Andy and Wren announce their engagement

Ten years after they started dating, Andy and Wren celebrated the anniversary on Oct. 17 by taking a weekend trip to the Adirondacks -- and becoming engaged.

The couple rented a cabin in Keene Valley, N.Y., for the weekend and did some exploring of the area, including visiting Lake Placid and taking a drive up Whiteface Mountain.

No date for a wedding is set, and it will be some time before they can even begin to plan it.

The two met as members of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band. Here is the first known photo of them together, as they and band parents rolled a cart containing Andy's drums and Wren's glockenspiel toward the field for a competition in Sept. 2010. At that point, they were just getting to know each other.

That was the year when they and Andy's sister, Christine, were all in the band. This photo, from an Oct. 31 competition in Allentown, Pa., shows Andy at bottom left and Wren at bottom right. (Christine is in the second row of flutes, just to the right of the 50 yard line.)

Vivien, CJ, Charlie welcome baby Austin

Vivien and CJ are proud to announce the birth of their second son, Austin Daniel.

Big brother Charlie, 2, was thrilled the meet his younger brother and new best friend after “discovering” him crying in his bassinet early on the morning of Sunday, Sept. 27.

Austin was born at 8:45 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, in Livingston, N.J.  He weighed 8 lb, 3 oz, and was 21.5 inches. He received a perfect 10/10 skin-color rating from the nurse and was allowed to come home to Verona, N.J., after only one night in the hospital.  

Austin Daniel is named in honor of Vivien’s maternal great-grandmother, Marie Cornelia Austin (1893-1974), and her son, Viven’s grandfather Daniel (1928-2010).    

Vivien and CJ look forward to introducing Austin Daniel to all family and friends over the coming months.

Enjoying late summer on Eastern Long Island

Dan writes: For as long as I can remember, I have spent at least part of every August in Noyac on Eastern Long Island. And even in this very strange year, I was able to keep that tradition going.

Ocean breeze

Julie and I headed out Aug. 26 to the Birch Street cottage that's been in the family for 35 years. The next day I stopped in a lawyers' office to sign the papers selling the property to Genevieve and John (see previous article). Then (as guests of the gracious new landlords) we spent the remainder of August and the very beginning of September enjoying the nearby beaches, parks and villages in very relaxed fashion.

Long Beach

Although limited by the need for social distancing, we were able to spend time visiting Genevieve, John, Bea and Jack, as well as Kathy and Robert, in outdoor settings. And Andy and Wren drove down from Upstate New York to join us for a few days. Fortunately, they were able to adjust their schedule to avoid some rain and enjoy beautiful sunny-and-warm-but-not-hot weather.

Of course, we took the nature walk on Jessup's Neck to feed the chickadees (and, increasingly, other species such as tufted titmouse and nuthatch) and check out the other wildlife.

We happened to be on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor just as the setting sun put on a spectacular show.

Here's hoping we can spend more time, see more family - and do without the masks - next summer.

Historic cottage changes hands, stays in family

Fair Play, circa 1968

The Birch Street cottage where many of our family members have spent summer days for more than six decades was purchased Aug. 27 by Genevieve and John from Dan, Kathy, Brien and Kevin.

The property has held a special place in the family's collective heart since Daniel and Lorraine rented it for summer vacations with their children in 1961-1965, and acquired it in the fall of '85. 

In her autobiography, Lorraine wrote that when a cottage up the street that they had rented in 1959-60 was unavailable in '61, "we chose an adorable red-and-white cottage down the street, one we had admired the year before, called 'Fair Play.' It had a nice big sandy yard, four rooms, a screened porch, and all paneled in knotty pine. We loved it more than the other cottage, and the kids thought it was like sleeping in a log cabin."

That description is still mostly accurate. The screened porch was later enclosed and other improvements were made over the years, but its original configuration and rustic charm remain.

2013 photo

Over the years, in addition to Daniel, Lorraine and their children, the little house has hosted friends, spouses and grandchildren. Love of its setting, in a quiet neighborhood near Noyac Bay, Sag Harbor and the other attractions of Long Island's East End, also inspired Kathy and later Genevieve and John to buy their own houses close by.

2001 photo

Dan, Kathy, Brien and Kevin jointly inherited the property from their parents. Now, it passes to third-generation owners who share in the emotional attachment to the cottage. Genevieve and John plan to use it as a rental for visiting family and friends. "We are excited, and looking forward to many many more years of family memories out here," Genevieve said.

Christine and Jamie welcome kittens to their home

On the way to new home

Christine and Jamie became the owners of two kittens on Aug. 13. They are pedigree Bengal cats, sisters born in May.

The kittens came from a breeder in Massachusetts who gave them excellent care and provided C+J with extensive records of their health and their family history.

Called Morgana and Lavenza, the kittens took only a day or so to start feeling comfortable in their new home - and particularly in Christine's and Jamie's desk chairs. Soon they were exploring the house, playing with toys and trying out various perches.

Lavenza	Morgana

The Cat Fanciers Association describes the Bengal as "a medium to large domestic cat most renowned for its richly colored, highly contrasted coat of vivid spots or distinctive marbling ... Bengals are generally confident and devoted companions. ... Active and interactive, Bengals are curious and athletic and maintain a kitten-like energy and attitude well into their senior years. These affectionate cats engage their owners in play, learn tricks, learn house-rules, or just like to be close."

At work with Jamie

Catnap in Christine's lap

Morgana and Lavenza now have their own Instagram page! You can see more photos and follow their activities @velvetbengals

President Julie leads Fanwood-Scotch Plains Rotary Club

Julie has become president of the Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains.

