Brazil Lake Summer 2008 - Oom Job on the deck

More pictures

All of us in Massachusetts, May 2008

Leni summer 2007

Kids First Day of School Sept 2008

Grace First Dance Recital June 2008

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It has been a while since I have written my annual letter…sorry. We can only do what we can! I hope you had a marvelous holiday with your families and friends.

The Fairley household has had a busy year, as always. Life revolves around the kids - Michael is 14 now, Ian is 12 ½ and Grace is 5 – and we love it that way!

Some quick updates on everyone –
Richard was tapped by the Archdiocese of Baltimore to be the principal of St. Maria Goretti High School in Hagerstown, MD, about half an hour west of Frederick (http://www.goretti.org/). So after two years of driving to Baltimore (Cardinal Gibbons)….about an hour less driving every day so everyone wins! He really likes it and is busy starting a lacrosse club with some of the parents as well. He is still on the local ARC Board and now also on our church’s parish council.

Michael is wrapping up middle school (8th grade) at Mother Seton (http://www.mothersetonschool.org/) in Emmitsburg, MD (half hour north of us), and will decide soon on either Goretti or Frederick High (private vs. public). While he is a great student, his life revolves around sports, especially lacrosse (he still did Spires Club this spring but is playing Fastlax mostly which is a combination Frederick County team; another broken finger in the spring..sigh; goalie camp at Washington College in Chestertown, MD, etc etc), basketball (West Frederick Middle), his posse’ and his phone (…no comment). The child is now 6’ with size 14 feet.

Ian is in 7th grade at Mother Seton and is definitely going to Goretti he says. So there. No growth spurt yet but he has already implemented the Fairley wit - “another Ian-ism” we say regularly. Great student (one more A+ than his brother he notes), terrific kid and a superb horse for Grace’s horsey-riding. Ian is also the owner ( = walker) of Jackson, the large, black Russian terrier (we got him at 12 months old, free on Craig’s’ List as his previous owners decided 4 dogs was one too many…imagine that), who sheds and jumps on people. What happened to the little, foo- foo, no-shed dog that I wanted??

Grace is in charge of us all, of course. She started kindergarten this fall but we have migrated to a happy mix of special-ed pre K in the mornings and afternoon kindergarten (no half day option in Frederick anymore). Loveable, funny, sweet and a dancer. Likes wearing bathing suits, sitting on Jackson, breakfast bars, basketball games and milk. She is smart and has very good receptive skills. Expressive is another story as she has “oral motor processing issues”. She is a lucky girl to have two brothers that show such love to her.

For me, the second half of 2008 was spent regrouping with my family and work, after the first half…. I spent the summer of 2007-through the spring of 2008 travelling to and from Halifax to be with my mom as she battled colon cancer. Chemo bought us some good months and Leo, Henk and I are grateful for the extra time we had with her before she died at the end of April. We can not say thank you enough to her sister, Sari, and all of Mom’s friends for their support and acts of kindness to us all. And to our families for taking on the loads at home. Leo, Henk and I spent quality time together, too, which was a blessing.

We were also blessed to have met our wonderful Newfoundland ladies, Tanya and Ger, who provided home care to Mom. I wish we had something comparable in the U.S. Tanya and Ger rotated every three weeks or so, and lived in with mom, taking care of everything for her. I also got to see, as a result, more of my Dad, who still lives in St. Margaret’s Bay with Helen.

Mom knew that we were finishing our cottage at Brazil Lake, outside Yarmouth. We have had land on the lake for awhile and finally sold the RV. It meant a lot to me that she got to see pictures as it was being built and finally finished. We spent a month there this summer, just hanging out with family and friends. After we left, Dutch relatives who had come to Canada for Dad’s 70th birthday, stayed there, and Dad and Helen also got a weekend in. We are looking forward to seeing more guests in the future – there is lots of room and extra bunks in the boat house!

I am still a partner at Draper & McGinley, doing mostly tax, but also more divorce work especially in the areas of mediation and collaborative divorce. I find it very challenging and rewarding when I can help people settle things amicably as the “financial neutral” and recommend ideas for financial settlements that are best for both sides.

I am still busy with a bunch of boards – Community Foundation of Frederick County, Rotary Club of Carroll Creek and Frederick Mutual – and committees. I am blessed with great friends, too. The Sisters (aka “The bad Habits” are still active and planning the next SKD parish disco and also an act for the variety show).

