Tom Weller

New pictures from Alaska

Hello everyone.
I hope your Christmas was a merry one. We had a white Christmas up here, but the temperature today was almost 50 degrees. I'm sure everyone remembers what a day of driving around in melting snow is like! The washer solvent guys are having a banner year!! It should cool down next week and get back to normal, but with the temperature extremes, both cold and warm, this winter, it has been a little strange. We bought snowshoes, but really haven't had enough snow to take advantage of them. We also have been out at the local ski area. We did some cross country in the woods and that was beautiful. The ski area ( check out the ski jumps in the right of the picture) is a little like Labrador or Toggenberg, but the scenery is a lot more spectacular.

Take care, have a Happy New Year, and we'll keep in touch. Tom

2013

Happy New Year

Tom Weller

 

We have been in this state for another month and we are loving it more and more each day. We bought snowshoes, signed up at a local ski area and generally are finding many outdoor activities despite the well below freezing temps.
I'm sure we'll have a bunch of stories to tell as the winter goes on. We went to the Alaska Wildlife Canservation Center which is about 50 miles south of Anchorage, They rehabilitate injured animals and have populations of moose, elk, bisons and many birds. The Eagle picture I will attach is just one of many in the Center. I'll include a few pics of the area so you can appreciate the beauty of this land. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Take care and I'll keep in touch

Dick Shanahan

Our classmate Dick Shanahan passed away today, November 24th, 2012.

Richard William Shanahan, 64, of Manlius, passed away on Saturday. He was a graduate of FM where he enjoyed playing baseball. Richard retired from the USPS in 1998. He enjoyed baseball and golf and had a passion for Corvettes. Richard was an Army Veteran having served in Vietnam. He was predeceased by his wife Maureen Spinella in 2010 as well as his parents William and Lora Shanahan. Survivors: son Jesse Ryan and daughter Jenna Renee; cousin Sandy Cerimeli as well as many great friends

.
Services: Noon on Tuesday at St. Anns Church. Burial will follow at Manlius Village Cemetery. Family and friends may call from 10:00 to Noon at the church, 104 Academy Street, Manlius.

Happy Thanksgiving

Have a wonderful and restful day.

Ralph Braun

Ralph lost his beloved Mother at the end of October. Sadly attending her funeral was effected by Hurrican Sandy. Please read what he wrote:

I just wanted to say hello and tell you that my Mother passed away at the end of October. We all knew her time was limited , now she has been able to lay her burden down and be with my father at peace. My daughter Jesse and I were valiantly attempting to make it to the services from Wisconsin but it was not to be with hurricane Sandy. There was a nice service at St. Ann's in Manlius and she was laid to rest next to my father in a small cemetery in west Amboy where they had spent their last years together.
My other siblings were able to make it there but we were locked out by canceled flights from this direction. We may try to have a memorial gathering there in the spring.
It is, as you have said, hard to see a once vital part of our lives reduced to a shell of her former self. It also strikes hard at our own mortality. It all seems so short , doesn't it.
Just a few years ago we were all young and full of life but with the passing of a parent we wonder at the speed of time and how relentless a master it is.

Most things here are going well . Winter is close at hand with short days and colder weather but we have enough firewood to keep us warm after a very hot dry summer. I'm not sure what we will eat though, those deer wandering around my back yard don't know jeopardy they are in right now LOL
I'm still working for the foreseeable future although my wife Carol, has retired sooner than expected . The non-profit she had worked for 23 years is virtually closed due to very poor management so we are getting used to a whole new schedule. It has been good for her to be able to stay at home and do all the projects she has had in mind.
Well, I'll sign off for now.
Be well, Ralph

Tom Weller

Hello from Anchorage

We made it to Anchorage about 2 weeks ago and it is amazing! The trip was fantastic, if a little long. We spent 6 days on the road, but I would definitely recommend this for a bucket list entry.  We left San Diego and drove up through Nevada, Idaho, Montana and then into Alberta Province, Canada.
We stopped in Banff, Jasper, and made a stop at Lake Louise. Over nearly every hill and around nearly every corner, the scenery was amazing. As we went farther north, the views just kept getting better and better. We spent the last night in Canada in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The history of the place  makes one feel pretty soft. It was incredible the hardships the travelers to the Gold Rush had to endure. The RCMP would not allow them to cross into the Yukon or Alaska unless they had 1 ton of supplies each. This meant for some, many trips over the mountains through snow covered passes with what they could carry on their backs. Sometimes this meant over 100 trips with all that gear.
Anyway, enough of the travel stuff.
Started work on October 15th, doing essentially the same thing I have been doing for more years than I care to admit. It should be a pretty east transition.
I didn't realize how much I had forgotten about the cold until I had to stand in line outside for about 45 minutes in 18 degree temperatures. It will take a little getting used to given that I have been living in Southern California for 15 years, but I'm up for the adventure.
I'll add a few pictures to this so you can sense a little of the beauty of this land. They call it " The Last Frontier: and I think I know why.
Take care.

Tom Weller

Dave Eckerson

yo Debby .. I am back in Washington, DC in a new job as Counselor to the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development. I was just promoted to Career Minister in the Foreign Service, the top of the ladder. Headed to F'ville over Columbus Day. Hung up my overseas spurs, and will be headed to the rocking chair next July. Looking forward to getting a stainless steel hip on Halloween. Aging sucks.

dave eckerson

Anita Cottrell

I've just learned from Anita that she is recuperating at home from the removal of a ductal carcinoma in situ on 9/24 and is waiting for the findings. You may want to get in touch with her and see how's she's doing. It's been a very stressful month for her.

