Cotters in California

The day after Christmas John, Melissa, Jack and Amelia will be heading down the Pacific coast to California. They are putting their new '85 Volvo camper out for a test run, camping along the way, planning to head down the coast once they get to San Jose and meet friends in Joshua tree. Ironically, they also have a friend to visit who lives in Orange - about four miles from Mom - so they are planning to let Jack and Amelia meet great-grandma. No doubt there will be pictures on their sight in a few weeks, so check the link.

Carly Elizabeth Jarosz

There is another addition to the clan. Here in Judi's own words:

Well we finally have a new granddaughter. I took Dawn to the doctor Monday morning for her check up and they were going to induce her on Thursday but later that afternoon she was having bad contraction and the doctor told her to come to his office to be checked. She was in labor but there were no rooms available at Baptist hospital so they took her to another one close by. She had the baby at 10:22 PM on the 19th. She weigh 8 lbs and was 19 in long. She has dark hair and is just beautiful. Both mom and baby our doing fine. I think they will come home this morning so I am going to go take care of the other two while Mike picks her up. Her name is Carly Elizabeth Jarosz.

Sounds like say congratulations are in order.

Birthdays

Eli suggested that I post the family birthdays on the log. That sounds like a good idea to me. I'll just list them all out here so that everyone can look them over and check for mistakes. What other birthdays do you want added? Let me know by clicking on the comment section listing the additions or corrections you want. After the blog has been up a while, I will put a link on the side so that you can just click on it whenever you need it.

BIRTHDAYS

January
30 – Patrick Mark Northen

February
19 – Lora Northen
20 – Trent Northen
23 – Elijah Northen
28 – Melissa Cotter

March
13 – Mary Beth Burdette

April
27 - Grandma Northen

May
2 – Michael Northen
22 – Maura Northen
30 – Rita Northen

June
6 – Ryan McGee
20 – Jack Cotter
21 – Andrew Northen

July
1 – Sydney Northen

August
20 – Amber Frensley
21 – David Northen

September
13 – John Cotter
14 – Judi Frensley
16 – Stephen Northen
22 – Lindsey Northen
23 – Maya McGee
29 – Mary Anne Northen

October
6 – Amelia Cotter
10 – Carmen Northen
11 – Brandi McLemore
25 – Edward Northen


November
5 – Connor Northen

December
12 – Dawn Frensley
17 – Grandma Ventura
20 – Patrick Michael Northen
Pat Frensley

Northen News Resumes

It has been a while since this blog has seen an entry, so I am going to try to jump start it with a few news items since the last entry. Two new links have been added over on the left and you probably want to check them out. One is Eli’s Architecture site which displays a variety of his drawings and other. The other is Eli and MB’s Engagement Page set up by Mary Beth. She has put together all of the information you might be interested in knowing about their wedding in July.

As some of you know I have been working on the proposal for my doctoral dissertation. This semester I had to turn in the proposal and finally finished it on Friday. My topic is Disability and Literature. The whole proposal is about sixty pages, but if you are interested in, here is a one page abstract.

In just one week – Christmas Eve – Lora, Maya, Ryan, Eli, Mary Beth and I will be taking off for Argentina. It’s hard to believe. We’ll be spending most of our time in Buenos Aires – especially New Years, but we will also spend a couple of days up at Iguazu Falls near the Brazilian border and a couple more in the Mendoza wine country in western Argentina. It should be a lot of fun.

Grandbaby

Just wanted to let everyone know that Dawn found out that she is having a Girl. She is due the first of Jan.
Judi Frensley

Another Grandbaby coming

Just wanted to let you all know that my daughter Dawn is expecting again. This came as a surprise to us but Dawn and her Husband are very excited about having another baby. This will make their third. Chance is now five and will be starting kindergarden in August. Kennedy is now three and thinks she is the princess of the family. Needless to say she is hoping for another brother so she can remain the princess. With Pat and Rita just having another boy I couldn't let Mike get ahead of me in Grand Children. Just kidding. Love Judi Frensley

ANDREW IS HERE!

