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What's Happening at Carol Place

2008

We returned to West Grove for the second annual pool party at Jen and Bryan's and a visit with Tina.

We spent a truly incredible week in St. Paul with Becky and Bill to assist Lisa and Todd on the occasion of Oliver's birth. He arrived, healthy and sweet, early on a Wednesday morning. By early afternoon, we were at Lisa's side, describing to Oliver the sort of family it had been his good fortune to join. That day and most other days that week, we joined Oliver's siblings, Eli and Lucy, at the neighborhood park of their choosing, color-coded by Eli based on the sliding board. One day, the senior adults accompanied Eli and Lucy to the Children's Museum, which, however the literature may describe it, is really the world's most amazing, multi-story, indoor playground. One night, we lingered over an Italian dinner with Dave Jones, a classmate of Phil's from Wooster. Another night, we met with Rocky Rockenstein, Phil's debate partner at Wooster, and Rocky's wife Joey for dinner and opening night at the Guthrie Theater. Did we mention the daily, neighborhood strolls with Pacy? Or the Twins vs. the Indians game at the Metrodome? Or watching Eli circle the bases with dozens of other young ones after a St. Paul Saints game?

Our moment of most conflicted emotions: Phil flew to Florida to say goodbye to cousin Martha, who had been taken entirely too young and too quickly by lung cancer. Meanwhile, Aliceann waited by the phone for the pathology lab's report on Tracy's breast cancer surgery. The lab report came through with every good word we could hope for. Still, Martha was gone. While a fist pumped the air, the tears flowed.

On a Mother's Day visit to Illiana, we passed on the opportunity to play Cow Chip Bingo so we could concentrate on hugging the grands--Emma and Kyra , Dustin and Allison, and the newly arrived twins, Kyle and Kelsey--as well as catching up on the news with Sarah and Rob, Tim and Janell, and Rachel and Tim and visiting with Aliceann's side of the family.

A really special collection of folks assembled at the Overbrook House on Cape Cod to celebrate Jocee and Guenther's wedding. Bocci on the front lawn, contradancing, lunch at the lobster pot, whale-watching near Provincetown, Nate's culinary tour of Biejing, Ben's tales of the challenges of vegetarian dining in Argentina, and a beautiful wedding ceremony, rich with meaning, emotions, and memories--a fabulous time.

Jim and Linda were in town for a long weekend, in part to speak to UVa's Jefferson Society about Jim's work on Alfred Kinsey and in part so they could begin their DC house hunt. Overlapping that visit, Mary Margaret, Tony, and Ted came to DC for Spring break.

2007

The visitors: Phil's brother Tim came through twice, heading to Florida for tennis and on his way back. On the way South, he spent the night at Carol Place. On his way North, he stayed with Uncle John and Aunt Esther, and we all got together for a fabulous dinner at Jann and Paul's. Jim Jones was in town that same weekend, on his way home to San Francisco after presentation at UVA on his current research topic, David the Bubble Boy.

We spent a few days in Richmond, in part to meet folks at the Southern Historical Association convention and to toast a forty-year friendship with Jim, but also to visit with Tracy and George. We had to cut the visit short to fly to Dallas to say goodbye to Aunt Betty and to grieve with Phil's cousins and their young ones. While in Texas, we drove to Houston to visit Phil's mom.

We are looking to find more time in our schedules for visits with family and friends, such as the long weekend we spent visiting with Jim and Linda in San Francisco and with Reg and Jackie south of Santa Cruz. Sunrises viewed through the Bay Bridge, sunsets through the Golden Gate, hours spent wandering through the Farmers' market, a tour of the Silverado vineyard, lunches in Sausalito and Monterey, a drive up the Coastal Highway--that sort of visit. Or the weekend we took the train to New York for dinner and a surprise birthday party for Margaret (Phil's best friend from grad school) at the River Club, a jazz spot with a spectacular view of the Hudson, the George Washington Bridge, and the New Jersey Palisades. While in New York City, we had a long and thoroughly enjoyable brunch and stroll into Central Park with Ben.

We drove to West Grove for the first annual pool party at Jen and Bryan's and a weekend with Tina. The following weekend, Sue, Graham, and Liam came to Carol Place to marvel at the dinosaurs in the Museum of Natural History and the space vehicles at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. And the weekend after that, we drove to Chautauqua for a week with Phil's sister Becky and her husband Bill. The return route included an evening in Buffalo with Phil's brother Tim, Tim's wife Dottie, and Dottie's family. We interrupted our trip home with a day spent with Phil, Mary Margaret, Tony, and Ted in Cazenovia.