Anita, Cinda, Barb at the 45th reunion



"Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means "in its original place." DCIS is called "non-invasive" because it hasn’t spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isn’t life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing an invasive breast cancer later on." from breastcancer.org

Linda Badgley d'Agostino

Nothing much going on here. Just enjoying FL.
I was up in NY, getting the house ready for sale, when my former husband passed away in July. Was glad that I could be there for my children. They are now living all over the place, one in PA, one in OH, and one just outside of DC.
[My significant other] Ed and I are active in Veteran's activities. He's a member of the VVA, and I'm with the AVVA. We just participated in a POW-MIA recognition Ceremony here in Port Saint Lucie. Not exciting, but very rewarding.
That's about all I can think of. Hey........we're old! :) Just like the rest of our class. Well, some of us are older that others. Talking maturity wise, not chronologically.

Take care. Hugs to everyone.

Kevin Fitch and Cindy Morrissey Mann

Can you believe it we are sending you news. After attending a conference in Santa Fe, NM, Kevin and Sheila visited Cynthia and Nate Mann in Albuquerque. Here we are at the top of the Sandia Mountains, 10,632 feet. Unfortunately Nate was the photographer and was not included in the photo.

Sandy Jackson Epoch

From Tom Weller

I didn't know Sandy very well in high school. It came as quite a surprise when she contacted me and also Wayne Trivelpiece who lives out here as well. She said she had been coming to San Diego for some time and her brother, Ted owned a bar in town and would we like to get together. This was the start of a long and lasting friendship between us. We looked forward to getting together every time she came out here and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I was able to meet her and have lunch with her back in Syracuse in June. That was the last time I saw her.

She will be greatly missed. She always seemed to light up the room and make everyone comfortable when we got together. I know she made my life more meaningful. The world will be a little colder without her.

Sandra Jackson Epoch

September 16th, 2012

Sandy J. Epoch, 64, formerly of Syracuse, passed away on Sunday at Upstate Hospital with family by her side. Sandy worked for the NYS Parks & Recreation for over 30 years. Sandy cherished time spent with her daughters and grandson. Surviving are her daughters, Kirsten (Jeremy) Wigley, Rebecca Epoch; grandson, Dylan Wigley; siblings, Ted (Janell) Jackson, Judy Helton, Roamy (Dennis) Fikes, Scott (Liz) Jackson, along with her nieces and nephews. Services are private. There are no calling hours. Contributions may be made in memory of Sandy to: www.freetobreathe.com To leave a special message for the family please visit NewcomerSyracuse.com

Tom Weller

Hi all.

Just opened another chapter in the adventure that is my life. I have been offered and have accepted, a position in Anchorage , AK. I'll be doing essentially the same job I have been doing in San Diego, but the skyline will look much better. The company approached me, offered me the position, agreed to pay for the move and guaranteed me the job. It was pretty much impossible to turn down. We have talked about going back to Alaska for years and this is the perfect opportunity.
We will be getting up there just in time for Winter, so I will have to learn to drive in the snow again. The company has a number of clients who are located in remote areas so I will probably get the chance to fly again. Can't imagine any better place to fly than AK. It is the last frontier.
I will keep in touch and if anyone happens to be headed up to Anchorage, let us know. There will be plenty of room to crash.
Take care.
Tom

Dr. Glenn Prestwich

Involved in founding seven companies and now a mentor to other entrepreneurs, Glenn D. Prestwich, Presidential Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Utah, entered the business realm more than 20 years ago “kicking and screaming,” he says. He wasn’t driven by a passion for business to start one of his early companies, but he took on the added task to free his academic lab to focus on research.

Over the years, however, Prestwich, 63, has been able to combine what he likes to do—and, more important, the impact he wants to have as a chemist—with the formation and operation of small companies. And as the presidential special assistant for faculty entrepreneurism at Utah, he supports others working toward their entrepreneurial goals.

In the first half of his academic career, Prestwich was happy running a research group and using his synthetic chemistry abilities to help other scientists by providing compounds. In 1992, while at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, he was asked to head the university’s Center for Biotechnology. Despite his best efforts to avoid the job, he got it anyway.

“It wasn’t something that I set out to do, wanted to do, or thought I had any qualifications to do,” he says about running the center and helping the faculty start companies and grow the downstate New York biotech sector. “It was an uphill battle for me to go from being a scientist to being a guy who wore a suit.”

Nevertheless, Prestwich says he learned about how effective teams and businesses work, especially in tackling complex tasks. “You can’t do anything innovative and succeed unless you have a team,” he notes. During that time, he and partner James A. Hayward started Clear Solutions Biotech, which used technology from Prestwich’s lab for making hyaluronic acid derivatives. The business was eventually sold.

In 1996, Prestwich moved to Utah, excited about the prospect of getting back into research. Very soon after arriving, he and chemistry professor C. Dale Poulter were bemoaning the fact that their students and postdocs spent too much time fulfilling requests for specialty reagents.

“It was out of desperation that we started the first company in Utah so we could do research again, rather than just put powders in ampules,” Prestwich says. But clearly there was a customer need, and in 1997, Echelon Research Sciences began supplying biological assays and reagents. Now called Echelon Biosciences, the business is part of research chemical supplier Frontier Scientific.

