Greetings from Boston, MA!

    Hi all,

          I will write more soon to explain a bit about my move back east from NW Montana (ask Deb Campanella or Lori Cimino, it's a doozy!! )  But wanted to say hello on the 1st anniversary of Marie's passing. I know she is sorely missed by her family, friends and especially her students who she so adored.  She was dedicated to their well being and fostering their triumphs in a world that moves too fast.

      I hope this finds everyone well and navigating such scary economic times with goodspeed and let's face it, luck!   I was in Berlin last week for a quick Thanksgiving Day visit then back on Saturday night to have dinner with my family.  Christmas trees, decorations and lights were going up all over as I made my way back to Cambridge, MA.  Once again, the holidays are here!  

    Please share what you are all up to- and remember the spirit of Christmas.  Family, good food and good cheer- and as our class sails towards age 50 in late 2008 through 2009... 

I wish you big celebrations followed by total denial! (it's not only a river in Egypt you know!!)

love ya,

Line

     

Greetings from Ketchikan, Alaska!

Hi BHS Classmates!

                  Yep!   I made it!   Bill and I were able to salvage a shorter marine voyage and we almost have gone 1,000 miles since we left Seattle on June 20th.  The scenery alone has been worth all the electrical and anchor "issues" we have had on this maiden voyage.  I think it is the majesty of watching bald eagles fly around all over the tops of trees while we were anchored in beautiful Laura Cove in British Columbia that I will remember most from this trip.  It literally made my jaw drop... they truly soar!

              Here are some pictures I would like to share and I will reflect more on this and more when we meet next.  I was able to get back east for a visit before we left... that week in mid June when it was hot and summery... sweet!  Montana had 8 inches of snow on June 10th...man oh man...I am kind of sorry I missed that.  

                But I will return to Montana on July 13th to 80's weather and sunny...ahhhh.   It's raining so hard here in Ketchikan that is it raining sideways.  Funny how everyplace looks about the same when it rains this much!  We got very lucky with the weather until Ketchikan so we can't bitch about it that much.   How is everyone's summer's going?    I was sorry again to miss Mary Beth Higgins on her annual trip north from McLean, VA.  I enjoy seeing her and her kids- do any of you get a kick out of seeing your friends as parents now?  It cracks me up!!

On to the laundromat!!  More soon...

Has spring sprung?!?

Not in Montana baby!   Snowing a bit here today- but hey- it's only April 23rd!

 Hello to all in BHS 77 blog land- what is new with everyone?   I was thinking the other day how cool it must be for the classmates that have stayed in Berlin to go to their own kid's graduation at BHS now- surreal, right?   I'd like to hear about some of those observations.  My brother Steve's kids in Berlin are only 11 and 9 but I am going to do my best to be on hand when they graduate from BHS.  I know it's not a perfect place (I am here to tell you- no place is!) but I like the balance I feel when visit- the ball fields are full of kids playing, kids swim at the town pools- it still seems like a good place to grow up healthy and strong and with a good sense of community.

   My trip to Texas was fun!  My sister Laurie came down from NYC and well... I got stuck in the Final Four crushes all over San Antonio as well as the hell that was American Airlines that week (delayed 3 days and had to leave from Austin- no biggie- Hill Country is beautiful-

 I recommend it!-)  it was soo nice to see green trees and flowers again and feel 80 degrees on my skin...ahhh...

   Has anyone of you gotten so lost in a car at night that they felt they were just gonna puke and die?  My main mistake was traveling from Montana to Texas in the same day- 7 hours in a car- 3 hours at the airport before taking off from Seattle- waiting around in Dallas for a connection for 3 more hours then finally the rental car counter in San Antonio with 50 of my closest and tallest friends (Go Kansas?!? or some shit...lol...) at 11 p.m.-ok..off  at midnight to my parents Blazing Star Luxury (who are they kidding with that?) RV Park that I had never been to before to surprise my Dad for his bday- best laid plans....

 Well- the 1604 Loop I was caught up on is 110 miles long!!  Was I freakin' going south then suddenly east?  Passing  under the same interstates twice??  And it was soo dark-  Dead animals on the road everywhere- gross! and huge trucks whizzing past me doing 70 on a two lane road... geez.  I might have been delirious at one point because I stopped for a Coke and I don't drink soda!    No one understood where I was going- or maybe they just didn't understand period?   Am I in the land of the damned?!?   At 2:30 a.m., I suddenly study my map and turn it upside down and voila!- I get where I am!!    By this time, my stepmother is afraid for my safety and has blown the surprise by waking up my Georgey boy for assistance!(though my Dad said days later he knew- he said it's hard to keep secrets in an RV)  PHEW!! 

