McDonogh, Forever

That was the name of my school's fight song!

Since we have moved back to town, I have been a little nervous about "bumping into" old friends. When I left for Boston College, I was not the best about keeping in touch with the many wonderful friends that I had made during my nine years at McDonogh.

My fears were immediately put to rest last fall, when my friend Molly Clark (now Jefferds) sent me an email that said, basically, "You crazy girl! You have FOUR kids? You MUST need a drink...call me!!!" Many other of my high school friends have reached out to say "Hi" as well. It is such a good feeling.

Finally, I was able to meet up with Molly and Kelly Collins (now Atkinson) last week at Kelly's house. I seriously don't know if I had seen either Molly or Kelly since our graduation day, nearly EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO - and we picked it right up where we left off. It was so neat. Both girls look EXACTLY the same. Their personalities were exactly the same! I met Kelly's little boys.

I know that my parents passed up on many different opportunities in life so that my brothers and I could stay at McDonogh. There have been times when I have not fully appreciated their sacrifice...but hearing Molly ask about my brothers, by name, and hearing Kelly tell stories about MY family when I was a kid, reminded me to be very very thankful that Mom and Dad set me up, then set me free. Making friends at McDonogh taught me how to make friends around the world (and back again). I see that now. I will always welcome old friends back into my life, no matter how long the ribbon of time that has stretched between us.


Molly Clark Jefferds and Kelly Collins Atkinson - thanks for welcoming me back, girls!



Holly Jean made friends with Tommy, one of Kelly's boys.




Michele Weiner Sternberg lives in Vero Beach, where my parents now live in the winter. I love that we get to see her and Jon when we go down! Jon is absolutely hilarious..and he went to high school at Fairfield Prep with Mike and GREG DOWD, everyone! (More Dowd, thank you very much!) Michele is just the same; she is happy, loving, interesting and fun to be with. We had a great time seeing them...we look forward to staying up later with the Sternbergs as the years roll on.



Florida tans, beautiful smiles, three adorable boys, great food, and lots to drink...Michele and Jon have it all!



I do get to see Alison CHLOE(!) Keiller Hagan often! Our parents are good friends, and if I'm lucky, I get to see Alison, her awesome husband, Doug and their children each summer. Here we are with Emily MacGeorge Clark at Will's baptism. Emily's kids go to McDonogh! It is really fun to get back together. Here is my dad asking the girls about what I really did to dent the car...nearly twenty years ago!

Bring Back The Couch!

My youngest brother, Matt, suffered a Grand Mal seizure when he was in high school. For months afterwards, he had to take anti-seizure medication. He also had to give up his favorite sports, wrestling and lacrosse, and he was unable to drive for three months. Needless to say, it was not the happiest of times for him. He spent most of his recovery time on THE COUCH in our family room, in front of the television. He slept on the couch, ate his meals on the couch, talked on the phone on the couch, and even entertained guests on the couch! I don't know for certain if actual sponge-baths took place on the couch, but I do recall seeing Matt, and THE CAT grooming themselves simultaneously while watching 60 Minutes.

As a matter of fact, while watching our wedding video, the one thing that woke Matt from his "seizure meds/couch induced" stupor was that from the corner of his one half-opened eye he saw a bosom pop out from a wedding reveler's dress. He went from drooling away, semi-conscious on THE COUCH, to sitting straight up hollering "Breasts! Breasts! Rewind! Breasts!"

Three months later, when Matt got off THE COUCH, my parents decided to get some new furniture (and fumigate) the family room. They offered THE COUCH to us, and of course we took it. We recovered it, but nothing could hide the shape of my brother's girth that had lounged deep within its cushions for those long, lonely months. And try as I did to be the demure, sophisticated young wife of a Naval officer, nothing, not Lysol, not Obsession, not Drakkar Noir, not POLO could mask the piquant odor of Funyuns and Teenage Dude Sweat that wafted from those very cushions every time that someone "took a seat."


My poor, sweet baby brother went to the hospital late last night in pain, and he had an emergency appendectomy today. If he is to follow in the tradition of ANY MALE PATIENT THAT I'VE EVER KNOWN, then his wife, Heather, is in for a long road. Even she may need to take a break from caring for him, and have a seat, somewhere, with a glass of red wine. Matt and Heather, THE COUCH is stinking up our basement right now - I am more than happy to bring it over for an encore.

Love to all -

The same birthday...are they TWINS?

I am the lucky sister of TWO brothers. Girls with brothers are generally quick studies. It only took me ONE time to learn to NEVER, EVER knee a brother in the nuts, even if it "WAS AN ACCIDENT!!!" My brothers were not such quick studies with one another. Each moment that wasn't monitored by Mom and Dad (there were not many) was an opportunity for me to watch them sacrifice themselves to new forms of physical humiliation.

There was "the poke." My brother Andrew somehow mastered how to poke someone in the tricep muscle in precisely the same spot. Repeatedly. Daily. For Years. The force in his index finger felt like an evil mini-jackhammer!

There was "the rub" - one brother would rub the face of the other brother into the carpeting until his braces were lodged and locked into the fibers of the carpet. He would flail like a fish on a dock, hollering until my mom would come with the scissors to cut him out and yell, "Damnit You Two! Look at this carpet!"

There was "the tackle" - we've all seen it. Witnessed in, but not limited to purposeful mid-air collisions on the way to the sofa, the tackle has also taken place on the kitchen counter, the pool table, the front yard, the hood of a car, and mountainside while wearing skis.

Although I did mention "nuts" in this post, I am not going to stoop so low as to discuss the many mis-talents that they had with foul odors.

Andrew and Matt share the same birthday. It's today! They are not twins at all - they are two years apart. They are LOVELY people, and growing up with them was FUN. Happy Birthday, guys! I love you!


Matt raises the roof...


Andrew is holding his daughter, Mimi Sue. Andrew's not a twin, but his sons are!

Mike and The Bike

Mike and Maggie asked Santa for the same thing for Christmas this year: a bike. Greg Dowd inspired Mike to start training for triathlons with him, and so Mike wanted a good bike to train with. As the winter has dragged on, the bike has rested against the wall in our bedroom. Each day, Mike dutifully checks the weather, hoping that it will be a good day to "go for a ride." He's been able to practice on it a few times now that it's getting warmer, and this past Saturday, he rode it in his first ever triathlon! Guess what?

He came in FOURTH! OVERALL! (Second in his age group.) There were over 150 competitors. I am really proud of him, and happy for him! Picking up new passions is so important in life, and hard to do when you are raising little ones.

Here are a few photos of Mike and Greg carbo-loading late into the night before the big race. I think they were eating Clif Bars too, so that makes it legit pre-race nutrition. Mike was so impressed with the added "boost" that 4 beers gave to his race day performance, that he's adding cigarettes and bacon grease smoothies to his training regimen.

CONGRATULATIONS, MIKE!!! I LOVE YOU!