By this time, Prestwich had learned “how to invent around my own patents.” Hyaluronan biomaterials became the basis of his next four companies. The first in 2003 was SentrX Surgical—which became Carbylan BioSurgery in 2005—from which offshoots SentrX Animal Care and Glycosan BioSystems were formed in 2006. Bioresearch product supplier BioTime purchased Glycosan in 2011. He founded the fourth company in 2008: GlycoMira Therapeutics is developing semi­synthetic glycosaminoglycan ethers as anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

At most of the companies, Prestwich initially served as chief scientific officer (CSO). “I like to get these companies going, but I don’t like to run things,” he says. Once R&D is established, he sees a natural transition “when they don’t need me as a CSO, but they need me as a science adviser,” he says. “I start out as the father and end up being the grandfather—somebody else is in charge on a day-to-day basis, and I come and give advice.”

On the basis of his experience, he would advise other prospective faculty entrepreneurs to keep their day jobs. “Faculty members are more effective at being innovative and creative than they are at managing a company, which is all about focus and execution, and that can be pretty boring,” he says. Instead, he suggests finding and working with seasoned managers who have the right skills.

Prestwich also sees great opportunities for faculty members and students to start businesses together. Preoccupied with other responsibilities, faculty members are “naturally risk averse,” he says. “On the other hand, students don’t have day jobs, and they require risk to get going and succeed. Together they make a great team and can make balanced decisions.”

As a mentor to faculty entrepreneurs, Prestwich has served as a board member or adviser to the companies they start. As an extension of this role, he now is chief executive officer of Metallosensors, which has licensed a Utah colleague’s technology to create handheld mercury detectors.

For Prestwich, the genesis of his companies has been market driven—identifying and fulfilling a customer’s need and helping to solve a problem. “The first half of my career was learning to do what I now know how to do,” he says, “and the second half is actually doing it and trying to make a difference.”

Camilla Zankowski Daniels

Just read the class blog. I too felt like Kate Wilbur who thought she had nothing to share. Not true. Beyond the scorching Summer "12 (corn crop lost in Ohio), there is wonderful news to share. After fourteen months of being unemployed, our older son has a position with the financial house Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Forgive me for not knowing if and where commas should be placed in the company name. Ben and his wife are also expecting their second daughter in October. Fondly named, "Lady Bug Girl", by their older daugher, Ilsa, our second grandaughter is due on her older sister's 4th birthday. Ben is already dreading the teen years. However, Gina is not. As having taught middle school and now teaching high school, she's comfortable with teenagers. Perhaps our son is remembering some of the difficult times he gave his parents as a teenager.

Jerry & I took our first vacation in thirteen years, by joining our younger son, daughter-in-law, grandson, the other grandma and her best friend, in the Outer Banks, NC. Sharing an enormous house, listening to the ocean, eating seafood and learning history about another section of this country was wonderful. My favorite time of the day was sharing dinner with the seven of us. We're preparing for Chris, Jen and Jackson to make a visit in September for an Ohio State University home game. Yes, Kate it is against USC. Having them here from the Detroit, MI area is a treat. They will be returning for the OSU-Michigan game in November. Both Chris and Jen are OSU alumni. Spending time with people one loves and cares about is greater than anything in the world. I often remember something from the 45th reunion. I'm glad I came.

The rain has come too late this last weekend, but the heat has abated. Maybe lawn mowers will make an appearance soon. To everyone else who has had a hot, dry summer, you have not suffered alone. Their are many in your company. We will find solutions for this also.

Camilla

Phil Evans

 Celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this summer, Nancy and I visited Copenhagen and Oslo for several days, then traveled across southern Norway to go by ship north into the fjords of the western coast. We passed a number of ports between Bergen and the arctic circle, arriving finally at Kirkenes which borders the tip of Russia. There was dramatic scenery and also some unusually warm weather during that final part of the trip. Along the way we were also able to visit our daughter Andrea and new son-in-law Todd, who were married last October in Michigan and are now living on the upper east side of Manhattan. Starting this fall she has a new teaching position in Rye, NY, while Todd works in the city.
This last January was special too for the family, with son Greg and daughter-in-law Karen having the birth of their first child, Ryan. An exciting time for everyone.

Ralph Braun

The years high light so far has been a naval squadron reunion in Tucson. It was a shock to hit there in April , having left Madison at 37 degrees and arriving there at 102 but it was a real treat. The get together was great as always but our numbers grow fewer as the years pass. I reunited with one of my best pals from 42 years ago and we had much to talk about. I had "borrowed" his leather flight jacket in 1971 and surprised him by returning it. Although it looked a bit like road kill after all these years ,it was an emotional moment for us both, we flew a lot of miles together. I asked if he would lend me his lawn mower but he refused LOL.
My wife Carol retired this spring. It was not what we had planned but a new director took over and the short story is that he did such a good job of alienating other agencies that they have worked with for 30 years they lost $750K in grants and the money to pay her dried up. It's actually been a good thing so far.

Ralph

Heart Rescue

Please take a look at this -- it could help you save a life
http://www.heartrescuenow.com/ click on this

Larry Kennedy

Summer Fun

Enjoying the summer on Oneida Lake - been boating and fishing on my new pontoon boat. Went to Sylvan Beach for the 4th and grilled hamburgers, swam while anchored off shore, then went up the canal to lock 22 and turned around. Watched fireworks from boat off shore, before heading home.
Doing various craft shows selling my leather work. Did Ozstravaganze in Chittenango and the CVAC show in Cazenovia. Did real well for me. Have some more scheduled for later on ARC in Wampsville (Aug), and ESM (Nov) that I did last year.
Hope everyone is enjoy the summer.

Larry Kennedy

Debby Larus Doolittle

Celebrating our 22 wedding anniversary this weekend. John and I both forgot the actual day of July 12th so we decided to celebrate on Saturday.

