Memories Of Summer

It’s official… apple-picking, pumpkin-picking, cider, bales of hay… It’s Fall! It’s definitely the season I love the most being a New Englander. (If you talk to some people, I do hail from the South, but after being up here for more than ½ my life, I’m beginning to call myself a New Englander. I mean, I do root for the Pats, too – and they need all the help they can get this season – even if it is from a Southern ex-pat!)


I digress.


While I love the crisp air, and the confusion of figuring out what to wear (!), I do miss the summer, and stress about the upcoming winter. I always love the summer because I can watch my kids grow like weeds and not run on a rat wheel with them. Somehow, the busyness of the school year makes the growth less obvious.


Here they are enjoying a summer time “picking” activity - sea glass-picking in Maine, comparing notes on the colors and shapes found. Cheers to the Fall, with great memories from the summer.

Run, Run as fast as you can!

Dr. Deb, Dr. Steve (Deb's husband) and their friend, Jim once again ran the Falmouth Road Race and lived!

Way to go graying group!!

Following in his parent's footsteps

Congratulations to Dr. Deb and Dr. Steve's son, Stephen, Jr., who just graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Biology (Honors), Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa! He is following in his parent's footsteps and heading to Tufts Dental School in the Fall!

Celebrating a First Holy Communion

Dr. Deb and her husband, Dr. Steve were on the move again last weekend when they traveled to Woodstock, NY for their niece's First Holy Communion.

A proud and busy weekend

Dr. Deb had a busy family weekend. She was her niece's Confirmation sponsor and is pictured here with Emma and Fr. Fleming in Concord, MA on Saturday. On Sunday, she and her husband attended their nephew's graduation from New England Tech in Providence. He graduated with a degree in advanced automotive technology and is employed at Merchant's Auto in Manchester.

Spring has Sprung!

Spring has Sprung!  In addition to the warmer weather and longer days, you have weddings, baptisms, communions, and BABIES!  My youngest sister Jenny and her husband Paul just had their first child, a boy.  (Some of you may recall her gender announcement movie on our FB page - if you haven't seen it, it's a must see: https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=461203400588086&set=vb.110722118969551&type=3&theater.)  

With another boy to add to the roster of grandkids on my side of the family, my daughter continues to reign as the Queen Cousin.  I can't wait to hold the little guy as I cannot remember that my own kids were ever that small...  Congratulations to the Family Aronson!  

Dr. Deb shares her knowledge with dental school hopefuls

Dr. Deb has gone back to college! Here she is pictured with some of the members of the Holy Cross Pre-Dental Society. As you may know, Dr. Deb (and Dr. Diane) have been visiting our area schools teaching proper brushing and flossing for 24 years. Dr. Deb was invited by the society to give these dental school hopefuls pointers on the best way to present the oral hygiene message to Worcester school children.

From one parent to the next...

Dr. Deb and Dr. Diane wish you all the very best in your New Year! It's hard to believe that 2012 is behind us. A new year is beginning, and it's always a time for resolutions, and fresh starts. With all the excitement of gift-giving and receiving behind us, we wanted to share a real story from some parents to their child on receiving, responsibility, maturity, and decision-making. While you may or may not agree with this piece, it does bring us back to core values, despite the lightening speed of technology and the ever-present material world. We invite your comments!




Greg H is a kid who just got an iPhone from his parents. His mom, Janell, wrote these [slightly edited] rules for its use:



1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren't I the greatest?

2. I will always know the password.

3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads "Mom" or "Dad". Not ever.

4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30 pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00 pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30 am. If you would not make a call to someone's land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It's a life skill.

6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs.

7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay out of the crossfire.

8-9. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.

10. No porn.

11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.

12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else's private parts. Don't laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear -- including a bad reputation.

13. Don't take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.

14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO -- fear of missing out.

15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.

17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.

18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.