preserving the cultural tradition of Irish ceili and set dancing since 1991
News about the RKIDs
April 10, 2017
RKIDs Events
Instead of a regular class on March 29, the two hour session featured a mini-ceili. This was a great opportunity to review dances that were taught in the last few weeks. Marilyn M quickly reviewed various ceili dances and then let the class go! Everyone seemed confident and did well with the Six Hand Fairy Reel and the Sweets of May. Marilyn M called the set dances which included a local favorite, the Antrim Square Set. During the break, members enjoyed treats brought by the dancers. A great evening! Thanks go out to Sonja who assembled the dance list and set up the food tables.
Social Group
Inside the Woodside
A possible-record dozen RKIDs showed up for our monthly brunch at the Woodside Deli in Germantown on April 1st. We kept adding tables as more people showed up. Roger, Maura, Michelle, Bobbie, Sandy and Evan, Kathryn, Kate, Madelyn and Bill, Sonja and Tom comprised the merry group. Topics ranged from taxes to tattoos. Evan recounted that he and Sandy recently saw The Flying Cows of Ventry perform at Fairfax's Auld Shebeen pub, and at one point, some set dancing broke out. Maybe a trip there could be added to the Social Group's agenda? Next brunch: May 6.
Irish Activities
at the EIC CeiliDan, Kate, Tom, Sonja, Madelyn and Bill made it to the April 1st EIC ceili. That was no prank - Dan was there as the photos (taken by his second cousin, Joan) illustrates, but isn't ready yet to take to the dance floor.
About Town
With his participation in the fundraising walk in Washington DC., Willie once again came through for the 11th National Walk for Epilepsy 2017 on March 25.
Madelyn and Bill viewed the unusual and intriguing, polka-dotted Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Great Pumpkins
"Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity"
Travel
Many RKID old-timers remember when Mary Dalton and Bob Schall were part of our group. And then, the unthinkable happened, they moved to North Carolina. Luckily many of us keep in touch with them and they occasionally join us for a gathering (like at the REELaxing at the Beach weekend in 2016). They are currently on a western Caribbean cruise with a stop in Key West. Mary was hoping they would be able to meet up with the traveling RKIDs in Key West (see below), but the timing didn’t work out.
Marilyn, Christine, Mary, Ann Marie, Jean and Nancy
Six members of the RKIDs were in Key West last week in order to go out to the Dry Tortugas, a group of tiny islands 70 miles west of Key West. On this isolated spot, Dr. Samuel Mudd served four years of a life sentence for his involvement with John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln on Friday, April 14, 1865. The island hosts the largest masonry structure built in the United States, Fort Jefferson. It was used as a prison during and after the Civil War. The travelers, Mary, Mary Ann, Nancy, Jean, Christine, and Marilyn O along with Mary's niece, Ann Marie, also visited the Hemingway House, Truman’s Little White House, the Mel Fisher Museum, the Key West Lighthouse, Mallory Square, the Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, the Southernmost Point, and several restaurants and local hangouts, like Blue Heaven, Hogfish Bar and Grill, Blue Macaw, the Creperie, Tony’s Saloon, Sloppy Joe’s bar, and the Green Parrot. They ate under the stars on several occasions and, of course, they shopped.
View from Fort Jefferson
Convalescing
Who needs a gall bladder? Matt said goodbye to his during a recent surgery. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