Kirsten Mackey Fleisher

Kirsten Retires

After thirty three years of teaching, I retired at the end of this past school year. Most of my time was spent in the Trenton (NJ) City District in the primary grades. Although education has not yet been the solution to urban problems (as I'd hoped it would) I was fortunate to love my career and the people with whom I worked - large and small! I have no specific plans at the moment, other than spending time at the mission center in Guatemala. Who knows what the future will bring? I am always ready for an adventure!

Kirsten

Marilyn Wheeler

July 6, 2012

Marilyn Merrill Wheeler, of Fayetteville, entered unto rest on Friday, July 6. Marilyn was born in Hinsdale, IL, on July 3, 1923.

She was the daughter of the late Ralph W. and Marguerite S. Merrill.

Marilyn graduated from Rye High School, Rye, NY, and attended St. Lawrence University, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and where she met her husband. Marilyn ran a home-based daycare for many years before going into retail sales for over a decade. She was a member of the United Methodist Church of Fayetteville, where she was a longtime Sunday School teacher and served on numerous committees. A lifelong knitter, Marilyn enjoyed knitting, particularly sweaters for her children, grandchildren and friends.

She was predeceased by her son, Richard, in 2002; two brothers, Robert and John Merrill; and a sister, Elizabeth Wilson.

Marilyn is survived by her husband of 67 years, Platt M. Wheeler; daughter, Cynthia (John) Manning of Boxford, MA; daughter-in-law, Gini Wheeler of Rochester; sons, David (Daryll) Wheeler of Fayetteville, Robert (Amy) Wheeler of Raleigh, NC, and Jonathan (Nan) Wheeler of West Hartford, CT; 18 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and beloved nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church of Fayetteville. Burial will be in Fayetteville Cemetery.

Family and friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday at the Eaton-Tubbs Fayetteville Chapel, 7191 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville.

For directions, florists or a guest book, please visit www.SCHEPPFAMILY.com

Contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church of Fayetteville, 601 E. Genesee St., Fayetteville, NY 13066 or the Fayetteville Free Library, 300 Orchard St., Fayetteville, NY 13066.

EATON-TUBBS

Fayetteville 637-3214

Marilyn (Merrill) Wheeler

Larry Craigie

Saw Larry and Dana Craigie for lunch on their way back to Oklahoma.

Cinda Meachem Sutton

Sadly Cinda's Mom has entered Hospice after heart surgery.

High Temps here in MO

We've had just some impossible thermometer readings the last few days taking us into a full blown drought. We've made up to 108 degrees. That's Arizona like temps.

Iced Coffee

One of the great pleasures for me in the summer is having iced coffee

Dan Sheedy

 I recently had the opportunity to record some TV voiceovers and radio spots for the NY Jets. They'll air in the New York metro soon. I'm also recording voiceovers for a new Outdoor Channel show which hasn't started airing yet. More on that later. My sons (Ben - 25 - and Jon - 21) and wife are all well. Ben just finished his first year of graduate school at The Actors Studio in NY and is working 3 jobs here in the Thousand Islands.

Jon continues in the video game business. Jill paints, creates jewelry and somehow manages to stay reasonably sane while still married to me (I'm not sure how she accomplishes that last bit).

We are down to just two dogs now after losing our beloved Bailey (a sweet Golden Retriever) to cancer and the queen of all Pugs, Rosie, during 2011. Now it's just Louis, an 82 lb. thug of an English Bulldog and Napoleon, a malicious little Chihuahua. Playing with Louis is like climbing into a cement mixer on high speed. Napoleon spends his days plotting against us.

Visited my mom and dad - Edward & Janet Costello

Dear FM Classmates. An update to my last blog post. We did visit with my mom and dad...from Mothers Day to Fathers day. We had a great time. We parked our motorhome at Green Lakes for 2 weeks, then spent a week at Henderson Harbor, then back to Green Lakes for another week While there we visited Alexandria Bay, whereas we visited Boldt Castle. What a difference. NY state is doing a great job preserving the castle.

Obviously we spent a lot of time in my old neighborhood ... Homewood. Note - they changed the spelling of McLennan Drive to McClennan drive. Strange. I stopped by Town of Manlius offices and they could not tell me why. McClennan drive now has a fourth block...with one home being constructed while we were there. The road starts on the right side of Platt Wheelers previous home.

We did a lot of chores for the folks, who continue to live in their "Starter Home." How the 5 of us lived in that home for so long is beyond me. We plan on visiting mom and dad about every 4 months as the time is slipping away. My two brothers are Greg and Doug.

I also saw quite a few friends...one being someone I worked with at Carrier...Dave Hatch. I believe some of you know him as a neighbor on Salt Spring Road. We had breakfast at Hullers. We also saw Rick Schaefer quite a few times...once at the old bar called "The Chalet."

Well, we are back at New Bern, NC, where it is very hot. Our daughter and 2 grandchildren from St. Louis with visit soon. Have a great summer everybody. Please keep posting on the Blogs....great keeping up with my FM friends.

