Happy news from Patti and Phil Pessoni in Westbrook, Conn. On June 8, they became first-time grandparents to Ethan Madigan Lemieux, born to Anne and her husband, Jason. “Ethan is the best of the best,” according to Patti, who is in super-heaven now that she is a grandmamma. The Pessonis are also in the throws of fine-tuning the September 6 wedding of daughter Clare and her soon-2-B husband, Pete.
We also send best wishes to paternal grandparents Anne and George Sofronos, longtime former Pound Ridgers, on the birth of their granddaughter, Chloe Mina Sofronas, born on June 30. James Sofronas and his wife, Nargis, are doing great and if you look to the skies, you’ll see the happy family residing on Cloud Nine (right next to the Pessonis).
I’ve discovered a new website: “When editors were gods” (don’t get heady, RJ). In a recent entry, it mentions former Pound Ridger Sylvia Porter (19313-1991), a successful financial columnist and writer. At the height of her career, she became editor-in-chief of “Sylvia Porter’s Personal Finance” magazine and had over 40 million people reading her syndicated column. Her popularity continued to rise and she wasn’t shy to expose corruption or unethical behavior in the financial community.
“Porter, who might rightfully be considered the inventor of personal finance journalism, was past her prime during her magazine's run in the 1980s. To the knowledge of the blog writer, “ … she never set foot in its offices at Davis Publications, although she did read manuscripts messengered to her Fifth Avenue apartment and to her house in pastoral Pound Ridge. Sylvia would comment on them in her trademark green pen and woe to you if you ever split an infinitive.” (Rusty on split infinitives? The most famous example is Star Trek's “TO BOLDLY GO where no man has gone before.”)
Feeling sluggish? The rain of late has gastropod molluscs proliferating in gardens across Pound Ridge and you’ll usually find the slow-moving, soft, and slimy creatures early in the morning on the leaves. To prevent them from devouring everything you’ve waited all year to bloom, try propping up the leaves from the ground, and cleaning out old leaves and debris where the buggers can hide. You can also trap them by offering stale beer. Pour it into a shallow cup and change regularly. For some reason, slugs really have a taste for this. It’s a whole new twist on the term “garden party.”
Where eagles dare. From the southern region of Pound Ridge, Joyce and Bob Matern report siting an American Golden Eagle. Joyce recently took out her binoculars and, from afar, saw that the nest is now empty. “About two months ago, I spotted him/her on Lower Trinity Pass eating road kill. When he flew away, he appeared to have a six to seven-foot wing spread,” she wrote. “He soared flat-winged with an occasional wing beat.”
The auspicious bird is brown, and after seeing his head, referring to her Eastern Birds Book, and the Internet, Joyce determined that he is assuredly a Golden Eagle.
Our children are lucky, indeed, to grow up in such a beautiful town as Pound Ridge, New York. Each of the seasons bequeaths us with gifts from nature – from balmy summer nights, to glorious colorful autumns, crisp winter landscapes, and springtime’s awakening. If you ask my children what is one of their favorite Pound Ridge summer memories, they will tell you — without hesitation — that it was “Pajama Story Hour” at Hiram Halle Library. Start creating memories. Mark your calendar for Tuesday nights from now until August 17 at 7 p.m. Bring the kiddies in their jim-jams, along with a blanket and/or favorite stuffed animal. While stories and snacks are for ages 3-5, you’re sure to share the mirth. I promise.
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