Andrew Joseph Northen was born today - way ahead of schedule - at 8:11 AM in Paoli Hospital. He weighed in at four pounds, fourteen ounces and is nineteen inches long. Despite his small size, he is healthy and doing fine. Though he was not expected until mid-July, Rita was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia last week and the doctor decided that for the health of both mother and baby, Rita should be induced this morning. Though not ready to run a marathon just after childbirth, Rita was feeling reasonably well considering all she has been through these last few month pregnancy. Rita and Andrew plan to stay at the hospital for about three days. Meanwhile, Pat is making the rounds on the telephone to let everyone know the good news and convincing Connor that it is just about time for him to move into his new bedroom.

Poetry Contest Winner

Some say that late is better than never, so congratulations to Ed in being one of the winners in the annual Triton College Poetry Contest. Each spring Triton College in River Grove, Illinois sponsors a poetry contest in which three topics for poems are announced. The best poems on each topic are picked as winners and appear the next year in Ariel , the literary magazine that the college puts out. Ed entered his poems in March and found out at the beginning of May that one of his poems, “A Portent of Passing” was chosen. Here are the first few lines from the poem:

Standing in the doorway
My mother's body is thin
Frail as rice paper

Weakened by pneumonia
And eighty years of hardship
She survives her pilgrimage on faith

The entire poem will appear in Ariel XXIII which will appear in spring of 2006.

Race for the Cure

The Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure is a run that takes place annually in many major cities around the United States to raise money for breast cancer. It is widely participated in by women who are breast cancer survivors as well as those just trying to help raise money for the cause. In May of this year thousands in Philadelphia gathered around the famous art museum in rainy winter, many wearing the emblematic pink ribbons.

On June 4, Maura participated in Seattle incarnation of the race along with friends and co-workers. Though her picture does not appear among the race winners, she was able to raise over $100 for the cause. The Seattle race is reputed to be one of the tougher courses. It is great to have a family member represent us in such an important event. Thanks, Maura.

Trout Unlimited

Carmen and I recently attended a Idaho State council meeting for Trout Unlimited and she was elected Vice President for the State of Idaho. She has been president of the local chapter [Hemingway] for the last year so needless to say she is getting well entrenched in the conservation efforts.

Guide season has just opened so Carmen will be doing some guiding. The river is still quite high so it will be a fee weeks before Carmen gets any trips. The true season usually starts about July 1st.

-Ed

December in Argentina

Past Northen family vacations have been in Central Europe and the British Isles in the heat of August. This year’s will not only be in during the cooler part of the year but in South America. We are in the process of planning our next family vacation and it looks as though it will be to Argentina over Christmas vacation.

Maya is doing all of the research and contact work, but it looks as though we will probably be leaving Christmas night. First, we will be hitting the big city, Buenos Aires, and staying at the Marriott Hotel . Buenos Aires is both the capital and largest city in Argentina and it is also located in the east part of the country right across the bay from Uruguay for those who want to take a side trip. Next, we will be making a complete change of venue and go up to one of the most spectacular sites in Argentina – Cataratas del Iguazú or Iguazú Falls. Reported to make Niagara Falls look like it is standing still, Iguazú Falls is located in the tropical rain forest at the extreme north of Argentina, almost bordering on Paraguay and Brazil. There we will be staying at the Sheraton. We’ll be returning to Buenos Aires for New Years and then going on to a third and very different part of Argentina. This is the Mendoza in the famous wine country located in the far west of Argentina almost to the Andes and Chile. Here our hotel will be the Park Hyatt.

It should be an exciting trip. Maya is setting this up through Chimera Travel, so if you have any ideas, let her know.

Bronchitis Blues

Poor Rita can't catch a break. On top of an injured leg and pregnancy (with all its attendant discomforts), she had bronchitis over the Memorial Day weekend. Not only did she spend the holiday in bed but her birthday as well! Suffice it to say, a doctor was not be sound. Luckily, for Rita, she is due mid-July, so she won't have to wait much longer or go through the hottest part of the summer pregnant. For those who haven't heard, Pat and Rita will be having a boy and have already picked out a name - Andrew.