Oh yeah...we did visit the Swan Pond as well. Quite the story. God Bless! My email is budman34@embarqmail.com

Kate Wilbur

Some of you know, I live in Los Angeles, work at USC, my husband is retired and I have two daughters in their mid-20s. I was thinking that I didn’t have anything to write in response to Deb’s email, but on further reflection several strange and somewhat exciting things have happened in the last few months. The first “news” happened in December, when my onesie pajamas made an appearance on the Craig Ferguson show. If you want to see for yourself—here is the clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygxzls05IxQ. Fortunately, I was not in the pajamas at the time. They had been pilfered from my closet the week before and appeared on TV without my knowledge or permission. Because it didn’t feel right, lounging around in celebrity pajamas, I donated them to the young man in the video. A second exciting and equally if not more strange thing happened in February. My youngest daughter, who freelances for LA Weekly (LA’s Village Voice) was asked to write the cover story on “pimpc
ups.” To research this story she got to hang with Snoop Dog and a bunch of rappers and hip hop artists that I had never heard of with lots of Z’s in their names. If you want to learn more about pimpcups (although I can’t imagine why most of you would), you can check her story at: http://www.laweekly.com/2012-03-08/art-books/pimp-cups-bishop-don-magic-juan-snoop-dogg-iced-out-gear/. Also on the list, her boyfriend won a Grammy for best album (Adele’s 21); he was the sound engineer for “Someone Like You.” Her day job is working for an organization that serves low income seniors so both activities were forays into a completely different side of LA. Finally, my older daughter is getting married in July so we are looking forward to hosting my entire family (my 6 siblings and their kids) in Los Angeles for the wedding.

Kate Wilber

Dave Eckerson

All good things have to come to an end. I have left the Pearl of
Africa and moved on to my next assignment in the United States. John Mark Winfield is now Mission Director. I can be reached by cell phone in the USA at 571-216-0590 or by email at davesbirthday@gmail.com

Jim and Marsha Myers

Photos from their trip to Hawaii this past May.

Gordy Webb

Gordy with his daughter Lindsay at her wedding a year ago 6/19/2011

Larry Craigie's son gets married

Proud parents Larry and Dana Craigie at their son's wedding this past April.

Hummingbird Feeders and Bees

How To Keep Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeders—Tips From Duncraft

Each spring when hummingbird feeders go up, Duncraft begins to get calls from customers asking how to keep bees away from the sweet nectar. If bees or wasps are a problem, Duncraft offers these tips:

• 

Aspects HummZinger Ultra

Thank you for these tips, I'm definitely going to try them!...Allison, comment on Duncraft's Wild Bird Blog

Concord, NH (PRWEB) May 15, 2012

Each spring when hummingbird feeders go up, Duncraft begins to get calls from customers asking how to keep bees away from the sweet nectar. If bees or wasps are a problem, Duncraft offers these tips:
Use a hummingbird feeder with bee guards or bee guard tips so the bees can’t get into the nectar.
Try feeders that have no yellow in them. The color yellow could be attractive to bees. Duncraft has a huge selection of hummingbird feeders, many that do not have any yellow color on them.
If the “bees” are actually yellow jackets, a kind of wasp, you may be able to reduce the population with yellow jacket traps.
Move your hummingbird feeder to a very shady location. Bees prefer to eat in sunny areas. Distract bees with a saucer of nectar where the feeder used to be.
Make the nectar less sweet. Try 5 parts of water to 1 part sugar instead of the usual 4 parts water to one part sugar.
Spraying a very light coating of cooking oil on the feeder may stop bees from landing on it. But use caution not to overdo it. Oil on hummingbird feathers can be harmful to them.
A very small amount of petroleum jelly on the feeder flowers might also help stop bees from landing. Be sure to wipe off the excess so hummingbirds don’t get it on their feathers.
After hanging with fresh nectar, be sure to clean off sugary drips or spills on the outside of the feeder so bees won’t be attracted to the sugary scent.
Never use insect-killing chemicals around hummingbird feeders! It’s bad for the hummingbirds and may also kill beneficial honey bees!
Founded in 1952 and located in Concord, New Hampshire, Duncraft’s objective is to bring the joy of backyard birding to wild bird lovers all across the country. Mike Dunn, owner and CEO is constantly inventing and searching for innovative ideas in bird feeding—giving bird lovers years of bird feeding enjoyment, success and satisfaction.
Duncraft
102 Fisherville Road
Concord, NH 03303
603-224-0200

Joyce Powell Donohoe

Hello~ Happy Mothers Day!

As you all know this past week I went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France with the Order of Malta .My good friends Mary Pat Northrup (she would be called a Dame of Malta)and Ted Northrup( he would be called "V' on his name tag, which of course both of us being protestant thought he was the "fifth" come to find out he was a "Volunteer!!!!"),and ......my husband Peter better know there as my companion. All were by my side thru out the entire week.

I don't even know where to begin to tell you of this amazing journey !!!!

Right from the beginning at the airport and sitting 3 rows in front of me on the plane was His Eminence Donald "Cardinal" Wuerl.......Archbishop of Washington.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a GREAT start!!!!

While waiting to board the plane for France the Malta's had totally organized us into color groups, (The Northrups and ours was purple......, how did they know that was Mary Pat and my favorite color!!!)The Malta's moved Approx. 300 people around the entire week(and that is only the east coast USA, another whole plane from the western US and another set of approx 300 to organize!!!)......We received a list of where we were going , times where we were eating and who were my "pushers" and "pullers".....while I rode around like a Queen in a rickshaw!!!!!! The best was... we get to the hotel and Peter see's 2 of the priests belly up to the bar and order 2 large beers.....well.........Peter was now very blessed, he is a very happy companion!!!!!!!

I'll just mention a few of the highlights........we did go to mass everyday sometimes twice, every one was beautiful, between the homily's and the choir, the organization of the priests giving communion...the basilica's were all different!! Since there were over 20,000 people, Malta's from every country they divided the basilica's up nightly, since we could not all fit in one building.The opening Mass was in the Rosary Basilica.......the stained glass windows were all the mysteries just beautiful.....I loved the homily he started out with "OMG" .....got my attention!!! My friend Kathy Hixon had made me a beaded bracelet that was a Rosary and she gave me a booklet on how to pray,perfect for me!!!! Outside the Cardinal was "hanging around" so Ted and MaryPat in her sweet way, got our pictures taken with him!!!!

