Part 13: Oct 8 – 22, ’20

(So here we go.  The countdown to the election on November 3.  It can’t get here soon enough.)
 
10/8/2020 — Hallowee’n is approaching — and so another laugh.  I got a kick out of this:  Liz WF
 
10/12/2020 — Like this! Maybe a little rotten too?  Sherry 
* Good one!  Frannie Blair
* Late to look but I love it – amy
 
10/11/2020 — Dear classmates, so far only about 20 responses have been received about whether you prefer to be on campus (if safe), all virtual, or hybrid for our 60th Reunion.  If you don’t want to scan or can’t, feel free to just let me know your preferences in an email.  But we do want to hear from you!
Best to all, Barb Barbara Freeman Douglass
* Barb.  I’m  so sorry that I was not allowed to send out the Monkey Survey myself, and it didn’t work to send it to you to send!  It would have been so easy!  It takes two minutes to answer.    I still have it if you can talk to Janet.   I think they must not want too many people to have the class emails.  Let me know.   Best to you.  Betsy
*  Can we still get the Survey Monkey?  Barbara HH
*  Is it possible to get the survey questions without going through the survey monkey?  Jennifer B-C
*  Yes, Jennifer, here is a cut-and-paste version of the cover letter and the survey itself.  In some cases, the version sent by email by the Alum Office two weeks ago to classmates on file there with email addresses went to Spam folders (at least mine did).  I expect that that may have happened because the Alum Office to my knowledge hasn’t used that email list very often, so our computers didn’t recognize it — just guessing on this tho. Judy K Judy Marshall Kennedy
* So sorry.  Having trouble with a new computer (mostly me I am sure).  I choose to have the reunion in person if allowed and remote if not and a hybrid would be fine if there are those who can attend on campus while the rest of us are remote on line.  The change theme is certainly timely. Perhaps we might all address the changes we are dealing with now.  Thanks for all your hard work in putting together a survey and also planning activities.   Nancy Cox
* Ditto. Thank you, Nancy, for saying all the right things for me. Dottie Smith Mann 
*  My vote is the same as Nancy’s.  I am interested in attending if allowed and remote if not.  However, my plans are a bit more subject to change.  My husband currently suffers from advanced Alzheimer’s.  Right now I need to stay close to home because of his health issues.  I am not sure what the spring will bring with respect to his needs.   Judy Weinstein Segal   
*  I think I already sent my answer in, but being realistic I think a Zoom reunion is the likely outcome, and it is fine with me.  And if it brings people like Judy Segal, who would have trouble leaving her husband, I’m for it!  Anonymous
* Judy, I am so sorry to hear about Bruce’s health issues.  Thank you for sharing it with us, and know that I am thinking of you and wishing you the best.  It seems like just yesterday when we were at your house for dinner — but I guess it must have been more like 40 years ago!  It’s hard to believe.    Hang in there — with hugs, Liz  (Liz Hottel Barrett — who has already sent in her survey.  I feel pretty much like everyone else does)

* Thanks for the responses.  Sorry about Survey Monkey and spam!  We’re up to 30 responses.  Barb  Barbara Freeman Douglass               
 
10/15/2020–I found this very helpful. From today’s LA Times health mailing.
     Drs. Megan Ranney and Elizabeth Goldberg, both emergency physicians and researchers with the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, have been looking to answer those sorts of questions. Using modeling based on a variety of papers published as recently as this month, they have created an app that approximates risk of infection based on a number of factors — such as how long the activity will last, how big the gathering is, how many people will wear masks and the ZIP Code of the activity. (Their FAQ answers some of the nitty-gritty details about their methodology.)
“What we wanted to do was help people directly visualize how their behavior can directly impact their risk of contracting the virus,” Goldberg said.  Cheers,  Kim
 
Editor’s note:  10/19/20 — astonishing amount of early voting from many states gives us all hope.
 
