DHMSC Masquer-Aid Ball

Ww joined Dorchester House Multi-Service Center at the first Masquer-Aid Ball, Oct. 28, 2011 at the lovely Venezia Restaurant & Banquet Hall. We're pictured here with Mary Irwin, Directory of Human Resources.

Niagara Falls adventures!

We finally took our trip to Niagara Falls! View our photo album

NightWork performs tonight at the BONE in Framingham, Massachusetts

Stan's marketing copy: Don't be afraid, come to Framingham tonight to Bone-up on the blues.
"The Bone," formerly "The Chicken Bone," makes no bones about its Chicken, or its Blues. It would be bone-headed to go anywhere else tonight.
Just tryin' to Drum up a little interest and get you to try us on for thighs. Stay abreast of the blues and come hear us Wing it through your favorite blues tunes 2nite:-)

Marshfield NightWork gig 2011

Each year NightWork plays a private gig at the beach in Marshfield, Massachusetts. This year it rained but was a lot of fun. The hosts serve all of us a lobster meal.

McMinnville High School Class of 1971 40th Reunion!

Stan and I traveled to Oregon in July for my 40th class reunion.
We spent a couple of really fun days with Cheryl and Sheldon, going out in the Nehalem River on the boat. Me with Mom on Neahkahnie Mountain above Cheryl and Sheldon's home.

Friday night everyone met down on Third Street. We stayed with Mary and Steve and had a terrific visit even though I was sick the entire time (fever, sinus infection). Here's one of the few pics we got of Stan at the reunion, photographed here with Doug and Jerri Fredricks:

Group shot of the class outside of Michelbook Country Club:

Mario 2 Level one theme

k. no explanation required

August in WaterColor, Florida

Fortunately, Mother returned from her travels in Wales and Ireland in time for us to surprise her with our plans to take her to Florida where we met up with the Stevens family at WaterColor. Those eighty-year old ladies are tough to pin down -- at least in Mom's case -- and we had a bit of anxiety thinking that she might just not arrive in time for our planned trip. BUT, all turned out well.
We spent hours just bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico where the water was apparently 90°. Schools of small fish swam around us and over our bellies as we floated on our backs. It was divine! Every morning we swam out to a sand bar and literally hung out there for hours, often repeating it in the afternoon. Despite our best efforts to protect ourselves, we did pink up a bit:

Each night, we took turns cooking lovely meals then afterwards, we played games. Our favorite seemed to be Balderdash.

Evenings, we had cocktails on the deck overlooking the ocean. Bill and Stan shared a somewhat different concept of vacationing ;~) :

Which is not to say that Mom didn't spend a fair amount of time with her communications:

...OR just relaxing:

Here's the group. We sure had a wonderful time:

Meara McGinn

Congratulations to Bernie and Scarlett! Meara McGinn was born in the wee hours of Saturday morning, July 22. She was just under 5 pounds but 19 inches "tall!"
Meara now assumes her place as the FIRST second-generation progeny descended from those of us once known as the Benson girls. She's the first of a new generation and very unique since the generation prior to hers is ALL MALE.
It remains to be seen as to how long it will take Cheryl to get used to being called a grandma. I'm still struggling with the "great" that's suddenly preceding my aunt status. We all know that Mom will have NO problem with her "great-grandmother" label. She's very excited about Meara.

More photos of Bernie, Scarlett and Meara may be found here

"Black Friday" named album of the month on WERS

Cooper's focus during his senior year at UMass Amherst was a studio CD of music by "The Doo-Wop Shop," the 7-man a cappella group he'd been singing with since his sophomore year. Cooper secured funding for the CD by arranging a song at the request of the vice chancellor for use in university promotions.

The recording took place here during spring break. We had guys sprawled all over -- wherever a decent place could be found for sleeping :~) Meals were like a camp mess hall -- the table was full. It was such a treat to have those guys here.
Cooper arranged all of the music for the CD. Ed Boyer, from Hyannis Sound did the recording and engineering. I did the graphics. The discs were completed in May and Cooper rushed them out to Amherst for the group's final concert.

