 200th birthday of a landmark bridge in Western Maryland.

The festivities at Casselman Bridge State Park included living-history presentations, musical entertainment and "plein air" painting. Dolores was invited to participate by the Garrett County Arts Council.

On Friday, she and Hugh attended a dinner the celebration's kickoff dinner at the nearby Penn Alps restaurant. "Then all day Saturday, I painted the bridge," Dolores writes, "until the deluge that suddenly hit about 2 P.M. We had to pack up and dash for high ground fast! Happily I had just finished a painting, and framed it, before the storm arrived."

They returned on Sunday and Dolores worked on a second painting, under a clear sky but with a chilly wind. "We didn't quite freeze," she said.

The rain forced the organizers to cancel a Saturday parade of vintage vehicles across the bridge, which served for over 100 years to carry travelers on the National Road. When it opened in 1813, it was the longest single-span stone arch bridge in the United States. Its name is variously spelled as Castleman's, Casselman or Casselmans River Bridge.

This date in family history

Lorraine and Daniel, Sept. 22, 1951

Marching and playing, in NJ and Ohio

 The Scotch Plains-Fanwood HS Marching Band gave its first official public performance of the season Saturday at halftime of the SPFHS Raiders football team's first home game. Andy is at center in the photo above, during a percussion feature in the show. That evening, SPFHS hosted a USSBA competition featuring 14 other bands from around New Jersey.

In Ohio, meanwhile, where band season started in August, the Hilliard Darby HS Marching Band also was participating in a competition Saturday. This photo of Chris and the band was taken a few weeks ago.

Take a walk in the park for Alzheimer's research

The annual Walk to End Alzheimer's is coming up on Oct. 20 in New York's Riverside Park, and once again Shanna is organizing a family team to take part.

Our team in 2012

"Please show your support as I walk in honor of my Grandma," Shanna writes. "Spread the word and please donate to this important cause. Thank you!"

Walking in 2011

This will be the sixth year that our family - which has been touched multiple times by Alzheimer's disease - has joined the walk.

In that time, we've raised over $4,000 for the association, which operates programs of support for patients and their families and helps fund research into the disease.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR TEAM!

Start of 2011 walk

The walk itself is a pleasant autumn hike through the beautiful park. The registration booths open at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies start at 10 and the walk gets under way at 11 a.m.

Please visit our family team page to make a donation, and join us in the park if you can!

Christopher's marching band takes the field

The Hilliard-Darby High School Marching Band is well into its 2013 season. Here's a video of the band's performance during halftime at a Darby Panthers football game on Sept. 6, sent by saxophonist Christopher's mom, Cathy. (Click the link below, not the button on the image.)

-> CLICK HERE to watch<-

Our Roster of Scholars, Fall 2013 edition

Here's our annual back-to-school rundown of teachers and students in our extended family. Some started classes during late August, others begin in the next several days.

Please let us know of any errors or additions.

STUDENTS:

Christine - Third year at Rochester Institute of Technology in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.

Patrick - Third year at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Lizzie - Freshman at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

Andy - Senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in New Jersey.

Christopher - Junior at Hilliard Darby High School in Ohio.

Shannon - Sophomore at Catholic Central High School in Troy, N.Y.

Stephanie - In 8th grade at Hilliard Heritage Middle School in Ohio.

Xander starts 1st Grade

Xander - In first grade at Battlefield Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Va.

TEACHERS:

Kathy - Teaching science at School of the Holy Child in Rye, N.Y.

Mary - Director and head teacher at Stillwater Head Start in Stillwater, N.Y.

Shanna - Teaching at the Ann and Andy Child Care preschool in Elmsford, N.Y.

Who are we missing? Let us know!

SPF Marching Band season is under way

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band wrapped up its preseason training and presented a preview of its 2013 show on Aug. 29. The band and color guard put in a lot of work over the summer, including two weeks of intensive practices at the end of August, and looked and sounded impressive for the start of the season.


Andy, in his senior year, leads the tenor drummers, carrying a six-drum set as he marches around the field.

FLASHBACK: Fifteen years ago, Andy's big brother Dan was also playing tenor drums, as a senior-class member of the Live Oak High School marching band, in Morgan Hill, Calif.

Cousins get together on Shelter Island

Brien and Dan paid a visit to Nanette this week at her home on Shelter Island.


Nanette moved to the island in April last year, after being named executive director of the Shelter Island Historical Society. She's enjoying being back where she spent so many summers in the past -- and as a four-season resident. Winter in the area is beautiful, Nanette said, and surprisingly busy with year-round activities.

Nanette's home faces an inlet. The house is behind the trees in this view from a dock at the foot of the property.

Brien and Dan were making a brief trip to take care of some chores at Birch Street East and get some sand between their toes. They visited the ocean beach in Bridgehampton on Tuesday and stayed until dusk.

Brennan is back Stateside with his family

After a nine-month deployment in Japan, Brennan returned to North Carolina a few weeks ago, his grandmother Pat reports.

