"Aunt Ethel" Stevens, 1919-2007

We are profoundly saddened by the passing of "Aunt Ethel" Stevens, aged 88, in Chelsea, MI this morning after a long illness. Ethel shared a 31 January birthday with Grandma Jan, and they were close friends for over 50 years. Ethel was grandmother to sister Ruth Ehman's four kids (Meg's cousins). Her late husband, Commodore W. Robert Stevens, was one of the founding members of Portage Yacht Club. A simply delightful lady, she was universally popular among, and treasured by, our extended family. A celebration of her life will take place at Portage Lake in July.

Grandma Jan (left, Tom's mom and Meg's grandmother), Kathy Wilson Leonard (center, Leslie's older sister), and "Aunt Ethel" Stevens at Ethel's 85th, and Jan's 70th, birthday party at PYC on 31 January 2004.

At Least It Was Not Tit for Tat

Today sister Ruth in Michigan wrote saying, "Hey, check it out! My way of celebrating the New Year! Happy New Year yo All!!!!!"

Attached to the email was this pic....


Photo courtesy of Ruth's daughter Rebecca Stevens (Blackberry phone-cam).

In reply to a follow-up email from your Ed., Ruth confirmed, "Oh, it's very real. I drew the original myself, colored it in with the pencils Mom gave me a few years ago. You're welcome to blog it. Dad hasn't seen it yet but I'll probably just 'get a little too warm' [in the PYC office where she holds down the fort] and slip off my sweater here soon so he can see it."

Now, Meg, don't get any ideas.

Not sure where the photo was taken. However, one suspects it may been taken at a family birthday deener at the Outback Steak House over the weekend, because this afternoon we also received this email from Grandma Jan:

Big family b'day party for Rachel last Sat. at the Outback. Fun affair. Martin and Sue and their crew, Ruth and Alan and theirs, Scope and me. Rebecca is engaged as you probably know as is Dave (M&S's foster son). No wedding dates set yet.

Snow today! Not a lot but enough to make the world pretty. I will go out to see if it needs shoveling. Maybe a broom will work.

Well, mom, good luck shoveling or brooming, or both. Another beaut day here in Spain, albeit a little cool -- only in the 60's F. ;)

Musical Skills

Here's a test that for sure Grandma Jan, Lynn Hill (Grandpa Tom's partner), sister Ruth and Meg will enjoy, and others of you who are musically inclined -- or think that you might be:

http://jakemandell.com/2006/test-your-musical-skills-in-6-minutes/



Grandma Jan grooving to Diana Krall on my Palm, in a January '05 photo. She plays the guitar, too, and wrote lots of skits and songs for yacht club and school functions when we were growing up. A good influence on the rest of -- a musical diamond in the rough.



Lynn Hill is a superb piano player who, when not lawyering. plays professionally. Last we knew she was the choirmaster at the Webster United Church of Christ. Tom Sr. reminds us that Lynn is a good organ player as well. Summer 2004 photo from an apres-race jam session at Portage YC.



Speaking of roses on a piano, Meg is an accomplished if sometimes unwilling piano player, shown here at a party at our home in Valencia last Thanksgiving in a duet. These days she would rather play the guitar, and does so skillfully.



Sister Ruth, when not playing with her snakes or keeping things on track in the office at Portage YC, sings in the choir at Webster Church -- and just about any other time someone picks up a guitar. This is a summer 2004 photo at Ruth's farm in Michigan.



They keep a guitar for us at the Lambrusceria Ristorante (a.k.a. "The Docks") here in Valencia for the occasional after-dinner jam session. This phone-cam photo is from a dinner there last week in which our new friend "Tony" -- a very talented street musician from Bulgaria -- joined in on his sax.