The next morning bright and early it was our day to go to the baths.........You enter a room with 8 other ladies...( I of course got yelled at because I was talking and we were suppose to be praying!!!) they cover you with a sheet so no one can see you and they disrobe you.....then go thru the curtains where they wrap a cold sheet around you, say a prayer and down into the coldest water I have ever been in!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The ladies lower you in as you gasp because the water is so......cold......you are up and out in no time, you are barely wet they have no towels and they dress you right away....YOUR DRY!!!!!!!! AMAZING!!! So....of course Peter was hopping it would cure his arthritis in his knees and if he dunked his head maybe he would get more hair.....It would be just like him, to happen that he gets the miracle.....Then 3/4 of the men of the world would be coming to Lourdes!!!!!

That evening is a beautiful candlelight procession and Mass in the square outside the Basilica......thousands of people, and those Malta's have us so organized, time, ,place to meet how to proceed in the procession..........in all the Basilica's the sick in the rickshaws are parked in the front rows,and you turn around and see all the Malta's in there uniforms is breathtakingly beautiful!!! They come up and check on you thru out the service and bring you cups of Lourdes water to drink, they are truly amazing!!

The best was when you come out the Cardinal is right there to bless you PERSONALLY!!!!! I have pictures I will have to send in another email, a friend is coming to show me how to set it up........I tried but somehow could not get them into the email......

One day we climbed this Mt ....all the way up were these beautiful carvings for the "stations of the cross" ,Walking with me was Dr Patrick Walsh, he discovered the test for Prostate cancer!!!

Sunday we went to an underground Basilica (Saint Pius X) it looked like the SU Dome!!!! It seats 20,000 people!!! I found out later it was on TV.....wish I had known to tell all of you!!! The homily was in every language and so was the choir singing!!! AND you should have seen the priest give communion to all those people!!!!

I think my most moving time of all was going to the Grotto where Mary appeared to Bernadette in February 1858. To think of all the people in the world who have come here, as I have, to express their faith and pray... to drink the healing waters,giving them HOPE for a Miracle.The hardest for me was to see all the sick children.

Everyday at 5 you could hear in the square, beautiful voices singing, they sounded like angels.....we later found out it was the Nuns in the convent and we could go to Vespa every day at 5........so of course we want to do everything!!! So....up the hill we went to pray and hear the Nuns sing ,in the back the nuns made cookies and chocolate to buy...Y U M M M M Y Y Y Y!!! Another god's blessing for Peter!!!!!!!

Mary Pat and Ted had heard if you bring the Nuns eggs they will say a prayer for you......so........off we went looking for a grocery store bought the eggs and were in search of those Nuns to say a prayer for each of us. We found them after walking all over town.....we slept well that night!!!!!

Peter and I prayed and lit candles for our friends and family and prayed for world peace.And thanked Mother Mary for all our blessings.

Peter and I have made wonderful new friends.

We learned to pray as Mary had taught Bernadette to pray. This was one of the most spiritually enriching and emotionally uplifting experiences for both Peter and I

We are grateful to Mary Pat and Ted Northrup for inviting me to go on this pilgrimage and Honored to have been in company with the kindest, giving and unselfish people, The Order of Malta's.

God Bless,

Love, Joyce

Mark Hooper's mother died May 1st

Kathryn "Nicki" Zedick Hooper - 05-01-2012
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Kathryn "Nicki" Zedick Hooper, 91, of Beaufort, died peacefully in her home on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Friday, May 4, 2012, at St. Egbert Catholic Church with the pastor, the Rev. Douglas Smiley, presiding. Nicki was born in Monticello, Indiana, on September 15, 1920. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Eastern Michigan University in 1942. In 1944, she married Irving Hooper and for many years they lived in Syracuse, New York, before they moved to Beaufort in 1978. Nicki was always active in her local communities. She was a volunteer with the League of Women Voters, Onondaga County Jail Ministry, Carteret County Democratic Women, Carteret General Arts for the Hospital, St. Egbert Women's Guild, and the Beaufort Historical Society Thrift Shop. Her watercolors of local nature scenes show her love for the North Carolina coastal area. She is survived by Irving, her loving husband of 68 years; her children, Tony Hooper and his wife, Norah, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Mark Hooper and his wife, Penny, of Smyrna, Ann Hooper Hudson and her husband, Jim, of Grapevine, Texas. Nicki and Irv have six grandchildren, Matthew Hooper and his wife, Cynthia, Jonathan Hooper and his wife, Erika, Catalina Markham and her husband, Kristian, Joseph Hooper and his wife, Rachel, Royal Hooper, Hillary Hudson and five great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother, Tony Zedick and sister, Mary Zedick. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday, May 3, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Nicki requested that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity, P. O. Box 789, Newport, NC 28570; Medical Mission Sisters, 8400 Pine Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111; or Carteret County Crossroads, P. O. Box 155, Beaufort, NC 28516.

Melinda Mussi Lockwood

NRA Meeting in St. Louis

Off to the NRA meeting in St. Louis tomorrow. Always excited when it is close to home. We were going to go Saturday but it looks like Friday is going to have more of what interests us! Life is good in mid-Missouri.

Melinda Mussi Lockwood

Haven't been up to much recently but we did have a terrific Easter at my son's home. Jason & his wife Katie built a home next door to us when they were first married and were committed DINKS. Ah, but time passes and soon there were three children - the house was too small. They moved to Centralia, MO which is about 15 miles away and now have a 5-bedroom home on 20 acres -- much more to their liking! Don't know if I have already shared the moving-day adventure of having the chicken coop moved (Jason said he was NOT building another as it had taken too much of his time to build the first one. However, he did build it with accessibility for both children and adults -- it's a masterpiece for heaven sake).