   The condensed version of the week following my Texas trip in Seattle went something like this- my boyfriend Bill tells me at lunch upon arrival there is something wrong with the boat- the boat we are suppose to live on the next 18 months.... scheduled to leave for Alaska on well- today 4/23!- and not return until 8/1.  Hmmm...  get this- there is a "flotation" problem that is deemed a "design flaw"-  and since it's not my boat I can brag- this thing is a 57' foot Selene ocean trawler worth well over $1.5 million before you stick a fork on it!   It has a 2000 gallon gas tank that was never put on a 57' before and after putting only 600 gallons in- the swim step at the back end of the boat was in the water!!   Imagine?  I was numbed by what he was telling me- still am as my butt is now back in Montana while they try and "resolve" the problem.

  Anyone who knows me well, knows I have rolled with the punches in this life and this is small fry compared to many things that can happen along the way.   I will continue to explore this beautiful part of the country- Glacier National Park here I come!!

More soon...what's everyone up to this summer?  

LineXXOO 

Happy Easter All!

    As silly as this sounds,  I am bummed I have no straw basket with the fake grass to wake up to today-  Ok, maybe it's just the chocolate eggs, jelly beans and peeps I am missing!   Growing up, I was raised a good Catholic girl and once I understood the story of what Easter was all about I remember asking my Mom "Should we really be eating candy today?"   My Mom said that is when she knew I was an old soul-  what 7 year old kid goes around questioning the consumption of candy or not - on any given day of the year?!?

   My brother Steve said it is a pretty day in CT today.  He makes a mean Leg of Lamb with a Spinach Stuffing and Herb Gravy that happens to be worth all the effort he puts into it.  We have similar foodie passions while I get to the third line in a recipe to my sister Laurie and she goes "oh, forget it, that's too much work!"...she's such a city chick!! 

Steve loves cooking on holidays while for me,  most holidays have represented so much work for me to get all my clients settled so I could go and enjoy a meal with my family in Berlin, NYC, Maine or Montreal!   Because the Adams' are so spread out we tend to enjoy the times we can all gather regardless of what it says on the calendar.   Our closeness has never been borne out of common geography.  Though it does simplify life!   I am secretly jealous that a lot of my Berlin friends and classmates can get to their siblings and parents in minutes if they need/want to-  though without naming names, some have told me, it's both a blessing and a curse!

      Montana is lovely today, bright blue skies and some snow does remain on the ground. The full moon was so bright and clear last night that I woke at 2 a.m. from this bright beam through the skylight and my frown quickly turned to a smile when I realized what it was.   I love having more sky to look at here!

    On the social/activities front- I would highly recommend a movie called "The Diving Bell and Butterfly" (french with subtitles- though not too annoying) a true story about a young guy (41, Editor of French ELLE fashion magazine in Paris) who has a stroke and as a result can only communicate via one eyelid- yet writes a beautiful book about his experience of being this person who is essentially "locked in" his body with his mind 100% intact.  How he makes heaven of this hell is awe inspiring.   

     I hope this finds everyone having had a good holiday and looking forward to spring-  I head to San Antonio next week with Laurie to surprise my Dad for his 70th bday- for those of you who remember my Dad- he continues to be humorous, loving and a total ball buster!

 He sent us all a letter with gift suggestions for the big day- kind of a "Deal or No Deal" scenario- good luck with that Dad!

In the near future, I'll be getting on a boat with my boyfriend Bill for an extended trip to Alaska- and my Dad sent me a note as follows:

Dear Line,

          I will be following up with more specific instructions on how to negotiate the Bering Straits, but off the top of my head these are my initial instructions on what to watch out for when you're on the boat:

1. Icebergs

2.Whales

3. Leaks

        HA!~   Ah yes, father.... thanks for your never ending fountain of wisdom!  He also told me to take out a major marine life insurance policy with him as the beneficiary!!

        On that note, I wish you all the best of love and laughter and more soon...  ; )

LA

  

   

Welcome BHS Class of 77'!

   Wow... thanks to our sweet departed classmate Marie Simeone-  we now have a place to hang, share, laugh and enjoy the ties that have bound us together for over 30 years!  She talked about doing a blog many times to me and it was my bittersweet pleasure to get things rolling.  Her loss as a sister, aunt, teacher, mentor and friend is far reaching.   My hope for this communication is that it captures not only special times we all have ahead but difficult and challenging times as well... and every day thoughts, concerns and observations so we can make this as memorable an experience as knowing Marie was.  Here's to Marie F. Simeone!!   

May I begin?  

  Greetings from Montana!    Yep!   Big Arm, Montana ... yes, after many years in CT-  Berlin from 7th-12th grades, then UCONN/Storrs then off to Darien, CT to work for just over 26 as a nanny/chef and personal assistant to the rich and not so famous.   I fell in love and decided to seek out my new chapter out west.   The views are incredible and the pizza sucks!  But I am enjoying the new pace of my life and what lies ahead.