It's cookie time for Christine's Girl Scout troop

Girl Scout Troop 441 held its annual cookie booth sale in downtown Scotch Plains on Saturday Feb. 28. Here's Christine with two of her friends a couple of hours into the sale.

The weather was chilly but there was plenty of traffic as people scurried to do their errands before snow that was forecast later in the weekend.

And by the way there are still cookies available if anyone has a craving...

Looking forward to...

No we haven't seen any of these yet this year, but ... it won't be long now!



Seen any signs of spring yet? When you do please let us know!

Get well wishes to Aunt Pat (Updated)

While visiting her sister Lorraine and brother-in-law Dan in Yonkers, Pat had a Friday the 13th mishap - a fall on an indoor staircase that left her with a very sore back. Fortunately there were no fractures or other serious injuries, but she'll need need some time to get back on her feet.

Update as of 2/22: Pat has been transferred from St. John's Riverside Hospital to Riverside's physical therapy facility in Yonkers. If you'd like to say hello, the best way to reach her is on her cell phone. (If you'd like the number you can e-mail us for it.)

Back home in Saratoga, Pat says, it's been a very wintry winter, and snow is piled up about 3 feet high. Daughter Mary and her family lost electric power for a couple of days during a December ice storm.

Other updates from the North Country: Mary and Brennan's daughter Brienna is a student at SUNY-Plattsburgh's branch campus in Queensbury, N.Y. ... their son Brennan is a sophmore at Saratoga Central Catholic High School, where he plays center on the basketball team ... youngest Shannon, now 10, is on the Y swim team (which Mary coaches) and in a snow-shoe club at school.

Happy Birthday Genevieve!

Genevieve, seen here looking absolutely fabulous with her fiance, John, at her grandfather Ted's birthday party, celebrates her own birthday on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Best wishes, Genevieve, for the exciting year ahead!

Keep track of birthdays and other notable dates on the Family Calendar. And let us know of more dates to include.

Our nutty language

Hugh sent along an amusing essay on some of the oddities of the English language.

It raises such thought-provoking questions as "Why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?"

Check it out!

Fordham Prep repeats as city champs

The Fordham Prep indoor track team dominated the CHSAA city championship meet at the Armory Track & Field Center in New York on Feb. 14.

Patrick cleared 10 feet in pole vault again in his final meet of the indoor season.

Next up: preparing for the spring track season, which starts in late March.

See more at the team's web site
Read coverage from the Journal-News

Rebecca's curling team 'really proud' of its play in Junior Nationals

Congratulations to Rebecca and her curling teammates on their performance in the U.S. Curling Association Junior National tournament this week.

The team finished the qualifying round in a tie for fourth place, sending it into a tie-breaking game Friday afternoon (2/13) against a team from Minnesota. The lead changed back and forth through the game until the Minnesotans pulled out an 8-7 victory. (See the linescore.)

"Both teams played REALLY well, so we went out on a high note," Rebecca said in a post-game interview with The Birch Street Web. "We're really proud."

The team in the first game on Saturday Feb. 7.

Team Beebe (the teams are named for their skips, or captains) came into the tournament as the 6th seed, having won the Grand National Curling Club Women's Junior Championship in Wayland, Mass. in December.

The Junior Nationals tournament was held in Devils Lake, N.D. Ten teams from around the country took part in the competition.

The whole experience, Rebecca said, "was incredible -- and the town was so small that they were all behind us. We're going to drive around and take pictures of all the 'welcome curlers' signs."

Read the back story:
Previous blog items on the Junior Nationals
Team wins GNCC Women's Jr. Championship (Dec. 2008)
Becky curls in Olympic qualifying trials (Jan. 2009)

Celebrating Grandpa Ted's 80th

Family and friends of Grandpa/Ted Sr. gathered last Saturday (Feb. 7) for a celebration of his 80th birthday.

"It was a great time!" reports Genevieve. "It was in the Trustees Room in the New York Public Library, and there were 60 people, mostly extended family and some close friends."

"In the picture above, from left are Aunt Diane, Uncle John, me, John Allen, Christie, Patrick, Alex, Nick, Aunt Margaret, Vivien, Emily, my dad and my mom. My Grandpa Ted and Grandma Celestine are seated in the front."


"After dinner my Uncle John and my grandpa's cousin Oliver gave toasts, and they showed a slideshow of pictures of my grandpa through the years. It was a fun walk down memory lane, and my grandpa (and everyone else) had a wonderful night!"

