Well, I was quietly thinking to myself that the Carroll III family managed to elude the stomach bug that’s been going around. We spent a spectacular Saturday in Boston for Marshall’s birthday. We dined out and saw Blue Man Group. I guess we are slightly behind the times since it seems that everyone else has already been to the show. I digress. Bradley managed to contract the viral nastiness that has run its way through nearly every other household in town. At the time of my writing she was the only one down for the count.
I prodded Susan Larsen for a training update. Most of you recall she participated in last year’s Avon Walk for breast cancer and plans to spend two days in Boston again this May doing the same thing. This year her youngest daughter, Brigida, is part of the Boston Youth Crew. The mother/daughter team has been busy spreading awareness and doing some fundraising. This Saturday, Sue will participate in “Mock Walk” a 10- or 14-mile training walk in Milton which covers part of the ground she will walk on her two-day journey in May. Brigida will be there with her as part of the support staff cheering her mom on. The countdown is under way with less than 60 days until they hit the road for the real deal. Please consider donating to help find a cure. Contact Sue at 508-645-3805 with questions on how to do so.
Sue shouts out and tips her hat to fellow walkers Margaret Maida and Bill Smith, who are pounding the pavement every day and shedding the pounds. They are an inspiration for so many who see them out there. I think we can all agree that they are both looking mighty fine.
“Mission Blue,” directed and produced by our friend Bob Nixon, was shared at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, D.C. The film is based on scientist Sylvia Earle’s mission, in coordination with the National Geographic Society, to raise awareness about the state of our world’s oceans. The packed house was well attended not only by Sarah, Bobby, Maggie, and Jack Nixon, but also by Bob’s mother, Agnes Nixon, Sarah’s mother, Kathleen Guinan, and my mother, Diana Lees. A lively discussion and a Q & A session followed the screening.
I had a wonderful conversation the other day with proud grandmother of four Magdalene Cullen. She was kind enough to chat me up from her home on Black Point Road. The primary topic of conversation was about high school senior Coop Cullen of Latrobe, Penn. The starter on the Greensburg Central Catholic High School basketball team has three full college scholarships awaiting his decision. He plans to study medicine and concentrate on orthopedic surgery, which may come in handy since both his grandmother and father seem to have knee trouble. Eighth-grade brother Matt seems to be following closely behind in his high-tops.
Congratulations to Gwen Mayhew and Eric Carroll on their recent engagement. Gwen is the youngest daughter in the Greg and Lois Mayhew family. Eric has been a regular sight at Larsen’s Fish Market wearing his trademark tube socks. I think you all must know who he is by that description. The couple took a trip to Disney World, where Eric proposed in chocolate writing on a beautifully decorated dessert.
Connie McCreery is happy to share that her daughter Meg — who with her husband, Rob Luton, and their two sons, Max and George — lives in Japan, arrived at the safety of Singapore. I am sure there were some very tense moments at the McCreery household until that news was shared.
The Chilmark School students are quietly beginning to make preparations for May Day. That fun-filled morning that consists of games, sweets, flowers, and the maypole dance has been a long-standing tradition at the Chilmark School. We are trying to put together a collection of stories spanning the decades for the children to read, share, and pass along to the next generation. Did you attend the Chilmark School? Do you have a May Day story you’d like to share? If the answer is yes, please jot it down or email it to me Squidrow@Vineyard.net. This year’s celebration will take place on Friday, April 29.