Rich and I do try and get away a few times a year, just the two of us, and this year spent weekends in Alexandria (Virginia) and Harrisburg (PA). Rich took Ian to Notre Dame (Indiana) for a football game and in May we all went to Foxborough (Massachusetts) for the NCAA Men’s National Lacrosse Championships (Richard’s 50th birthday present J). In September, another road trip to Wilmington (North Carolina) for Beth’s (Richard’s sister) wedding.

Richard’s family is still growing leaps and bounds. From the 8 siblings, there have been 28 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and 3 more great grandchildren on the way (I think). Mrs. Fairley is still a 2 minute drive down the street from us and is doing pretty well.
Wishing you all a blessed 2009....

Love, Cat

More Brazil Lake cottage pictures

Hi - here are some pictures I was able to take when I was in Nova Scotia last week visiting my mom. We need some name ideas, so if you have any...

Brazil Lake Cottage

I have been absent from the blog for awhile, I know! It has been a tremendously busy year with lots of news that I need to catch up on. Probably the best thing for us has been the fulfillment of a dream. We finally built a place on our land at Brazil Lake, just a bit down from Leo's place. Here is a picture that Richard recently took while he was up in Nova Scotia working on the inside with Grumpy. He was standing on the frozen lake! More news to come...Have a blessed Christmas and a Happy 2008!

Bad, very bad!

Sisters of the Bad Habits performing at the Saint Katharine Drexel annual variety show - our third anniversary! Cat is at the far left - then Alison, Anna, Carole, Sophie, Judy with the pink disco boots and Peg.

Family Update - Sunday, February 11th

Gracie had fun throwing toys at her Loyola speech therapist Friday. Child was not happy. Therapist was patient. Mom mortified. Child quickly resumed her therapy.

Ian is sick. Flu? Or getting out of church tactic...

Michael should be a male model. Scratch that. He can't make up his mind what to wear.

Richard is a student again. He is taking an evening class at Hood College. Wait a minute - isn' the school population 80% female?? (turned co-ed last year)

Catharine has been busy with the Bad Habits. SKD variety show Friday night and if true be told, they rocked. Father Keith almost fell off his chair. Is it illegal to mix margarita's in a church conference room?....never mind, just a random thought.

Back to taxes!

Sister Leo....

Leo and her family moved to Calgary, Alberta in 2006.

Family Update - February 1st

Tax season is here and Cat is swamped already. Fit in a disco run by the Sisters of the Bad Habits at church last week and preparing for the variety show coming up. Running kids around, going to games, etc etc.

Rich is busy at Cardinal Gibbons. They are lucky to have him there. He started a School Law class at Hood College, right across the street. He is coaching Ian's basketball team and Michael's indoor lacrosse team this winter. Big guy turned 49 on the 27th!

Michael's got travel basketball (Catoctin Grade 7 team) and U-13 indoor lacrosse. Happy to be with his ipod or TV with a night off. Ian has basketball through Frederick City Rec league and also U-11 indoor lacrosse. He is the DS man. This weekend, he and Dad are going on a winter camping trip for Cubs. In the meantime, they are squeezing piano in to keep Mrs. Nic happy!

Grace is going through another development phase. Great to see. Accomplishments - more two and three word sentences, jumping (where she actually leaves the ground several times in a row!) and plain ole' 3-year misbehavior :) . Mom takes her still to speech on Monday and Friday and she loves her pre-K. She is eligible for extended school year services and we hope we can get some of that before we head to Nova Scotia this summer.

Nuns After Dark...

Misbehavin' again, Sisters?

For Your Amusement...

Things to remember:

1) "The problem with the designated driver program, it's

not a desirable job, but if you ever get sucked into

doing it, have fun with it. At the end of the night,

drop them off at the wrong house."

- Jeff Foxworthy


2) "If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball

and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the

infant's life without even considering if there is a man on base."

- Dave Barry


3) "My Mom said she learned how to swim when someone took

her out in the lake and threw her off the boat. I said,

'Mom, they weren't trying to teach you how to swim.'"

- Paula Poundstone


4) "A study in the Washington Post says that women have

better verbal skills than men. I just want to say to the

authors of that study: "Duh"

- Conan O'Brien


5) "Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm

halfway through my fish burger and I realize, Oh my God....

I could be eating a slow learner."

- Lynda Montgomery


6) "I think that's how Chicago got started. Bunch of

people in New York said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime

and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough.

Let's go west.'"