Christine performs in school "pops" concert

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School music department put on a Pops Concert on Feb. 4, featuring music by its various bands and ensembles. Christine plays flute with the Symphonic Band, which performed "Three Scottish Vistas" by William Owens and a medley of selections from "Phantom of the Opera."



The Symphonic Band and the Freshman Concert Band also teamed up for some Motown tunes. The concert also featured segments by the school's wind and percussion ensembles and its acclaimed Moonglowers jazz band.

The various bands and choruses at SPFHS will be traveling to Florida April 29-May 3 to perform at Disney World. The Raider Marching Band will march down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, and the school's musical and choral groups will take part in a "Festival Disney," where they will perform and be evaluated by college professors and professional musicians.

A Jersey get-together

Marie, Brian and Xander made a quick trip up the New Jersey Turnpike to visit Dan, Julie, Christine and Andy on Sunday.

After their years in California, Marie and Brian are re-acclimating to their native Jersey, enjoying fine East Coast cuisine like pizza and Tastykakes. Xander seems to be adjusting to the change well, too.

Xander and his young aunt & uncle had a great time playing with old toys pulled out of storage for the occasion. Although his parents say he has his "terrible two" moments, Xander's generally a happy guy as seen here. (Especially when there's a train around.)

It was Super Bowl Sunday, so we put the game on in the background, and then cranked up the volume during Bruce Springsteen's halftime show. Here Xander and Christine dance to the music.

Poll's verdict: Go Cardinals! (Update: Oh, well)

By an underwhelming margin, family members who took part in the latest survey by the Birch Street Media Polling Institute favored the underdog Arizona Cardinals to win Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday.

The Cardinals captured 37 percent of the votes, to 25 percent for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers tied for second place with "Who cares? Baseball Spring Training begins in a couple of weeks."

(Update 2/1: The Cardinals came close, but with a last-minute touchdown the Steelers pulled out a 27-23 win.)

POLL RESULTS:
Who are you rooting for in the Super Bowl?
Steelers: 2
Cardinals: 3
Neither, but I'll still watch the game: 1
Who cares? Baseball Spring Training begins in a couple weeks: 2

The Institute noted that as of Saturday the Steelers were favored by oddsmakers to win the game by about a touchdown. The Institute also noted that this poll garnered eight votes, one more than its last effort, encouraging it to continue with future surveys. Finally, the Institute smacked itself in the forehead for not including "I'll tune in just for Springsteen's halftime show" as a possible answer.

"And I'd like to thank..."

Brien continues to provide the Birch Street Web with exclusive inside stories behind BKM's new album.

In my incisive analysis of the groundbreaking album "Soothsayer" I forgot to mention the following supporters. Much love to all!

A BKM Shoutout and Diva Wave to ... Shanna! The TV star, yes, THAT Shanna...... The designer, conceptualizer, and photographer of our CD album cover. (Three separate bills, would you believe? Only kidding!) Shanna you are in demand for our next album.

All our love and a tip of the hat to ... Daniel and Lorraine, a.k.a Grandpa and Grandma, a.k.a Mom and Dad. Thanks for the summertime access to Midland Recording Studios! And much appreciation for your support when, as parents of youthful music prodigies you provided us with our love of music and our first instruments. And then put up with the noise until we could actually play our guitars! The last song on the CD, "My Mirror," is dedicated to our Dad: Kevin wrote this song about 25 years ago.

A heartfelt "right on, Bro!" to Dan, the esteemed editor of this website and our first producer and sound man at our earliest, legendary 1970-1971 gigs. Though Dan was our producer, soundman, and big brother, I don't recall him listening to our music too much back then - he was too preoccupied with hippie musicians like The Beatles, The Band, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, the Grateful Dead, and the like. Go figure, it was his loss.

Much appreciation and love to our sister Kathy, who I apologize to, belatedly. Why, you ask? Because, by choice or not, Kathy did listen to my creatively tuned and musically questionable 70s guitar playing, usually very loud and usually while she was trying to do her homework. Her frank, insightful and instructive comments and suggestions made on these occasions have served me well as sound, humbling advice on my ego-inflating rise to lofty fame, critical acclaim from music-biz giants, and soaring chart success as one-half of the astoundingly gifted BKM. Love you Kathy! In those days Kathy would rather listen to Cat Stevens, Carole King, James Taylor, and Renaissance than my playing but who could blame her? I can't; I have to be honest with myself.

Of course a big shout out to Kevin's wife Kathy, for her support and encouragement, as well as use of their house for additional recording.