10/15/20 — So today is Mountain Day.  I played pickle ball and then a 3 par golf game with one MHCalum, one Smithie and another gal whose BA is from another college?  What have you done or plan on doing?  Marian
 
10/15/20 — Driving from Ct where our big waterfront house has been sold to our son to Florida- can’t wait to get on Amelia Island’s beautiful new pickle ball courts with our friends there – amy
 
10/15/20 —Packing to leave for  FL — and freezing!!  
Barbara Hartt Hise

10/15/20 — Ran email book discussion (most members are even less literate than I am!) of Susan Orlean’s The Library Book despite dying computer that won’t be replaced until week of Election Day.  What a great book!  Starts with the L.A. Central Library fire of April 29, 1986, and dives into books, L.A., libraries, arson, funky characters, and books.  Fascinating, well-written, and full of stuff you probably didn’t know!  Highly recommend!—Rocki Hill Hughes  
p.s.  Wish I could have done it outside!  A beautiful Mountain Day, and a great day to stand in line for early voting if you have the time!  At least I’m out for dogwalking.

10/16/20 — Sue Wheatley Carr & Marty Mulloy celebrated Mt Day & their mutual Birthdays by walking up a wooded path to the base of the Miles Standish monument in Duxbury, from which they could enjoy a view of the ocean.  They then settled with their lunches on their own secluded spot on the grass, & proceeded to enjoy  fresh home-made lunches including   Sue’s famous Mayonnaise Chocolate Chip cookies, plus Maple Cream cookies from Cookie Shop.
     Sue, ever-adventurous, had professed a preference to take a naked dip in the brisk ocean waters, but Marty respectfully declined.    Marty Mulloy 10/16/20 — Thanks for all the wonderful responses.  A very different day for all of us.  Marian

10/16/20 — We went for a long walk with our fall colors at their peek.   So gorgeous this year.  They seem more vibrant this year, don’t know why.   That day I also led our book group with “How to be an AntiRacist”. I found the book an interesting and valuable read…ibram worked at helping us understand all the different types of racism that the blacks and browns have endured for so many years, starting with slavery, and how racism really is a system that makes us devalue “the other”. The best thing I did was watch a question and answer session that Ibram X Kendi did on YouTube with a woman from the Atlantic.  Our group had a great discussion which is probably not over!   To be truly antiracist we need to actually do something to helps rid us of racism.  Anyway. A great Mountain Day for me!  Betsy Karch Wilson

10/16/20 — I played golf with Bryan and a friend.  It was the most gorgeous day ever, and the golf course was simply beautiful beyond words.  Lucky us!  Liz Webfoot
 
10/16/20 — I swam in the indoor pool while my friends/drivers played tennis. In afternoon, I “played in the dirt”, refreshing garden soil, gazing over the river, listening to the birds! Wonderful.  
Cindy Dennett Yee

 

10/16/20 — Fun to hear all these stories.  Nice photo of your yard, Cindy.  Marian
 
10/17/20 — Oh, Marty and Wheaties, I loved your Mountain Day, and I love that you wanted a skinny dip in the ocean, Wheaties.  
     You know, it nudged me into a curiosity question.  How many of you like swimming naked?  How many of you do it frequently?   I have always hated wearing a bathing suit.  We have always had a pool, and luckily we have a fenced-in and mostly private back yard.  Since moving here and after my kids left home, something like 20 years ago, I do probably 90% of my swimming in the nude.  It just feels so darned good, and the bother of stuffing myself into a suit takes away the joy. We also have a hot tub — and I take a little soak in the hot tub most mornings.  Needless to say, I never wear a suit.  This is probably one of the reasons that I hate the thought of giving up my enjoyment of life here.  Somehow the retirement community pool is not as enticing.  Okay.  Now it’s time for your confession.  Limber up those fingers.
     I know all of you are as nervous as I about the election.  We all need to laugh, have faith, and do our best to get people out to vote.  Trump is doing himself in!  I’m amazed with the Women’s March efforts at getting out the vote — from chairs on the Mall in DC.  I was thrilled that Bryan and I both received an email that our ballots had been received just a couple of days after we put them in the drop box on Monday.  Dems in every state are working their hardest to make sure things work well, and I am feeling hopeful as the early voting numbers keep rising.
     Don’t forget your confession.  Cheers and hugs — Liz Webfoot
 