In June, we joined with Danny and Mandy to celebrate the wedding of their Dad, Carroll, and Lena. Later that same month, we joined an extraordinarily happy crowd in Oak Park to celebrate Dave and Sara's wedding. Immediately upon our return, Aliceann rolled into Summer Fest mode and launched the celebration of her birthday by joining with Choralis to perform Mozart's Mass in C Minor. She continued the birthday festivities with a day of horse country antique shopping with G.G., dinner with G.G. and Mike at L'Auberge Chez Francois, and a surprise visit by Tracy.

In May, we were in the bleacher seats at East Fairmont High School to cheer for Allie Fleming when she walked across the stage as a graduate with highest honors.

Our nephew Tim and Janell, his wife, brought their children Dustin and Allison to Carol Place for their Spring break. Among the highlights of their brief visit: Choralis performed Handel's Messiah; great tours of the International Spy Museum and the children's exhibit at the Holocaust Museum; an incredible time at the National Zoo (featuring an elephant playing with a large ball, an elegant cheetah strolling across his compound, river otters romping in and out of the water, Mexican wolves playing chase games, and high wire displays by the orangutans); and a slow drive past the National Cathedral.

Just in time for Tim and Janell's visit, Aliceann negotiated a new, three-days-a-week schedule at ONR.

Our niece Robin spent a week with us at Carol Place while her husband Dan was in Texas at a conference. He joined us for a few days after the conference; then, after the two of them joined with her parents and brother for a week in the Shenandoah, Robin and Dan stopped at Carol Place for their last night in the country before returning to London.

2006

Our nephew Dave and Sara were in the area on a short notice visit, the timing of which allowed them to attend the Choralis Christmas concert.

We drove to Richmond to spend Thanksgiving with Tracy and George. It was the first holiday gathering they hosted in their beautiful home and Tracy's first experience with roasting a turkey. All, including George's parents and sister, proclaimed it a great success.

Over Veterans Day weekend, we flew to Illinois for our niece Rachel and Tim's wedding. We had a great time with Aliceann's side of the family, there and in Chicagoland. On the trip north from the wedding, we stopped for a brief visit with Jess and Eric.

In September, Phil helped to move his Mother from Wooster to Houston, a trip that included some very special time with his sister Becky, his brother Dave and Dave's wife Barb, and our niece Adelle, her husband Matt and their four amazing kids. At first, the move was profoundly disorienting for Phil's Mother, but daily doses of great-grandchildren and poetry readings had her smiling and alert by the end of the week. With the great-grandchildren in tow, the crew risked an outing to a local park, and everything went beautifully. When Phil helped his Mother into his rental car for the return trip to the nursing home, he popped in a CD. "Mozart's Requiem," he said. "That's Aliceann and Choralis in concert." His Mother teared up. "I envy her," she explained. "I wish I could have been part of something that beautiful."

In August, the Reiter-Johnston clan gathered in Rockville for Josh and Jean's wedding.

Our plans for an August trip to Europe had excited us for months: a week in London with our niece Erin and with Robin and Dan; then a flight to Berlin to join with Phil's sister Sarah and our niece Amanda and her husband David to celebrate Jeni and Gunnar's wedding; with a side-trip visit to the Marschhausens. That, anyway, was the plan. The morning before our planned departure, the news broke about British arrests of men planning to blow up British Airways flights to and from London's Heathrow airport. With huge regrets, we shelved the plan.

In April, the Organization of American Historians came to DC for its annual convention. Phil was there to attend a session featuring long-time friend Betsy Jacoway previewing her book, Turn Away Thy Son (check the reviews, then click on "Buy the Book"). We hosted a Carol Place dinner for Betsy and a fabulous collection of her fans--Jim Jones, Linda Auwers, Gary Scott, Chip Carlson, and Jim Hodges.

2005

We headed to Cambridge for Robin and Dan's wedding. After the wedding, we drove north to York (York Minster, Yorkshire Museum, National Railway Museum, and Castle Howard), spun past the Lake District down to Chester (Chester Cathedral), and closed out with a night in Oxford.

We hosted the family reunion at Carol Place, thirty-eight folks from twelve states.

We spent a weekend in the Allentown area, celebrating Liam's first birthday and walking around the hometown of one of Phil's grandfathers.

As part of his new career plans, Dave joined us for several thoroughly enjoyable months at Carol Place, before moving on to Ann Arbor.

The Spring visitors to Carol Place have included Becky and Bill and Charlie and Mary Pfeiffer, who stopped for a night on their way back to Ohio from a week on the Eastern Shore. Tim was in town that same weekend for an oyster outing with Paul and Jann. For a delightful Easter brunch, we were joined by Amanda's best friend from Oak Park, Sara, Sara's parents, Bill and Shelby, and her sister, Kristen.