- Richard Jeni


7) "Suppose you were an idiot And suppose you were a

member of Congress.. But I repeat myself"

- Mark Twain


8) "Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student.

At least they can find Afghanistan."

- A. Whitney Brown


9) "You can say any foolish thing to a dog,

and the dog will give you a look that says,

'My God, you're right!

I never would've thought of that!'"

- Dave Barry


10) Do you know why they call it "PMS"?

Because "Mad Cow Disease" was taken.

- Unknown, presumed deceased

Senior Moments...

This is supposedly a true account as recorded in the Police Log of Sarasota, Florida.

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her voice, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!"

The four men didn't wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then it dawned on her why... For the same reason she did not understand why there was a football, a Frisbee and two 12 packs of beer in the front seat!

A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station to report her mistake. The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed. If you're going to have a Senior Moment, make it a memorable one.

2007...

You know you are living in 2007 when......

1. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.
2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.
3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.
4. You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.
5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.
6. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.
7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.
8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.
10. You get up in the morning and go on line before getting your coffee.
11. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.
12. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.
13. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.
14. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.
AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Alexandria, Virginia

Richard and I spent a day in Alexandria, Virginia this weekend to celebrate his birthday early. Dinner at Il Porto's, our favorite restaurant (we ate there the night we got engaged over 20 years ago!), went to see Eddiefromohio at the Birchmere and stayed in the Old Town Hotel on King Street near the waterfront.

Grace, Michael and Ian are all fine. Gracie is running around like crazy and loves the word "teevee" to get someone to put an Elmo or Barney tape in for her. The boys still have sports, piano and for Ian, cubs. Mike's finger is healed and is he back playing instead of watching. Mom is heading into tax season so wishes everyone a great spring and "talk to you after April 15th"....

Christmas Tidings....

Family and friends - Happy Holidays!! Here are some holiday tips ---

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the
holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into aneggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think.

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bo ther? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have SOME standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Grace and Halloween with the Tias

...at a neighbor's house, checking out the pumpkin with the crown..."look, look!"

Sistahs at the Tasting Room...

Celebrating Sister Mary's great news. Passing the "turkey" in time for Thanksgiving. Berry cosmo's. And lots more!

Jessica and Michael's wedding

Last weekend, the Fairley clan travelled to Bristol, Rhode Island for Jessica Fairley's wedding.
Pictures to come!

This weekend, busy with two birthday parties, basketball, lacrosse games (last game for outdoor but indoor for both Ian and Michael starts on the same day), etc etc. Gotta get rested up for the week coming up = work, Cubs, Sister-get-together, birthday bash, more basketball and lacrosse, Frederick Mutual director dinner, Gibbons football playoff game, Mother Seton gala, therapies, and more. Just another Fairley week. Nothin' to it. TTL for Microsoft Outlook!

Gal Pals

Rotary chicks Cat and Kim at the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek Paul Harris dinner earlier this month. We were not in charge - just having a good time!

Light the Night Walk

Saturday night, Cat and Gracie, with Kim, her kids, Jennifer, her sister Kathleen and about 400 others did the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society walk through Baker Park. Over $50,000 was raised for blood cancer research. Loads of fun, red and white ballons everywhere, and chilly! Back to Jennifer's for dinner. Rich and the boys were at basketball practice in Thurmont.

Pumpkin Patch!

Grace and Mommy went to the Pumpkin Patch today with her FRIENDS group. Gorgeous sunny day - perfect for a hay ride!

News Flash

Michael made the Catoctin grade 7 travel team (Mid-Maryland league)!

Peace from Mother Seton School

The boys are in there somewhere...!

Weekend Update

Grace's gym class, the FRIENDS' Buddy Walk around Baker Park (to benefit Down Syndrome research), Cardinal Gibbons Gala in Catonsville, chores, Celia's baptism, Michael's lacrosse game and Karlys' wedding shower. Minor golf event on TV that we did not have time, nor want, to see.

Thursday --- Kid update

Ian's Cub Scout den won a blue ribbon at the Frederick Fair for their entry in the Junior Horticulture section. Way-to-go!

Michael finally wore us down and got a hand-held Nintendo game thinger-ma-jobber. He has revealed his strategy to us, so trust me there will still be no cell phone for oldest son for a long, long time! :)

Gracie had back to school night on Tuesday and immediately took over. Everyone had to sit down while she read the family a book (she sat in the teacher's chair) and after that proceeded to use the pointer at the board. She loves school and the bus!