10/17/20 — Greatly appreciate the book recommendations – thank all – do not swim nude but do think I did so maybe six years ago- was totally dark – simply to take up on a date by one of my more out there granddaughters – amy
 
10/17/20 — The last pool we had was totally private. I get out of bed walk out the bedroom door and swim in the nude.  Loved it. Here in Tampa a community pool is lovely but open to all. I miss the feel of silky water on bare skin. Dottie Smith Mann
 
10/20/20 — Andy and I watched “The Way I See It” on Amazon Prime (free). It is a stunning 100 minutes of photographs of Presidents, and particularly Obama, – captured moments of stress, compassion, emotion, fun and family. And the photographer to the President, Pete Souza, contrasts the character of Obama and Trump. The piece includes Obama singing Amazing Grace in Charleston…
   I strongly recommend and have the Kleenex ready!  Sherry Urner

10/20/20 — Dottie, it makes me smile to know that you, too, like swimming in the nude.  As I was thinking about it, I realized that I grew up on the Mystic Lake.  Of course at night we skinny dipped all the time.  What’s more,  my best childhood friend had a summer house in South Waterford, Maine (near you, Marian), on one of the many very small and private lakes, and we seldom wore bathing suits. I love that feeling.
     Aren’t there any others ready to confess?  Hugs — Liz

10/20/20 — I used to swim nude in our pool in Silverlake but that was a long time ago! Kim

10/20/20 — Well, yeah, once or twice.  Feels good, huh?  Marian

10/20/20 — We used to skinny dip in our bay in Northport. Fun, and it is a neat feeling. It was usually dark out, as we did not have the whole bay to ourselves! Betsy.

10/20/20 — Ooh Betsy I can picture that and it was pretty open. When you owned it or parents?? Ooh warm salty water. My pool was salty too now that I think of it. Dottie

10/20/20 — Yes, in the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii.  The salt water here is warm and buoyant. Ann Merchant Boesgaard

10/20/20 — We always skinny dipped at least once Every summer in Hayden Lake – at night because there are others around. Haven’t done it recently as our current house has closer and more alert neighbors. Also in our pool in California which is very private as well as in a friend’s pool many years ago. But the most daring was after dinner ( and a bit of wine) 5 of us gals jumped nude in the pool at a very exclusive men’s club in San Francisco. Our husbands would have been kicked out if we had been discovered. Shhhhhh – no telling.
Carol Spalding Bulkeley

10/21/20 — Wow. Listen to all you hot ladies! And all it took was a little push. Thank you. I won’t ask for photos. Cheers — Liz WF

10/21/20 — Cool Lake Willoughby, Vt at private dock -great, not to have to take home wet bathing suit… But, actually my favorite story -was Sr year I think on Mountain Day. A group (mixed classes) of us from dorm -biked to local reservoir (probably introduced to us by Prof Boyd’s Ornithology class). Spur of the moment decision to skinny-dip on beautiful day in cool water. As we were exiting -a photographer said “this will look great in the Holyoke Transcript Telegram”. We were terrified, & confessed to Dean Robinson(?) & never heard more. My memory sadly does not include who was involved -were you with us Ann (Merch)? Marty Mulloy

10/21/20 — Tom and I regularly enjoyed skinny dipping in our heated pool in FL at night. It was such a lovely soft feeling. Barbara B. Farquhar

10/21/20 — BB, what fun to hear from you.  I thought you had disappeared, but maybe I’ve just been skimming the emails.  I wonder how many of the swimmers are also skinny dippers! 😀  Good to have you in the discussion.  Where do you live and what are you doing? — other than being sick of the pandemic and impatient for the election.   Cheers —
Liz Hottel Barrett
 