Above, Brennan, his wife, Shauna-Rae, and their daughter Brooklyn - who will turn two in December - are out for dinner at a local restaurant. At left, Brennan helps Brooklyn with a puzzle on the kid's menu.

Brennan is based at Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Base. He's on a leave right now, and he, Shauna-Rae and Brooklyn are up in the Saratoga Springs area visiting their relatives.

Meanwhile, Brennan's sister Shannon has started sophomore year at Catholic Central High School, having transferred from Saratoga Springs High School. Her new school is not far from where her mom, Mary, works as director of the Head Start center in Stillwater, N.Y.

Here, Shannon poses with her nephew Cash, son of her sister, Brienna, and Clay. Cash turned two on August 6.

Back-to-School season is under way

A new school year has begun for some of our family's scholars.

In Ohio, Christopher began his junior year at Hilliard Darby High School on Aug. 20, while Stephanie began 8th grade at Hilliard Heritage Middle School.

Here, Stephanie shows off her smile after having her braces removed earlier this month.

In North Carolina, Lizzie began her college career at Elon University. (See separate article.)

In Rochester, Christine began her third year of studies at Rochester Institute of Technology this morning (Aug. 26). Over the weekend, her dad helped her move in to her new University Commons apartment, which she shares with three other students.


By chance, Christine's cousins Liz and Rebecca were both in Rochester as Christine arrived. RIT grad Rebecca is living and working in the area, and her sister was visiting for the weekend. They joined Christine, her dad and her roommate Catherine for dinner at a local barbecue restaurant.

Dan enjoyed being seen in the company of these beautiful young women.

Please send updates on our family's other scholars!

Lizze joins Elon U. Class of 2017

This past weekend, Owen and Tish helped their daughter, Lizzie, move in to her dorm room at Elon University, where she's about to start her freshman year.

It was a sunny, warm weekend on the beautiful campus in Elon, N.C.
Lizzie plans to major in education, with a minor in dance.

Catching some more Summer before School

Christine and her boyfriend, Matt, rode out to eastern Long Island with Christine's dad for a little more summer-at-the-beach time before they head back to college. (Julie and Andy remained in New Jersey where Andy is in the midst of intensive pre-season Marching Band practice.)

After riding out Wednesday, they took a picnic supper down to the ocean in Bridgehampton, where they stayed to watch the just-past-full moon rise, painted red by the fading sunset.

They spent a mostly cloudy Thursday driving around back roads, checking out horse farms and beaches, including the latest incarnation of Cameron Beach.

A sand dike now separates Mecox Bay from the ocean at Southampton's Cameron Beach.

The sun broke out later in the afternoon and they enjoyed a dip at a near-empty Long Beach.


Christine heads back to Rochester this weekend to resume classes at RIT on Monday. Matt returns to Rowan University the following week.

Catching summer while it lasts

More summer concert-going

Our Facebook prowling turns up photos from concerts this week. Gerrit and Angela took in John Mayer's "Born & Raised" tour (above) at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, Mass., on Saturday.

A few days earlier, Shanna and her friend Lisa turned out at Jones Beach Theater to see the Backstreet Boys -- now celebrating their 20th anniversary! The band recently released an album, "In A World Like This," featuring all five original members.

Hilliard-Darby Marching Band season is under way

Cathy writes: "We're off and running for band season 2013. Chris returned from a week at 'away' band camp exhausted but having had a great time. The kids performed the first half of their show music at our annual Ice Cream Social. They were not able to march on the field since it had rained a lot the previous day/night and they also haven't lined the field yet. Nonetheless they sounded awesome! I can't wait to see the entire routine."

Click here to go to Cathy's Picasa album, where you can also play two video clips.

Dolores exhibits at annual Rehoboth show

The Rehoboth Art League is holding its 40th annual Outdoor Show this month, including works by one of its mainstays, Dolores.

The league's Facebook page carried these two photos of Dolores at her exhibit during the first of the show's two weekends. The photo above accompanied a post that read:

"Day 1 of the Outdoor Show was a GREAT success! Visitors had a great time interacting with the artists/artisans one-on-one and learning about their passions. Pictured here is Dolores Andrew (Outdoor Show Veteran!) talking with some fans about her work!"


This photo was captioned: "Couldn't resist getting this beautiful shot of the lovely Dolores Andrew at the Show on Sunday. How does she manage to look so cool, even in the heat?"

As a former chairwoman of the league, Dolores organized the show for a number of years. Now she concentrates on exhibiting her own work.

A gorgeous weekend in Noyac

On what turned out to be a spectacular weekend, Dan, Julie, Christine and Andy took a run out to Noyac and were able to meet up with Kathy, Genevieve and John. Here, the cousins enjoy a fine Saturday evening (Aug. 10) on the deck after a cookout dinner prepared by John and Genevieve.


On Sunday, D&J&C&A spent some time at the "back beach" under a stunningly clear blue sky (using lots of sunscreen!).


Also Sunday, the group went out on in a couple of shifts to try water-skiing. Of the three newbies who gave it a try, John was the most successful, as seen in this video clip.




Andy and Christine took turns piloting Whiplash on Noyac Bay. The weekend was too short, of course, but great fun.