Frederick Happenings..

(Nothing much going at City Hall these days with Jennifer out of office (she is selling real estate and running the restaurant)....). Primary was on Tuesday and rather boring.

At the Fairleys, life is back on track since vacation...

Rich loves Cardinal Gibbons School and his new office at home. His first home office in 20 years! We moved the boys to the attic, Rich has Michael's old bedroom, and our bedroom is Ian's old bedroom.

Michael is in a fall lacrosse league in Potomac and has basketball tryouts in a few weeks for the 7th grade Catoctin team (he can play 6th grade if he does not make the team). Ian has a new den leader and is busy with Cub Scouts. We hike Gambrill Mountain this weekend. He starts a Frederick basketball league in a few weeks. Finally, found them a wonderful piano teacher in Frederick, so we dropped school band and are back to piano.

Gracie likes pre-school and seems to have no problems transitioning between there and the Tia's (except all that potty training before vacation went down the drain; back to square one). She has her own gym class with Daddy on Saturdays and loves that! Start Loyola Clinic again next week with a new grad student, who sounds very "perky". I'll have to bring lots of coffee on the ride to Columbia. P.s. Why can't we have a Tim Hortons down here?

I am back at work fulltime and keep busy shuttling everyone around and catching up with the usual gang of friends. Next week Rotary is heading to a play at the MET and then we have our big Paul Harris fundraiser in a few weeks at Holly Hills Country Club.

Kim, Jen, Pat and I are doing Light the Night at Baker Park with all the kids next month (Lymphoma research fundraiser). Couple of other galas and weddings coming up and before you know it, it will be Halloween and Thanksgiving!

First Nation Reserve this summer...

The boys in fur!

Here's trouble...

"I wasn't doing anything..."

Peggy's Cove

Had not been in years. Full of tourists but still pretty!

All we need now is a cottage!

Picture taken our last day in Nova Scotia. The boathouse will stay on the left and the cottage will be built on the right about 40 feet from the edge of the lake.

Grace and the Ross Farm Kitten

(1) Grace picks up a kitty by the head (2) Kitty still likes Gracie.

the kids!

...riding in the car, riding in the car, we love riding in the car... (Wiggles tune)

Grace at the Yarmouth Lighthouse

More Nova Scotia pix...

Boys on the LeHavre River Ferry

School Update

The Fairley Kids are all in school.

Ian is in 5th grade at Mother Seton School. He lucked out - one of the coolest teachers in the school! He and Dad were working on a Ronald Reagan project tonight - boy after his Daddy's heart!! Cubs start next week - Webelos II.

Michael is now in Middle School at MSS. Here in the States, Middle School (Junior High) is made up of grades 6,7 and 8. Happy to be moving around between classes. No sports until late this fall- indoor lacrosse and then travel basketball. They both start private piano lessons again Friday so no more school band.

Gracie is in pre-school at Waverly Elementary, in a special ed class, every morning for a few hours. No problem in the class at all - she is used to sitting and getting to work with her therapists. On day three we started the bus - she got on fine, and didn't even check to see how Mom was feeling about the whole thing. She is usually asleep by the time she gets back but wakes up for lunch at the Tias.

And the biggest kid, Daddy, is having a great time at Cardinal Gibbons School too!

Last day at the Lake...

"We'll be back!"

Mike Man

" Gracie and Ian, leave me alone! "

"You told me to keep her busy!!!!!!!"

Ian - Master of Knowledge

Is this part of your Scouting requirements, honey?

Vacation at the lake 2006

Another terrific vacation at the lake with family and friends. Lots of beautiful sunny days with the odd gale or two added in to make things interesting!

Sightseeing, the lighthouse, Upper Clements, The Tattoo, Halfway Hilton, Halifax, St. Margaret's Bay, Peggy's Cove, Shelburne, Liverpool, Frenchys (7), Digby and Bear River were just a few of things we managed to squeeze in. Loads of time left for the lake and tubing and yard sales!


The Boathouse was a great addition. We cleared a large area for a future cottage. I like the name "Welcome Back Kotterge" but the family is not with me on that (reference the TV show)...

Great to see the parents, Leo, Reg, Max and Mia, Brenda, Di's family and Michelle too.

Can't wait for 2007!

Smile for the camera honey!

Happy Birthday Gracie!!

I am "phweee"! I had a party at Tias' house and at my house. Lucky me..
I told you I love cupcakes!!!

Bartlett's Beach 2006

I love the beach!!