10/21/20 — Hi Liz, Tom and I live in Marion, MA in the summer and St. Pete, FL in the winter. We’re in Marion now and plan to stay here until there is a proven vaccine for Covid-19. We walk, and read,  and enjoy using our 34′ power boat on Buzzards Bay and environs. In FL, we have both been active supporting The Florida Orchestra. The orchestra thanked us by giving us the Golden Baton for support of the orchestra. We have 12 god-children and are now grand god-parents. We were both active in US Sailing where I was a VP and Tom was Treasurer. US Sailing awarded us the Nathanael Herreshoff award, its “most prestigious award” in recognition of service to the sport of sailing. We’ve enjoyed many nice trips and cruises. Lucky us. BB
 
10/23/20 — How fun for you, BB!  I’ve spent a lot of time in Marion (since the 70’s) where my brother and sister-in-law lived until just last year when she died.  Wonderful little town and water with their wonderful summer festival where my nephew displayed and sold his blown glass.  I’ve spent some time at the golf club, too.   Sandy Svihovec (oh darn what’s her last name now) lives there, too.  She was at my sister-in-law’s memorial service.  Small world.  Have you two connected?
     Congratulations on all of your prestigious awards.  It sounds like you two are living a pretty terrific life.  I’m happy for you.  It’s fun to have you chiming in to our chat group.  Cheers – Liz Hottel Barrett (aka Webfoot)

10/23/20 — Barbara from Newton High? Myra (from Newton High)

10/23/20 — Yes. Barbara Bowers from Newton High class of 1957. We’d love to see any classmates in Marion or St. Petersburg. Just give me a call on my cell phone 727-871-5583. Best, BB   Barbara B. Farquhar

10/2/20 —  Oh my goodness, BB and Myra.  Didn’t you know each other in high school?  It’s not as if Newton is that big.  Did either of you know Pamela (Pam) Gamage?  Cheers — Liz WF

10/23/20 —  We did know each other in high school. As I recall, there were 746 members in our class. I don’t remember a Pamela Gamage.  Barbara B. Farquhar

10/23/20 — I finally decided what Trump looked like last night.  A two month old, poorly carved pumpkin!    Betsy.  

10/23/20 — What’s sad is that I can’t even laugh about anything — not even a fat orange pumpkin.  Ten days to go — gulp.  xxx Liz WF

10/21/29 — …. to be woven in our singing….hopes and dreams and memories too…
     I can’t seem to get that song out of my head. It brings back snowy evenings ending a rehearsal in the little corner garden outside the chapel.
     Anyone else?  Dottie Smith Mann
 
10/21/20 —  Dottie,  You may remember that you are singing the Goodnight Song.  It begins, “Robed in sunset curtained round by the deepening evening light stands our well loved Alma Mater ,,,’ or pretty close.  I’ll bet Wheats could finish it for us.  Marian  
 
10/21/20 —  Come on, Muff.  Wheats isn’t the only person who remembers our Good Night Song.  I got through the whole thing with very few glitches and then decided to go to Youtube and see if I was right.  Very interesting.  All four recordings had some harmonies different from those I always sang.  Harumph!  Since I was our class Song Leader one year, I’m going with my “better” harmonies!  However, all recordings included  “Night winds whisper, whisper softly….” very different from the way we sang it.  Interesting.  Dottie, go check it out. It’ll make you feel good. (Google “Mount Holyoke Good Night Song”.)  Thanks for the memories, Dottie and Muff.
     As Trump gets more and more obnoxious and less and less civil, I honestly don’t want Biden debating him.  I’m afraid it’s going to be simply awful.  How about the new kidnapping/murder charges?  And poor Governor Whitmore?  Honestly, how can half of our nation go along with this?  Hugs — Liz WF

10/21/20 — As I watched PBS news tonight I’m cautiously hoping that “half of our country” is not voting for Trump.   I know I shouldn’t say this, but it appears that many of the huge lines of early voters are Democrats.   That is a good sign.  I’ll be watching the “debate” tomorrow from a seat that is not right on front of our TV, and on our small upstairs TV because I cannot watch a large Trump who is right in front of me.   Wish Biden well!   With the Pandemic growing worse every day I can’t believe Trump will win.   Still worried about what the Russians might be doing however.  Keep every finger and toe crossed!    Betsy