Anyway - we trekked up to their home for Easter and had all decided to forgo the "formal" Easter dinner. We took snacks, our daughter and her daughter brought a nifty crab dip and we spent time enjoying each others company. One of the best family holiday gatherings ever. We checked out the chicken coop, the berry patch, fruit trees, and garden plots. I am most happy to report that these are, possibly, the happiest folks I have ever known. What more can we ask but that our children are happy, healthy, and successful doing what they love? They are Joseph, Jason, Nicholas, Shaelyn, and Katie.

Linda Badgley D'Agostino

Linda is on the move again. She started a new life in NC and now is headed to FL. Along the way she came across this retro Syracuse T-shirt site. Take a look:  click on the link
http://clothingscott.myshopify.com/collections/retro-syracuse

Jim and Marsha Myers

Marsha and I had our 15^th wedding anniversary in February and gave each other a trip to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, but for work reasons we’re not taking the trip until May 15. In case anyone’s interested, we also had a chaotic week of spring break visitors in mid-March, including Marsha’s son Tom and his wife April, their two active and friendly offspring, our grandchildren Kaitlyn (11) and Cole (8), and April’s father Gary McCurdy, who loves to come out here every spring and play golf with Tom. They took the kids to a Cactus League spring training baseball game (fun), we took them to the annual Renaissance Festival (horrible, crowded, expensive and full of bikers & bimbos), and Tom shot a 72 at Whisper Rock, one of the greatest golf courses in the West. He, at least, had a great week! 

I doubt any of the above is bloggable, but I promise photos and sonnets after we return from Hawaii in late May. Hope all is well!

Jim

Responses

Heard from Dan Sheedy
Jim Myers, Dave Costello and Glenn Prestwich, Pamela Revercomb, Melinda Lockwood,

Two emails have gone bad: Judi Manion and Teri Guhin Ayer.

So please more of you -- Respond.

Dave Costello

My wife Karen (we have been married going on 40 years) and I became boaters in 2011...something we have never done. We retired to New Bern, NC, and we are surrounded by water (Neuse/Trent Rivers); unfortunately, they are very shallow. Very wide, but very shallow. So we took our first boat course and certification test and off we go. We purchased a 19.5' Tahoe which can hit speeds of 50 MPH. I can honestly say we have not beached it yet, but I am told by fellow boaters - plan on it. Karen and I are a little leary as both of us have never been "water" people, but we continue to pursue this new adventure in our retirement years.

I retired as Director, Corporate Safety and Risk Management, Anheuser-Busch Companies (18 years). I had a similar position at Carrier Air Conditioning (15 years). Karen's last position was Executive Assistant to the Bishop, Diocese of Belleville in Illinois. We have 2 children with 2 grandchildren. My mom and dad still live in the Homewood section of Fayetteville. They have lived there since 1952. We will be visiting with them the month of May.

We also recently purchased a 38' Fleetwood Pace Arrow Class A motor-home. We are members of a local RV club and travel each month with them. Our next trip is to Mt. Airy's the first week of May. This was the backdrop for the Andy Griffith's Mayberry, RFD. http://www.visitmayberry.com/

This winter we spent the month of February in Florida with our motor-home. It was our first try at an extended trip with the motor-home. We started out on Superbowl weekend in Myrtle Beach, SC with friends, then Cocoa Beach, Fl where we met up with a cousin whom I have only been with once growing up. Off to Disney - Ft. Wilderness, in Orlando, Fl for 5 days. We then spent over a week at Frostproof, FL with some volunteer fire department members that I serve with in New Bern. I also was a volunteer firefighter/paramedic at Moyers Corners and Mattydale fire departments in NY (delivered 3 babies!)

We started our journey home by visiting Sebastian's Inlet on the Atlantic coast, meeting up with the friends we started with at Myrtle Beach. Then off to St, Marys, Georgia, and then a 9 hour haul back to New Bern, NC

This year we plan on getting a little more experience in the water (yes - we are terrified at that prospect) and eventually either a west coast trip or Nova Scotia later this year in our motor-home. As I mentioned, we will be in Syracuse in May, then off to Thousand Island's. We have not been there in over 30 years. We will also visit Boldt Castle, which I hear is now fully restored. Then back to see mom and dad one more time. My dad is 88 and his Alzheimer's is slowing him down considerably. I am blessed to have them around so long, and it so sad to see what his remaining time will be like. Very tough on my mom.

So that's it! An update from the Costello's in New Bern, NC. I will keep you updated as to our progress. Thank you fellow FM'ers for reading this. Great memories living in Fayetteville, NY.
--

Dave Costello

252-633-7898

Dogs Should NOT Eat the following:

Almonds in any form
Alcohol
Chocolate in any form
Caffeine
Avacados
Macadamia Nuts
Grapes
Raisins
Grape See Oil
Yeast Dough
White Onions
Citris Oil Extract
Persimmons
Marijuana
By Darcie of SitStay.com

Dog Lovers Please Read This

Everybody,

I did something terrible. Really, really bad.

