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It’s a girl!

13 Jul

I am tickled pink to announce to the greater Webster community that there’s — finally — a new baby Barry!

Jessica and Danny Barry, owners of Barry’s Old School Irish, are proud new parents.  Maley Barry was born by C-section at 7:48 pm Thursday night, weighing a healthy 8 lbs. 1 oz and measuring 20.25 inches.

And despite the excitement reflected in the headline of this blog, we’ve known for a while that the baby was going to be a girl. Actually, we’ve even known the baby’s name for months. It was just a matter of WHEN we were going to get to meet her.  Maley was officially due on Monday, July 2. But apparently she wasn’t quite ready to show her face on that particular day.  A week later she was still being stubborn. Finally, ten days after her official due date, Jessica’s doctor decided to induce labor. Nineteen hours later,  after some rather, well, forcible convincing, Maley was born.

And the happy news arrived none too soon. Since Danny and Jessica arrived in town, they have developed a very large, very loving group of friends — more like an extended family — who have been anxiously awaiting Maley’s arrival. Facebook messages and regular text messages from Maura at the pub kept everyone up to date on Jessica’s progress over the last few days.  We all feel like we’ve gained a new family member.

Congratulations to Danny and Jessica. We cannot wait to meet little Maley.

A famous local fiddler, cool science and a kiddie parade

11 Jul

Several little tidbits of information I want to toss out today, before I get to photos of last night’s kiddie parade. A few of these have been hanging around my email box for weeks, just waiting for me to get around and blog about them.  But this first nugget came to my attention just yesterday afternoon, and will interest anyone following the career of one of Webster’s finest musical talents, Kate Lee.

Kate is a 2010 graduate from Webster Schroeder High School, and an incredible fiddle player who has already been making a name for herself in Nashville, where she attends Belmont University.  Last November, for example, she was one of several back-up musicians for Rascal Flatts on the Country Music Awards television program.

Yesterday she announced something even more exciting. On July 24 she’ll be playing violin for the Heart & Soul Concert behind Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Wow.

Keep an eye on this young lady, folks, ’cause she’s going places.  Actually, you can see her for free at the Little Theater the day after the Heart & Soul Concert, playing a free concert from 7:30-9:30 pm.  Check out her website here.

* * *

This Friday, CDS Monarch’s Wolf Life Transitions Center on Hard Road will host a Luau Dance from 6:30-8:30 pm.  As always, there will be refreshments and music from DJ Delight. Cost is $5 per person for community members. RSVP to Summer at 347-1661 or Summer.Vanscott@cdsmonarch.org.

* * *

Cherry Ridge is hosting a concert series this summer, called Under the Stars. Gateswingers Big Band will perform on Tuesday, July 24, and Gentlemen of Song will perform on Thursday, August 16. The concerts are held on the Cherry Ridge Lawn from from 6:30 – 8 pm and there’s no charge. Refreshments will be served and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. In case of inclement weather, concerts will be moved inside.

Cherry Ridge is located in Webster, across from Webster Schroeder High School.

* * *

Remember that great idea you had at the beginning of the summer? “Hey, let’s NOT sign the kids up for camp this year, so we can spend more quality time with them!”

So now you’re wondering what the heck you were thinking, and you’re all stressed because this late in the game all the summer camps are full. Don’t sweat. Here’s a super option:

It’s called “Cool Summer of Science with Mr. Noon,” a series of week-long summer science classes (for 4-6 year olds and 7-9 year olds) taught by Williamson High School science teacher Brendan Noon. The classes feature age-appropriate hand-on activities that are not only fun but help develop the skills kids will need to meet the next generation of National Science Standards. (So they’ll be learning while they’re having fun, but don’t tell them.)

Upcoming classes include weather and the interaction between organisms and their environment.  You can click here for more details, but I’ll tell you right now the kids will be making clouds, playing in a pond and collecting slimy things.  Sounds like fun to me.

Classes cost $25/day and are held from 9 – 10:30 am Monday-Friday, at 153 Salt Road in Webster. For more information log onto the Science With Mr. Noon Facebook page or email Mr. Noon at Brendan.Noon@yahoo.com.

* * *

Finally, a quick note about the Kiddie Parade which took place last night in the South Avenue/Spry Middle School neighborhood. This annual warm-up for the Fireman’s Parade (which happens tonight in the village) is always an adorable affair.  I love the idea of this parade, because it gives kids of all ages a chance to get dressed up in costumes, march in a real parade (albeit a very short one) and throw candy at high velocity at the people lining the parade route.

(And I had forgotten about the candy at high velocity part. Popping in and out of the parade taking pictures, I felt at times like I was in a war zone dodging bullets. A strawberry Dum-Dum actually hit me so hard in the shoulder it made a mark.)

It’s also fun to see how much the kids’ parents enjoy the parade. Many of them dress up in themed costumes, and it’s obvious how much thought and effort work goes into many of the “floats.”  I’ll bet some families start working on them months in advance.