10/21/20 — What I remember mostly is “bearing gently from her daughters, hopes and dreams and memories, too…” It’s a lovely song. Listening to the 4 versions on Youtube, I prefer the most simple…therefore the 3rd and 4th appealed to me the most.
     Did anyone else see Obama speaking in Philadelphia at a parking lot? (It was on MSNBC at 6pm ish.) It was magnificent! 
Sue Wheatley Carr

10/21/20 — Yes, I fortunately was able to listen to the whole thing — and you’re absolutely right to say that he was utterly “magnificent.”   Oh my gosh, how I miss someone who can make you tear up from absolute joy and amazement.  He has it all — elegance, conviction, passion, dignity, content, style, and class.  I don’t know when I’ve heard a more moving speech.
     And Betsy, the timing of this was not a coincidence.  I do believe that Trump will have no other choice but to rip into Obama tomorrow, making a fool of himself in the process — all Biden needs to do is stand back and watch the meltdown, as the rest of the world will.  Judy K  Judy Marshall Kennedy

10/21/20 —  These scary emails being sent to Democrats might be totally intimidating to people who are the fearful type.  It is terribly upsetting to me, so it must be devastating to them.  How do we get through to these people to explain to them that no one can actually know how you voted?  Making phone calls to those states might help.  I don’t know, but I want to figure out who I should be calling.  If you have a solution, please chime in.  Thanks. Cheers — Liz WF

10/21/20 — I don’t know if I ever told any of you that my mother,  Dorothy Parr de Ferranti ’30,  was the song leader of her class. She wrote several songs – none of which we were still singingin our day, but she would have been thrilled to know we were still singing MHC songs! Dee deFerranti Abrtahamse
 
10/21/20 — Dee, I remember that your mom was a song leader and that you were always proud of her.  Thanks for the footnote.  We enjoyed it!   Liz WF
 
10/22/20 –Am I correct to remember that your mother was the long time President of the MHC Alum Association? Judy K. Judy Marshall Kennedy
 
10/21/20 — Yes, she was – I dont remember how long, but she was President our senior year.  Mt Holyoke was definitely one of the most important things in her life,and the fact that her father let her go there a major thing for her – we moved a lot, and whenever we came to a new place she found the MHC alumnae as a way to make friends.  Right up there with her church!  Dee
 
10/22/20 — As an antidote to all the Covid and political news, I have some nice news to share about my family.  You might not know that among all the things they do, my daughter and son-in-law also planted acres of coffee bean plants on their property and harvested their first crops this year (after 2 years of growing.)   Evidently, Santa Barbara has a good climate for some special coffee.  There was a short article on the Frinj coffee website where their coffee is just about to be sold for $75 a pound (and that is the cheaper strain.  Evidently their big seller is Geisha at $300 a pound!   I guess they were just lucky about where they picked to grow that strain and combination wind and sun yielded an exceptional crop.  But $300?!?!?  Really?!?!?!?)
     And then my grandson has a featured article in our local Montecito Journal, about his time at Purdue University Indianapolis. Walker is on page 20 of the Montecito Journal in a well-written  letter from  the university in a continuing series of interviews with recent graduates of Santa Barbara High School.  
I am very proud of them all!  Kim
* Sounds fabulous -did you get some?  Dee
* No!  They have only tried it a couple of times themselves but eventually they hope to open a tasting room on their property—post Covid!  I’ll keep you posted!  Kim
*  Fantastic!  Frannie Blair   

10/22/20 — Kim, Congratulations on all of your family’s successes.  My granddaughter is headed out to California for school next year,  She will be rowing for Stanford.  Not exactly in your back yard but it feels that way from CT.  Marian

10/22/20 — I’m a proud Nonny too – great grands- all with greatparents! Wonderful success story of Kirsten’s coffee farming☕.  One of our granddaughters, post college,  is shucking oysters in Portland Me. but would love to be involved in sustainable and organic farming. Covid is responsible for many significant changes in career paths and job achievements …  Sherry Urner
 