"Black Friday" was named "Album of the Month" for July, 2006 by WERS, 88.9 Boston (or on the web at WERS All A Cappella Program
We are very proud of Cooper and the rest of the Doo-Wop Shop for the work required to bring this project to fruition.

Liz, Alex and Chris celebrate birthdays

The family gathered in June at David and Patricia's to celebrate the birthdays of Liz (80!!) Alex and Chris (both 21). You may view photos of the day here.

Mom and Liz:

Phyllis and David came down from New Hampshire. Kerri and Alan, Andy, Janet, Barbara, and Doug were all there. We're all very excited about the approaching birth of Kerri and Tree's baby. Alan has a dynamite new camera (Panasonic DMC-FX01) so we should all expect plenty of terrific images.

Hyannis Sound interview on WERS 88.9 Boston

On June 17, a "Live in the studio" interview with Hyannis Sound was broadcast on WERS 88.9, Boston. You may listen to that interview here. Cooper is the one who talks about the upcoming first concert and about the auditions taking place ("... two days on a weekend, usually a Saturday and Sunday..." ;~)

The guys sing 3 songs, all arranged by Cooper. In August, 3 more songs will be aired. Fun!!

Listen to the interview here

Cooper with a few of the guys:

Brad Graduates from Scituate High!

Brad graduated June 9, 2006 from Scituate High School on the Boston south shore.
He sang "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" with the chorus at graduation and was called to stand for recognition a number of times. He will matriculate in the fall in the School of Engineering at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Grant did his best to promote this choice when Brad visited the university last spring. Both Grant and Cooper are delighted with Brad's decision.

Stan with Brad.

My trip to NYC

On May 5, I made a sudden decsion to go to New York because I couldn't stand missing Cooper cast as Ichabod Crane in the New York debute of "Sleepy Hollow," a new musical by Michelle Akerman. At 10:00 am I checked into hotels and transportation then caught the Limoliner bus to midtown Manhatten, leaving the Framingham Sheraton Tara at 2:30 pm. The bus has wireless internet so I worked on the trip down and it went really fast. I walked from the bus to the Emerging Artists Theatre off of Times Square. As I entered the theatre, I was greeted by Megan and Luann! That was so much fun. We all went out to dinner afterwards. Cooper and Grant walked me back to the Times Square Crown Plaza where I had a room on the 42nd floor. The next morning I was awoken early by the Revlon Walk for Cancer so I took a walk to Rockerfeller Center and enjoyed a trip to the Top of the Rock. I fooled around the city a bit for the rest of the morning then walked back to the bus for an early afternoon return to Massachusetts.

It was great that the bus had web access so I could email images to Stan revealing who I fooled around with in NYC:

The Allens Visit from Oregon

Six Allens (that includes Bernardo from Caracas) graced our home with a very special visit in April. I warned them that we've had nor'easters on April first that bring life in the Bay State to a halt but they came anyway!
So wouldn't ya know...it was shirtsleeve weather. Here are Carley, Bernie, Kara and Ross at Fenway Park:

We visited the Lowell Historic Park, Boston (a couple of times), Lexington, Concord and took in the blues jam at John Stone's here in Ashland. It was a GREAT time.
Mary, Cindy & Steve at Walden Pond. The two of them ensured that we had a Starbucks at all times (Just like Thoreau only he had to walk further into Concord):

It's nearly September and the tomatoes are still green

I'm only hoping that my foray into horticulture is going to result in SOMETHING. Hey. I germinated these things in April and it as August draws to a close...

Yeah, they're BIG honkin' green things, but "green" is the operative adjective here. Ok, everyone must "visualize" soft and red for me.

Cheryl writes that they've purchased a boat! Yaaay. I added a few accutrements to the photo, but they clearly have good times ahead.

Cooper showed up here today for his physical but is returning for one last night on the Cape tonight. He'll be finishing up the cleaning of the Hyannis Sound house tomorrow then it's the end of another idyllic and lucrative summer on the Cape. We enjoyed having him home for the first time since the Spring.
Finally, I leave you with my potato man. I was inspired to add a few limbs after I discovered an eye-full in the pantry.