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Nothing hurts me more than when I've failed someone I love. It's happened a few times. I was late to my grandson's birthday party. I went to the restaurant on the wrong side of town a full half hour away. It was an important birthday and I was late. He forgave me instantly and teased me that he must not be the only one getting old. Another time, years ago, my sister, my Mom and I were at a dog show in Texas. I promised Mom that we'd close up the booth early on her birthday and go out to a celebration dinner. We rearranged the booth that night. At about 9:30 my sister tapped me on the shoulder and said, "You promised Mom you'd take her to dinner for her birthday." Ah, geez. In my business mindset, I had forgotten what day it was. And to add more insult to injury, I made her walk what seemed like 12 miles that night. We'd gone to the River Walk for dinner and when we left, we got turned around and couldn't find our motel. Nobody, not even a police officer could help, "Sorry, Honey, I just moved here." No one could help us get home. There we were, carrying change which is really heavy if you haven't done that before, miles from our motel. We found it hours later, the three of us too stubborn to call a taxi. We laughed and said we'd find it sooner or later. It was the best night's sleep I'd ever had. It was Mom's 70th birthday. She forgave me instantly.

This time though, this is bad. This is nothing compared to those times. A moment of my not paying attention could have cost Kate her life. I write about the good stuff and incidents that happen every week, I have to tell you about this, too. It could save another dog's life.

I regularly eat almond butter and blueberries for breakfast. I keep the peanut butter and almond butter in the fridge...see where this is going? Dogs should not eat almonds and almond butter is worse. This is very, very bad.

I was ready for work, happily humming a tune to entertain Kate. Kate was happy and like a good dog was telling me that it was time to go. I petted her and said, "Let's grind your nails before we go, we're a little behind on that. I'll get you a treat to make up for making you wait to go walking. Hang on, Lover Girl." Meaning to reach for the peanut butter, I instead took out the almond butter and I didn't even realize it. I scooped about a teaspoon full and slathered it into the Kong so she'd have to really work for it. "Here you go, Darling, get up here and we'll get those nails done." I patted the couch and up she came. Kate jumped up and starting licking the Kong. I used the grinder on her nails and by the time I was done, she was too. She had eaten all of it. All of the almond butter. She shoved the Kong at me asking for more. I laughed and tossed it into the toy box. "Come on, Girlfriend! Off to work!"

Work is 3.52 miles from home. Kate loves the walk and I do, too. We walked briskly. On the way to work, we make a quick trip of it. On the way home, we meander, saying "Hi" to people we meet, stopping to listen to dogs bark, do a little training here and there, enjoying the evening.

Chipper's Dog Treats "These sound a little odd - but they are some of the best training treats. I do agility and small soft treats are necessary. I prefer all natural treats but boiled chicken or cheese is not pocket friendly. As the description says, these are soft, but dry to the touch. Perfect!" -- On Cue Canines

About mid-morning, Kate touched me lightly with her nose, that's her asking to go outside. "Okay, Girl, let's go." It was early for her to ask to go outside. When we got there, Kate started vomiting. It's not unusual for a dog to vomit if they've eaten or had too much water too quickly and I didn't think much of it the first time, except that it was different than a normal vomit when things come up quickly. This was more of a heaving. I held her and let her get rid of it. Poor Girl, I'm so sorry, Kate, I didn't hurt you on purpose.

About 10 minutes later, Kate was back, asking to go outside again. She didn't make it to the door. I cleaned it up. She asked to go outside again. Diarrhea. I don't tend to panic when a dog gets sick. It happens sometimes. I didn't start to really get scared until the end of the day. At about 9:30 in the evening both ends had turned to water. I knew that she was potentially in big trouble. She wasn't dehydrated yet, her gums were slick and her skin moved easily as normal but I knew that's where we were headed if I waited any longer. "What's the matter, Girl? What's the matter?" Kate put her head on my leg and closed her eyes while I called the emergency vet.

"Any toys missing? Any standing water that she could have gotten into? Possums carry disease, maybe that's what's going on. Did she swallow anything, this acts like an obstruction. Let's get the vomiting and diarrhea stopped, give her some relief, then we'll look to see what we can find." The staff and vet were very nice to us. Kate wagged her tail and went for X-rays. They brought her back to me and we waited together, Kate with her head in my lap and me racking my brain to try to remember if she picked anything up and swallowed it. No. She doesn't eat non-food things. Does she? Did I miss something? At this point I still didn't have a clue what I'd done.

The vet returned. "Nothing. I can't find anything. No giardia, no bacteria, nothing is showing up. Let's get her started on some antibiotics just to be sure that we're catching something early. She doesn't have a fever." I don't like giving antibiotics to man nor beast and I'm so glad that I didn't give them to Kate. Antibiotics can and do cause more harm than good if there's no reason for them and in Kate's condition, they could have made it much worse by killing off her good bacteria.

We got home late and Kate slept like the dead. I had my hand on her the whole night, waking often to see if she was okay. I kept checking for her breath. She was so still. It wasn't until the next morning that I found out what I had done. I reached for the almond butter for my blueberries and there, where the almond butter goes, was the jar of peanut butter. I knew instantly what I had done. I'd fed her almond butter. That's not just a few almonds in nut form, it's way too many almonds ground into a paste. Very dangerous stuff to a dog.

Lupine Collars and Leashes

Kate was fine the next day, eating and playing, taking full advantage of me, asking to go out more often, just to play and goof around. She never did refuse water. The butters have a new home apart from each other in the fridge. I will never do that again. I hate failing those I love. Nothing hurts me more. I could have killed my darling Kate. My heart is still a little heavy knowing what could have happened. I have forgiven myself, it's what I would tell anyone else to do. It's done, I can't change it. Kate is okay and back to her own happy self. I try very hard not to make mistakes. Kate forgave me instantly just like my grandson and my Mom did. You know, I think it was last week I told my sister, "You know, I don't think I've done anything really bad for about 20 years." I won't be saying that again either. - Darcie, Founder of SitStay.com

Remember Tuesday is Good Dog Discount Day!