10/22/20 — You have reason to be proud!  Our oldest grandson and his wife have a new baby… our first great grandchild.  He s so cute and alert.. Have some great pictures…will try to send one or two iI can figure out how to do it!   Betsy 
  
10/22/20 — Dear friends.  I love reading about your grandchildren’s successes.  Did you know that I put a place on our website especially for our bragging?  This latest conversation will stay with my COVID-19 emails, but I’d love you to use the website for that kind of thing.  By all means brag on the email chat group, but then put it on the website.  When something exciting happens to a child or grandchild, go to the web.  Make me a happy camper!  Love you all —
Liz WebFoot
 
Editor’s Note:  This Part covers from the last Biden/Trump debate up until the day before the election.
 
10/22/20 —  Hi, all.   Trying not to put politics into this, but couldn’t resist this one.  I’m outraged at Trump’s treatment of Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan.  He rants at her at each of his rallies, so the crowd does their “lock her up” chant, and gets after her with demeaning epithets -not comparable to what he has to say about male Democrat governors. The last time he got the crowd going against her was after the attempted kidnapping and murder by the right wing extremist armed terrorists,  and his comments can only encourage them to try again.  She said that fellow governors, including republicans, had called to offer support, along with many other officials, but not a word from Trump or his administration.  I think she’s a terrific strong woman governor, doing what is needed to keep the state safe by keeping things closed and telling people to stay home and wear masks – just what our governor is doing in CA, to popular approval.  At any rate, when I got a fundraising email this morning I broke my rule and sent her money – and I hope a lot of other women will too.  No wonder Trump is way down in support from women !
     I promise to stay away from politics after this, but consider it a bit of MHC feminism coming out!  Dee de Ferranti Abrhamse

10/22/20 — Dee.  You convinced me: the only politician to whom I have ever given money was Barak Obama.  But I will make another exception,  this time for Governor Whitmer! Thanks for alerting me .  This is an excellent gesture!  Virtual hugs to all. Barbara Barbara K. Bucholtz

10/22/20 — Gretchen is our governor and Michigan is definitely behind her!   Her summer home is across the bay from us, so having those Trump uglies even that close to us is scary.  She has kept Michigan from having hoards of Pandemic cases, and even though our Republican Supreme Court said that her mandating masks is “unconstitutional”, everyone here in Traverse City has •”masks must be worn here” on their front door.   We’ve got her back!  (Mary Ginn Weinland?)

10/22/20 — Our older son lives in Michigan, outside Ann Arbor, and my grand-daughter, 14, and her friends all made cutouts of Gretchen Whitmer to display their support – if you can appeal to 14 year old girls, you have to be good! Their area is solid blue, and I think she’s very popular there. I hope so!  I went to graduate school at Uof M, met my husband here, and he comes from a long Michigan family, went there for all his degrees, and we still like to go back and visit his relatives (one have are Dutch, from Kalamazoo); I have a real fondness for Michigan, so hope all goes well for her!

10/22/20 —  Which shows that common sense may be making a comeback among the commoners, and the supreme court hasn’t caught it yet! Frannie Blair

10/22/20 — Oh lordy, please sign your name! Who wrote:”Gretchen is our governor and Michigan is behind her?”Who wrote:  “our older son lives in Michigan….”  Liz Webfoot 

10/22/20 — Oh
* Who wrote “oh”?
* I wrote ‘Our Older Son” in answer to however wrote “Gretchen is our Governor”
* Who wrote “I wrote ‘Our Older Son”…..  You are all driving me crazy.  How do we solve this problem of people not signing their names?  Aiyaiyai  Liz Webfoot
* I think the problem is when we answer in a string  – perhaps could be encouraged to start a new email.
* Thank you for that suggestion (“….answer in a string”) from someone who did not sign their name — aiyaiyai!.  However, I have to copy each email and insert it into a document.  The long strings are very helpful for cutting down my time spent.  My suggestion would be for everyone to sign their names.  Hugs — Liz Webfoot

10/23/20 — I trust the skinny dipping emails aren’t being copied and saved for posterity!  I bared my soul on that one – pun intended.  Carol Spalding Bulkeley

END OF PART THIRTEEN