We took a trip down memory lane in March, driving to Chapel Hill to meet with George Brown Tindall, one of Phil's major professors in graduate school, and several of his closest friends from those years. The Pine Room, we are sorry to report, has long since closed, but otherwise the journey produced many more smiles than tears.

2004

We drove to Cazenovia to share Thanksgiving with Phil, Mary Margaret, Tony, Ted, Anne, and Mary Margaret's parents.

We spent several weeks celebrating Phil's birthday. We shared one weekend with Tina, Jen, Bryan, and Chloe, and Andy, Sue, Graham, and Liam. We shared another with Tracy and George, enjoying their wonderful new home in Richmond.

Our favorite volleyball player made the varsity, so we were again regular attendees at West Springfield volleyball games. Be sure to check the pictures from her Junior Year season.

Over Labor Day, Aliceann flew to Chicago Land for a week of Aunt Annie duty. In Indiana, she got to see Rob and Sarah's new house and to hug on Emma and Kyra. With her sister, Kathy, she headed downstate in Illinois to see Tim and Janell's home and to hug on Dustin and Allison. She also had a chance to visit with her sister Elaine, her mom, and Rachel.

In June, we returned to Ohio to say goodbye to Uncle Harold.

For the Memorial Day weekend, we joined Tina, Jen, Bryan, and Chloe, and Andy, Sue, Graham, and Liam. One day spent hanging out on Jen and Bryan's deck, our arms almost constantly occupied by a young one, and one day spent working our way through the antique shops that line the Pike: It does not get any better than that.

We journeyed to South Carolina to check out Ron and Karen's new digs, to go boating with them on Lake Murray, and to stroll with them along the battery in Charleston.

Aliceann's contract with the National Gallery of Art came to an end in March. We marked the occasion by flying to Florida to cheer enthusiastically at Jessica's Masters Recital in choral conducting. Then, Aliceann switched suitcases and flew north to spend some quality time with Mary Margaret, Phil, Tony, and Teddy. Her new contract is with CACI and has her supporting the Office of Naval Research.

2003

Brother Leo had visited our deck at least twice a day since July, once for breakfast and once for dinner, with occasional mid-afternoon stops for naps in the sun. When the weather started to turn cold, we undertook to "rescue" him. Mission Accomplished. The mission for the New Year has been to push the envelope, to expand the territory open to him, to increase the interaction with us and with the Ladies. Thus far, his progress has been nothing short of spectacular. To be sure, the Ladies have been less than welcoming, but all three of them are working on their issues.

Tracy and George moved into their new house over the Fourth of July weekend. Eventually, all the plans fell into place for a Christmas wedding.

In July, we learned that Chloe had joined Jen and Bryan. Just a few weeks later, Aliceann went to meet this small charmer and to spend some time with Chloe's cousin Graham. We spent Thanksgiving marveling at Graham's vocabulary and Chloe's talent for wrapping folks around her tiny fingers.

Over Veterans Day, we flew to Chicago Land for a long weekend that began with a dinner hosted by Ben at his new apartment. Fantastic food, and a fascinating gathering. From there, we crossed over into Indiana for an early Thanksgiving with Rachel, Rob, Sarah, Emma, and Aliceann's sisters and her mom.

Kay and Mary fly from Austin for a weekend of old memories and new pleasures.

With September, Choralis began preparations for its 2003-2004 concert season. As their first performance, Choralis participated in the wedding celebration of Gretchen Kuhrmann, their musical director, and Dan Stevens, one of their tenors. The November concert, only two weeks after the wedding, featured the Great Call from Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, a selection from Rachmaninoff's Russian Vespers, and short pieces by Walton, Elgar, and Gabrieli, all of them written for performance in cathedrals. (Phil's sisters traveled to Carol Place from Chicago and Wooster, so they could hear Robin and Aliceann in concert.) For the Christmas concert, Choralis will again work with the National Brass. A June concert will have Choralis performing the Carmina Burana with the student participants in their Summer program.

Over Labor Day, we're back in Ohio, this time to see Erin's new house and to celebrate Lisa and Todd's marriage.

Sarah Jones spends the night with us at Carol Place. She's storing some of her stuff here while she attends the university in Seville, Spain, for the Fall semester. Because Dave Smith spent three semesters there as an undergraduate, he joins us to provide insight into life and learning in Seville.

Robin's parents and her brother, Evan, spent a week with us, getting Evan settled into his new apartment and launched as a grad student at Georgetown.

In August, we traveled to Phil's family reunion, something his family has done for more than twenty-five years now. This one was in Ohio. The next will be at Carol Place.

In June, we returned, after seven years, to Bourges, France, for Jean and Xavier's wedding.