Eileen is a native of western Pennsylvania but has lived in Cleveland for more than 20 years. A political science and business major in college, she was very involved in the restaurant business but more recently has changed careers and now is enjoying her job at Progressive Insurance. She sounds exactly like the person you would like to speak with if you needed to collect on your insurance policy – friendly, helpful and anxious to meet your needs.

As Dan’s mom, interviewing her was a pleasure because she is very talkative (an Irish gift) and, believe it or not, had nothing but good things to say about Dan. She describes him as “the nicest boy” who is always helpful, especially in the kitchen, and he fits in very well with her “noisy horde of a family.”

It’s too bad that Cleveland is not closer to Allegany State Park because Eileen’s vegetable garden sounds worth a visit. By the end of April her beans and lettuce were already planted. Hopefully, she will bring some of her herbs and vegetables to camp. She loves gardening but is happy to share her produce with others who are willing to do the cooking.

Eileen is interesting and willing to talk and learn about almost anything from theology to yoga to men’s attraction to gadgets. Besides celebrating with Dan and Kathy, she’s another good reason to spend some time at Camp Spoonhowopic.

An open, caring humanitarian is the way Cyndi describes herself and after a long conversation with her, I wholeheartedly agree. I would also add outgoing, friendly and thoughtful, so we can all look forward to the spirit and personality she will bring to this event.

Cyndi and her husband Steve have recently moved to Bellevue, a suburb of Seattle and are eally enjoying being near her son John, Candace and their daughter Isabella. This is her first time living away from Cleveland so she is still adjusting and missing proximity to many people and things, especially her beloved Cleveland Browns. She loves to write and is proud to have recently completed a book which is both an autobiography and an explanation how people strive to lead happy and fulfilling lives. Besides writing and just enjoying listening and talking with people, Cyndi is also an avid poker player. Beware of being her opponent at Texas hold ‘em; she’s proficient!

Cyndi definitely is happy to celebrate Dan’s (i.e. Spoons) relationship with Kathy and has long considered Dan part of the family. She must love a challenge because she really enjoys bantering with him. A really interesting part of talking with her was learning more about Kathy. Hearing that Kathy was always an independent, positive child who never backed away from a challenge was not surprising. Discovering that Kathy was once shy was a revelation. One way she dealt with this was joining Drama Club in middle school. Her portrayal of Helen Keller in “The Miracle Worker” was so credible that people actually thought she was blind. (For Cyndi, this was truly one of those “proud mother” moments!)

So bring a deck of cards or your story or just a willing ear and pull up a chair next to Cyndi at Camp Spoonhowopic this September! You’ll enjoy it.