Memorial Day Weekend

On Memorial weekend, Lora, Maya, Ryan, Eli, Mary Beth and Mike trekked up to Buffalo. They had a mini-family reunion with their relatives on the Ventura side of the family. Maya and Eli also visited their Grandma Ventura in the nursing home. Eli took Mary Beth to Niagara Falls for her first time ever and – Memorial Day or not – they got hailed on. We also met up with the Cotter wing of the family: John, Melissa, Amelia and Jack. Melissa and John had gone up to Toronto for their anniversary, and they were all headed up to Niagara-on-the-Lake to go out on a boat. Jack is not only learning to walk, but to throw spoons off his high chair and chomp on toast. Naturally, we all had to sample the Buffalo cuisine - Buffalo wings, Mike’s subs and dinner at Shanghai Red’s overlooking the marina at sunset.

Family Links

Though you can easily click the on the links for yourself for yourself, maybe you'll be enticed to look if a bit further if a short description of the links is set out. Here we go then:

Cotter Family contains photographs and video clips that center around – who else – Amelia and Jack. There’s a great one of Jack in his bath and, my personal favorite, Amelia singing happy birthday to Grandpa Northen.

Chimera Travel is the site for Maya’s travel consulting business. It has a great new article on Malaysia as well as a vintage one on Seattle (for those of you planning to visit Maura or the Cotters).

Northen Family Tree is an online genealogy of the Northen family. Though the modern Northen’s listed are all the Tennessee branch, it traces our family back to John Northin – the first Northen in America.

Dispoet is Mike’s forum for discussing disability and writing. Yes, I know it sounds boring but check it out. You never know…

Carmen’s Flyfishing shows some professional flyfishing photos that Carmen has for sale on line. Go ahead – take a guess who the fisherman is.

Graduation Redux

Yesterday (Sunday, May 22) was another family graduation. Eli received his Master in Architecture. The ceremony was held in the Great Space of the architecture building on the campus of the University of Maryland. He not only received his degree but awarded faculty excellence in design for a Masters student. What’s next? Well, get out your address books and cross out another Northen address. Eli has accepted a position with architect/designer Michael Graves in Princeton, New Jersey and will start work June 27.

Graduation and Thesis

Last week two important events happened for the east coast branch of the Northen family. On Saturday, May 14, Maya graduated from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. She now has her Masters degree in International Business. Luckily, the predicted rain held off and the weather stayed sunny through the ceremony. The campus was beautiful. The only dark clouds that appeared on the horizon were when Maya ran into a snafu picking up her diploma. I’m sure she’ll be glad to tell you about that some time. It had a happy ending.

Two days later Eli had his thesis presentation for his Masters degree down at the University of Maryland. For his thesis he designed a sustainable wine center for Charlottesville, Virginia. The presentation took place in the school of architecture where architects from Maryland and Washington, D.C. came in to listen to Eli’s presentation and critique his designs. To say that it provoked debate would be an understatement. As Eli was fielding questions, the dean for the school of architecture at Catholic University jumped up to the front and began point at the designs, to make a point. Architects turned around in their chairs and began arguing with each other. At one point a UMD architecture professor grabbed the demonstration wine and brought it up front where others began pouring the wine to drink. The feedback was that it was one of the most exciting theses in a long time. Certainly Eli will remember it!

Blog Basics

This post is to serve as a guide for family members who may not have blogged before.

As you can see, every new post has a title. This one is called “Blog Basics” and the one below is “Welcome.” Every new post is dated so you can see when it is written; new posts automatically go to the top. Right underneath this post you will see that it says, “Comments” with a number next to it. Right now the number is probably 0. If you want to say something about this post (or any post), just click on the comment beneath it. A box will pop up that lets you write in whatever you want. Then click in the circle that says other and click on publish. It’s that simple.

If you look to the right part of this page you will see three things: links, previous posts, and archives. The links are connections to other websites that the family might be interested in. Just click on the link and it will take you there. If you have a suggestion for a link you think others in the family would like, put it in a comment to this post and we’ll get it up. The previous posts are a fast way to get to look at other topics that have been posted and to go there. Finally, after the end of a month, the posts start getting archived. The archives let you look at all of the posts that were made during a certain month.

I hope this helps. Any questions? Post them as a comment.

Welcome

Hello, everyone. If you are reading this no doubt you are a member of the Northen family or somehow related to it. This blog is meant as a sort of news space where we can post anything that we think might be of interest to the rest of the family. Check in every once in a while to see what is going on and to make a comment about a post if you wish. If you want to make an original post, contact Mike Northen by e-mail to find out how.