One child who was watching the parade walk by described it this way: “It’s like Halloween, only earlier.”  I’m not sure whether he was referring to the costumes or the abundance of candy.

As usual, I took lots of photos. Click here or on the photo above to see the gallery.

email me at missyblog@gmail.com

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In memory of a young life lost

9 Jul

Not much to say about this.  It’s a memorial that’s been created on Hatch Road around the corner from my house, in honor of Christopher Salva, a young man who lost his life in a motorcycle accident a little more than a week ago. He was only 18.

Every time I pass it I just want to go home and hug my kids.

A fond farewell to “Miss A.”

4 Jul

When my kids were young, we all knew “Wheels on  the Bus” by heart. We’d sing it at all our preschool activity classes and mommy/child events, and it was one of our favorites for long car trips.  Back then, the bus had a driver, lights, a horn, doors and people.

Adrienne reads a story to the kids. (Click on any photo to see a gallery with more.)

Apparently, in the 15-plus years since I’ve heard this little ditty, the bus has become a “space bus” and has also picked up a llama and an alien in its travels.

At least that was the interpretation I heard yesterday from Jason Poole of the Webster Public Library.  The occasion was Stories in the Park, a half-hour story time hosted by the library every Tuesday in July at Ridge Park, featuring Jason and Children’s Librarian Adrienne Furness. The library has been hosting these story times for years, but yesterday’s was extra special, because it marked the last time that Adrienne — or “Miss A.,” as the kids know her — would be participating.

After ten years as the children’s librarian at Webster Public Library, Adrienne will be moving on to a position as Library Director of the Henrietta Public Library.

Adrienne has been with the Webster Public Library for a little more than ten years, starting just a few weeks before the new library

Jason gets the kids hopping. I think they’re being fountains.

opened in Webster Plaza. In that time she has become a beloved figure in the children’s room, making an already pleasant area even more inviting with her ever-present smile and welcoming personality.

Yesterday’s program was a good example of why Adrienne will be sorely missed. When I got there just before the program started, I was amazed to see how many kids and adults were squeezed into the Ridge Park gazebo.  There were more than 50 small children crowded onto two tarps on the ground, in their parents’ laps or on the picnic benches. And there were almost that many parents and grandparents. Plus, more families kept arriving even after the stories began. I’m sure a lot of them came for the playground but were pleased to find something  even better going on, so they just stood outside the gazebo and watched.

Jason started the program with a song, accompanying himself on a guitar. Then for the next half hour he and Adrienne tag-teamed with stories, movement games and children’s tunes, keeping all 50-plus kids jumping, laughing, smiling, singing, shouting, standing still as stones, wiggling, whispering, spinning and dancing.

And even better, when Adrienne was reading a story, every child’s eyes were glued to the book, their faces bright with wonder, their minds open to new information. It was a beautiful thing to see. At that moment, a BOOK was the most important thing in their lives. All I could think was that I was watching the next generation of readers become inspired. They were learning to love stories and books.

No children’s librarian could ever ask for a better legacy.  Thank you, Adrienne, and good luck.

(Click on any of the photos to see more from yesterday’s Stories in the Park.)

 

Check out the faces of the kids. They are totally involved in the book.

Some of Miss A’s many fans gather for a final photo after the program.

Some tips on flag etiquette

27 Jun

As Independence Day fast approaches — our nation’s most flag waving-est holiday — the Village of Webster would like to remind everyone about flag etiquette.

Frankly, I think a lot of people could use a refresher course (when you drive around over the next week, count how many flags are hanging backwards off of porches).  But even if you think you’re pretty much up on all the proper regulations, check out the write-up on the village website anyway, because it makes for some interesting reading.

For example, this part of the Flag Code:

The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard.

Now I’m going to be looking around all the time to see if this regulation is being followed.  And years ago, wasn’t it forbidden to work the flag into any piece of clothing?  That’s apparently not the case anymore, despite this part of the code which seems to address that:

The flag should not be used for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.

The website also tells you where to take your old flag to properly dispose of it.  Click here to find out how.

 

A very special Father’s Day

16 Jun

My parents got divorced when I was 10 years old. We were living in suburban Chicago at the time. My father stayed in the Midwest, while my mother packed up four young children, two dogs and a cage full of caterpillars and moved east to New York State to begin the rest of our lives.

That was 44 years ago. My siblings and I ultimately settled on the east coast, got married, and had seven children among us. My father remarried and moved around a lot, but never made it father east than Missouri.

My stepmother Angie passed away last fall, after which Dad moved to the east coast to be closer to his children and grandchildren. For the first time in years we celebrated Thanksgiving together.  For the first time in years, we sat around the same Christmas tree.

And, the first time in 44 years, my siblings and I are spending Father’s Day with our father.

I hope that your Father’s Day is equally special.

