A very 2020 Christmas get-together

Keeping up holiday tradition as well as possible under the circumstances, Kathy hosted a virtual version of the annual Yonkers Christmas party on Dec. 27. Family members Zoomed in from up and down the East Coast to exchange Christmas greetings as well as wishes for a much better 2021.

In this checkerboard version of a family photo, we see (top row) Austin in Florida, Dan & Julie in New Jersey, Kathy in Yonkers, and Genevieve with Jack (and John off-screen) in Manhattan; (2nd row) Kevin, Kathy and Kevin in Yonkers, Vivien, CJ and baby Austin in New Jersey (Charlie was napping), Andy and Wren in Middleburgh, NY; (3rd row) Ellen and Owen on Cape Cod (with Lizzie offscreen), Beatrice upstairs from her mom, Christine (with Jamie offscreen) in New Hampshire and Marie in Virginia; and (bottom row) Kelsey and Patrick in northern Westchester (visiting Kelsey's parents), Brien in Yonkers and Mary (with Roger offscreen) in Malta, NY. Also taking part but not captured in this screenshot were Shanna, Rick and Lucy. 

Snow scenes from mid-December storm

The first significant snowstorm of the season hit the Northeastern U.S. on Dec. 16-17. Among our family members, Andy and Wren seem to have had the heaviest snowfall: About 28 inches, as measured on their deck the morning of the 17th.

While they've had snow on their northern-Catskills property before, this was the deepest since they moved in at the end of January.

Most of their chickens took one look at the piled-up snow and opted to stay in their coop. This one ventured out, hopped atop the snow and tried to plow its way into the yard before retreating.

At Birch Street headquarters in New Jersey, there was far less snow than forecast: maybe 6 inches instead of a foot-plus.

With no need to go anywhere, Dan and Julie were able to just enjoy the view. (And paid a couple of enterprising young men with shovels to clear their driveway.)

The Philadelphia area was about as far south as the snow reached.

The city received 6-7 inches in what the Philadelphia Inquirer called the region's first major winter storm in 1,000 days.

Cathy took these photos of the pretty scene as the snow fell in her suburban neighborhood.

Distanced Thanksgiving 2: Game Night

Lisa and Doug continued, in a fashion, their tradition of hosting a party on the day after Thanksgiving. Although unable to share crabcakes and ribs, family members enjoyed seeing and talking to each other and, as in years past, playing games together - this time via video conferencing service Zoom and online gaming sight Jackbox. Joining in from their homes were Dolores and Hugh, Julie and Dan, Cathy, Chris, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Christine, Jamie, Andy and Wren. The virtual gathering went on for some five hours.

Distanced Thanksgiving: Sharing greetings online

Holidays like Thanksgiving are made for getting together with the people you care about. But caring about people means keeping them safe, so amid the continuing pandemic, our family's gatherings were sharply limited this year. Making the best of the situation, we used technology to share holiday greetings from our separate homes.

Dan and Julie held an "open house" on Zoom, with various family members dropping in at different points in the day. Marie, Brian and Xander joined from Virginia; Christine and Jamie (with kittens) from New Hampshire; and Andy and Wren (with chickens) from upstate New York. From various points in Westchester came Kathy and Robert; Patrick and Kelsey (with puppy); plus Kevin and Kathy (with Jasper), Shanna, Rick, Lucy, Kevin and Brien. Genevieve and John, Bea and Jack zoomed in from Manhattan and Vivien, CJ, Charlie and Austin from New Jersey. Jamie's mom, Bonnie, and dad, Paul, also popped in with Thanksgiving greetings.

"It was wonderful seeing everyone and getting to relax and chat together, even if not in person," Dan said. "To get to visit with so many of our favorite people made the day feel special. And without the holiday traffic!"

Autumn leaves and family visits

Fall view from Andy & Wren's porch

Dan celebrated his late-October birthday by taking some days off work, and he and Julie hit the road to points north and east. They visited Andy and Wren in upstate New York, then Christine and Jamie in New Hampshire. Along the way they checked out the fall foliage, which was just a bit past peak but still very colorful. 

Relaxing at home

Just a few of the chickens

In Middleburg, N.Y., Dan and Julie toasted Andy and Wren's recent engagement and enjoyed their hospitality - including fresh eggs from their flock of chickens.

The four set out for a Sunday hike at a nearby geological feature called Vroman's Nose, but changed their minds when they found the trail crowded with maskless people. They drove around a bit looking at the scenery, then took a stroll in a community park in nearby Schoharie that includes a covered pedestrian bridge over Fox Creek. 

On Monday, Dan and Julie took a drive through the Berkshires and across central Massachusetts, then dipped into northeastern Connecticut. The weather was alternately rainy, foggy and just damp, foiling plans to stop for a walk in the woods near Stockbridge, Mass., but the autumn scenery was colorful even without the sun. They spent the night in Connecticut (due to Covid restrictions) before heading to New Hampshire the next morning. 

The weather dried out for their Tuesday visit with Christine and Jamie - and their kittens, now almost six months old. It was Dan and Julie's first chance to meet Morgana and Lavenza in person. After catching up over lunch, D&J and C&J headed out to explore the Andres Institute of Art sculpture park in nearby Brookline, N.H.

It was a chance to enjoy a fall hike in the woods and observe some art along the way. This work, called "Bones of the Earth," incorporated an existing rock outcropping. It was along the park's "Quarry Trail," which turned out to involve some rugged, rocky climbing.

Along a smoother trail were other installations, such as the very cute "Animals" and a trio of metal figures called "The Debate." There were very few people in the park on that Tuesday afternoon, and the group never encountered anyone else along the trails - making it a very relaxing, socially-distanced outing.

Friendly-looking "Animals"

Christine engages in "The Debate"

Afterward, the four returned to the house Jamie and Christine are sharing with Jamie's dad, Paul. Jamie grilled a rack of ribs with her own spice rub, making for a fine dinner. Dan then invoked birthday privilege to get Julie, Christine, Jamie and Paul to join him in a game of Rail Baron - which Christine was leading when all decided to call it a night.

It was raining again as Dan and Julie started the drive home, but the weather improved as they crossed Connecticut, and they had another chance to enjoy beautiful fall foliage along the Merritt Parkway to conclude their mini-vacation.

Four weeks as a family of four

Vivien and CJ shared these photos, taking four months after Austin joined the family. Charlie, age 2, is head over heels with excitement about having a little brother!

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.