Also putting up with us last fall was Kevin the younger, a.k.a. Young Kevin. a.k.a Kevin the Yuteful, a.k.a. Wizard, a.k.a. Blackjacket, a.k.a. Cyber Clipper. He is the guy I send after people I don't like. A cool guy but a cyber weapon.

And hugs and kisses to Aunt Pat, our dedicated fan in snowy Saratoga; if you liked our CD "Changes," you will love "Soothsayer"! Your copy will soon wing its way to the frozen north for you to play endlessly, thrill your friends with, and treasure forever! BKM loves you Aunt Pat!

As mentioned earlier, there are yet more amazing, exciting stories and anecdotes associated with the "Soothsayer" CD that all fans would thrill to, but until further notice they remain missing or just plain forgotten.

--Brien

Fordham Prep wins Archdiocesan championship

Above, Patrick celebrates with his teammates after the Fordham Prep track team won the New York Archdiocese Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Varsity Indoor Championship on Sunday (1/25).

FP finished with 94 points, more than half again as many as second-place Msgr. Farrell HS from Staten Island. Journal-News sports reporter Dan Marra wrote on his track and field blog that "Fordham Prep is the most complete team in our area. ... (Coach) George Febles and his team all but dominated that meet."

See more on the FP track website.

New artwork by Christine added to our site

Here's a new picture by Christine of a couple of Pokemon critters called Eevees playing in a grassy field. It was drawn in pencil, inked, scanned into a computer, and colored in Photoshop Elements 3.0 using a Wacom tablet. This and a couple of other recent pictures are now in Christine's Gallery Two, and earlier works are in Christine's Gallery One.

Holiday season concludes with Julie's birthday

At the home base of the Birch Street Web, the "holiday season" extends late into January, through Christine's birthday on the 8th and Julie's on the 22nd.

Happy birthday Julie!

(Now maybe we oughta take down that Christmas tree...)

Family divided over issue of snow!

Snow outside Shanna's house on Jan. 19.

A survey by the Birch Street Media Polling Institute has found that our extended family is sharply split on the question of whether they want to see more snow in the coming days.

In the survey conducted the week ending Jan. 21, Birch Street Web readers were asked whether they've had enough snow this season. Forty percent of respondents answered, "Yes, that'll do, thanks, really." Likewise, 40 percent responded "No, bring it on!"

The remaining 10 percent said "No snow here, and that's fine."

Analysts noted that early responses to the survey ran in favor of "bring it on," but that as days passed, "that'll do, thanks" moved up into a tie. They speculated that the snowfall which occurred during the survey week may have influenced the result.

A spokesperson for the polling institute noted the survey received a total of seven responses and said the pollsters hope to get a larger sample size in their next survey.

Secrets behind BKM's new album revealed!

Brien has taken a break from his and Kevin's promotional tour for their new album, Soothsayer, (hope you caught them on Letterman!) to share some inside info exclusively with the Birch Street Web:

Hi Everybody, Kevin and I hope those who have our new album like it. For those who can't stand another day without it, I feel sorry for you, but contact the BKM website and get one. It's so good it's incredible.

Here is some info on our album, Soothsayer;

1. After much thought, it was titled after one of the songs on it. Not a bad idea!
2. Recorded over the past two years, mostly in the summer.
3. All songs and music written by us and played by us.
4. Kevin plays his black Ovation guitar, Yamaha keyboards.
5. Brien plays Gibson Firebird and J-100 guitars, 79 Fender Stratocaster, bass guitar, Casio keyboards.
5. The Joker who appears on our album goes back to our Jokers Dream album cover -made in 1979! I was the amazingly talented artist who drew him, and though he looks quite a bit like the joker in a Bicycle Card deck, that is entirely a coincidence. Okay, answer this: Ever see a playing card Joker with a guitar? I thought not! I rest my case.
6. More absolutely thrilling anecdotes and tidbits related to our hugely successful album have either been forgotten or cannot be found.
7. LOOK at the BKM website run by Kevin. LISTEN to the four samples from our Soothsayer album! If your toes are a-tappin and your neck is a-snappin then you need more BKM! Attract Kevin's attention somehow (remember he is married) and order your copy of Soothsayer today!

For those in the frigid zone, call between 3:08 and 3:09.5 AM or, if too frozen to call, send smoke signals. For those in the temperate zone do whatever you want.

Stay Groovy -- Brien

Marie and Xander arrive in NJ

QUICK UPDATE:

Marie and Xander flew cross-country on Sunday to join Brian in New Jersey, completing their move from California. Once they're rested from the journey and settled into their new surroundings we hope to get a full report.