Sitting with my Dad: (L-R, also youngest to oldest) Mindy, me, Chris and Greg

Irish musicians take over the White House

10 Jun

Sesiun groups found anyplace they could to play. Here, two groups play about 50 yards apart.

If you’re an Irish musician and you live in or near Rochester, chances are very good you were up at the lake yesterday afternoon.

The occasion was the annual “Stand Around and Play” gathering hosted by Lynn Pilaroscia, whom my husband and I have known for about 20 years.  Once a year Lynn (who plays the fiddle himself) books the White House at Webster Park and invites all of his Irish musician friends to come on by and … well, stand around and play.

It’s really a sight to see. At any one moment in the afternoon you might see anywhere from four to seven small groups of musicians, each of which has found a corner of the White House property — on the front porch, on the back porch, under a tree, in the main room — jamming. Once one tune is done, someone starts up another one, and if you know it, you simply join in. There’s no set list, no applause, just a bunch of musicians doing what they love most.

No matter where you were, music surrounded you: bluegrass, waltzes, folk tunes, and traditional Irish. Jigs, reels and ballads. And the variety of instruments was astounding. I saw a flute, concertinas, banjos, guitars, an electric guitar, string basses, mandolins, accordions, tin whistles, a cello, bodhrans, a hammer dulcimer, and lot and lots of fiddles.

What a wonderful way to spend a sunny summer afternoon at the lake.

 

Click on the photo to see a short video clip of some of the musicians.

On the eve of Senior Ball, a letter to my daughter

7 Jun

Dear Erin,

So, tonight is your Senior Ball. It’s fun to see how excited you are about it.  Who’d have guessed that someone could talk about one thing nonstop for three straight months?

I’ve enjoyed our pre-ball mommy/daughter time, dress shopping and jewelry shopping. I didn’t mind at all ordering and picking up the boutonniere, or taking you to your mani-pedi appointment, or taxiing your friend to our house so she could do your hair.  It was never a bother. On the contrary, these simple moments we have together now will become few and far between, much sooner than I’d like, and I’ve been trying to capture and absorb every single moment.

Senior Ball. The last big dance of your high school career.  I know you’re going to have a wonderful time and make some great memories.  You’re going to look unbelievably beautiful and grown-up. You’re going to have a very nice guy on your arm who loves you a lot and whom I trust.  And when all the photos are done, and you finally head off for the evening’s festivities, all will be well.

But.

Bad things happen and people do stupid things. Don’t drink (that goes without saying). Don’t get into a car with someone who’s been drinking.   Be careful when you’re driving home, and watch out for idiots on the road.  And deer.  Don’t stay out too late. Make good decisions.

Come home to me safe.

Love, Mom.

Hey NYSDOT: Huh?

2 Jun

So the DOT is tweeting its Bay Bridge construction schedule. But this is the tweet from yesterday, and I’m having trouble making sense of it:

FRI 06/01: No Work Today. SAT 06/02: WBound down to 1 Lane 6:00AM-2:00PM; then 2 Lanes 2 PM- 4 PM; EBound only to 2 lanes 7:00AM-4:00PM

I’m not sure if that means two lanes will be closed or two lanes will be open from 7 am to 4 pm.  All I DO know is that Ridge Road traffic is unbearable today, and when I left the YMCA this morning, Bay Road was backed up father than I could see.  So something is happening up there at the bridge.

So try to avoid Ridge Road AND the Bay Bridge today.  And DOT, give some more thought to how to use your 140 characters (for example, how about “6am-2pm,” “2-4pm” and “7am-4pm”) and put some verbs in there.

 

Final concert marks the end of an era

30 May

I had another one of those moments last night. One of those “This-is-the-last-time-I’m-going-to-do-this” moments. I find they’re happening pretty frequently now that the youngest of my three kids is close to graduating from Webster Schroeder.

Last night I attended what probably was my last high school concert ever (that is, of course, unless I have some musically talented grandchildren some day). My daughter is a member of the Webster Schroeder Chorale which, along with the school’s wind ensemble and orchestra, performed their final concert of the year last night.  For many of the seniors — like my daughter — that also meant it was the last time they would take to the Schroeder stage.

The Last Concert. My daughter is third from the left, reddish hair and pigtails.

Rosenberry kids have been involved in the Webster schools music scene for more than 13 years, starting at Plank Road North, where my daughter joined her first chorus and my son started to learn the violin. Of course there were concerts and of course we were the proud parents.

As the kids progressed through Spry Middle School and finally to Schroeder, their musical involvement (and the number of concerts) increased. There were select vocal ensembles, a cappella groups, fiddle club, and of course the spring musicals.  We found ourselves in the Schroeder auditorium so often it felt like we had season tickets.

Last night, though, it all finally came to an end. Part of me is happy I’m not going to have to sit through any more concerts (frankly, I love choral pieces but classical strings and jazz aren’t my thing).  But I know that when school starts up again this fall, and I hear the Thomas chorus rehearsing down the hall, I’m going to miss the good ol’ days when my kids were up on those risers.

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