After serving as secretary and then as president-elect, Julie began her one-year term as president July 1. A formal installation dinner planned for that month was canceled due to the coronavirus. Instead, the installation ceremony was conducted via Zoom on Aug. 12.

Following her swearing-in by the district governor, Julie gave an address outlining her goals for the year. Those include: Increasing the diversity of club membership, energizing new members, finding ways to conduct fundraising virtually, continuing to improve the club’s visibility in the towns, and hosting the District Conference in May. Given all the disruption caused by the pandemic, she stressed the need to stay flexible!

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains club is very active in community service and currently sponsors charitable projects in Puerto Rico, Uganda and Nicaragua. (See details here.)

In recent months, club members have been sewing face masks, initially for donation to health-care and other essential workers, and then for sale at the weekly Scotch Plains farmers’ market, with proceeds donated to area food banks.

A midsummer night's sky-gazing

On a warm July evening in New Jersey, Dan and Julie headed to a spot on the shore of Raritan Bay that offered a northwest view over water. They thought Bayshore Waterfront Park might be a good spot to watch the sun set and the stars come out - and, perhaps, spot a comet.


They were in luck. There was just enough thin cloud that evening (Sunday, July 19) to create a spectacularly colorful sunset. Then, after the sun went down, the clouds mostly dissipated as the sky darkened and stars began to emerge.

Now, a warm, humid evening in the metropolitan area will never be ideal for stargazing, but the air was clear enough to easily see such bright lights as Vega, Arcturus and the Big Dipper - as well as Jupiter and Saturn rising in the east.

Guided by a couple of articles and illustrations indicating that Comet C/2020 F3, a.k.a. Neowise, would appear between the Big Dipper and the Northwest horizon, Dan and Julie searched that area with binoculars as, gradually, more stars became visible. It was a good hour or so after sunset when they spotted what looked like a little white smudge, or a brushstroke, close to two small stars they later determined were Talitha and Talitha Australis, in the front paw of Ursa Major.

Although it was faint and blurry, Dan and Julie felt pretty confident they had found the comet, with its tail pointing away from the sun as comet tails do. They were further convinced when, the following evening, they were able to spot it again from just outside their house - in a slightly different position, now between Ursa Major's paws, just where the charts said it would be.


The comet was much too dim for Dan to make a photo. But along with the stars, Bayfront Waterfront Park also afforded a view across the bay and New York Harbor to another light show, the Manhattan skyline.

Any other skywatchers out there? This image from Earthsky.org shows where the comet is expected to be on the night of its closest approach to earth, this Thursday, July 23 - with an added mark showing where Dan and Julie spotted it on Sunday night.

Josie, Nolan celebrate big birthdays

With their birthdays just two days apart, it makes sense for Josie and Nolan to combine their celebrations, right?

Brother and sister marked important birthdays this week - Josie's first (July 19) and Nolan's fifth (July 21)!

Jack celebrates first birthday

Jack celebrated his first birthday with Mom (Genevieve) Dad (John) and big sister (Beatrice) at their summer home in Noyac on July 16.

A few days earlier, Uncle Dan and Aunt Julie made a quick weekend trip to Noyac, and were able to spend a little time seeing Jack, Bea, Genevieve and Kathy at Long Beach - while keeping several feet of "social distancing" between them.

A quick visit to 'the island' for Dan & Julie

Dan and Julie got their first taste of Long Island Summer on the weekend of July 11-12. With concessions to the ongoing health crisis - avoiding crowds, getting takeout dinner - they were able to enjoy a bit of beaching and visiting family.

The previous day saw a tropical storm pass by, so they checked out the waves at the ocean beach in Bridgehampton, where a couple of young guys were attempting to ride the surf.

They arrived on their luxury yacht checked out the luxury yachts docked in Sag Harbor and strolled along Main Street - which was less crowded than on a summer weekend in normal, non-pandemic times, but still active. They and many other people (though not all) were wearing masks. Dan and Julie stayed outdoors except for a brief stop for tradition's sake at the Wharf Shop.

They later met Kathy, Genevieve, Bea and Jack at Long Beach - carefully maintaining social distance but managing to converse and enjoy the beautiful day together. The water was warm and the breeze was just right to be cooling but not chilling.

Genevieve, John and their children have been living full-time at their summer house, and Kathy at hers, and working remotely since the pandemic hit the New York area in the spring.

Building a life in the country

In their first summer at their new Upstate New York home, this young couple has been making good progress in their efforts to create a productive small farm.

Andy and Shannon - who is adopting the name Wren - have planted more than a dozen rows of crops, as seen above, and are raising a flock of chickens. They put in many hours of hard work putting up fencing around the crops to protect them from the chickens, and a much bigger fence around their property to protect the chickens from other animals. The importance of that project became clear when a dog killed a few of the chickens before the fence was completed.

They also outfitted the coop where the previous owners had kept a handful of chickens to accommodate the flock of more than 50 birds they acquired as chicks in March (see previous article). The birds are growing quickly, the roosters are starting to crow, and in a couple of months the hens should begin to lay eggs.

Dan and Julie drove up to visit on Independence Day weekend. Since the pandemic hit the U.S. in March, both couples have been keeping mostly isolated and taking precautions to avoid any significant contact with other people - so a weekend visit at the country house seemed reasonably safe.

It was a very enjoyable visit. Andy and Wren were fine hosts, providing delicious meals (although not home-grown yet; maybe next time). The weather turned beautiful, and the property has a wonderful view of wooded hills - with great sunsets.

The four also took an afternoon drive to revisit Thacher State Park and survey the Albany valley from the Helderberg Escarpment, which they'd seen on a previous trip last summer.