Rumor Has It - March 2024

Outdoorsy type. When Kaitlyn White decided she wanted to attend Kanakuk summer camp in Missouri, her mom, Amy Smith White, was thrilled because she was a former camper and leader there. Before Kaitlyn’s second summer to attend Kanakuk in 2017, she landed in the ER in Dallas on the way. She was given the choice to arrive at camp late or get a refund. Because she decided to attend, she met Benjy Homoelle, from Columbus, Ohio, on the K-2 docks. By early 2019, they were dating long distance. The many trips to Houston included the Stratford High School Class of 2019 prom. Kaitlyn graduated from Baylor University in December 2022 and will finish her Masters in Speech Pathology at Baylor in Waco. Kaitlyn and Benjy were married at the White family ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas on Nov. 18, 2023, and will live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Probably more camping is in store.

Welcome to Hunters Creek. Chris and Kathy Hollister recently emptied the nest with a move from Fulshear to better support Kathy’s mom, who lives in an assisted living facility close by. Their four children include their daughter, Abby (who’s at Baylor to study Elementary Education), son, A.J. (a junior Engineering student at Texas A&M), Daniel (who works in Dallas), and Megan and her husband Paul (who are in Nashville). Megan and Paul will make Chris and Kathy first-time grandparents in April. Chris retired in 2021 after a long career with Chevron that took them overseas for 10 years. These days, he has been busy managing the house renovations. They enjoy working in the garden, traveling, and spending time with their family and church friends. They love the tall trees and friendly neighbors and location.

Glitz and glam. A midnight champagne toast and balloon drop brought in 2024 with delight at the themed Studio 54 at Pier 6 Seafood & Oyster House in San Leon. After seafood dishes supreme, Barbara and Jay Files disco’d the night away surrounded by black and gold balloons with a waterfront view to watch the fireworks on a clear night.   

Cozy, worldly New Year’s. Rachel Messina and husband Victor Yang settled in at their lake house in Lake Arthur, Louisiana (about 30 miles past Lake Charles) with adult children, grandchildren, and friends for a traditional dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potato casserole, and black-eyed peas, and watched New Year’s around the world on TV. Lots of cousins of all ages got to mingle at the beach. At midnight, they participated in the Spanish tradition of consuming 12 grapes at each “bell” strike.

GLAM NEW YEAR’S Looking like stars themselves are Rosangela and David Capobianco at The Wynn in Las Vegas on New Year’s.

New Year’s with the stars. Rosangela and David Capobianco looked like stars themselves on New Year’s Eve at the Wynn Las Vegas. Grammy-award winner Gwen Stefani gave an electrifying performance. The many food stations included lobster and all-you-can-eat caviar. Dom Perignon was served all night with lots of all night open bars. There were many other performers, but Gwen stood out. Instead of mixing with the 400,000 people outside, Rosangela and David saw spectacular indoor pyrotechnics with Gwen guiding the countdown behind her on a gigantic screen. You couldn’t help but see stars after that exploding display.

TEA AND CHAMPAGNE Sam and Omana Abraham entertain guests with a worldly tea before New Year’s. Pictured (sitting, from left) are Bill Taylor, Dr. Maria Colon, Rita Singh, Anne Marie Wallace, Jacqueline Hamilton Taylor, Omana Abraham, Janet Bourret, Sushila Mathew, Sam Abraham; (back row, from left) Vivek Singh and Joel Sanchez.

End and beginning. Sam and Omana Abraham welcomed the new year in Las Vegas. They saw America’s Got Talent superstars at the Luxor Hotel and enthusiastically complied with the signs that said Applause. On December 30th before their trip, they welcomed 12 world travelers from different backgrounds to talk about their backgrounds and travels and to enjoy an exotic 4 p.m. champagne tea. It was hardly just tea since tempura, grilled quail, and beef cutlets were served. No wonder the guests stayed until after 8 p.m.

BONJOUR Kitty Strain, daughter Sarah Strain, son Sam Strain and fiancée Nicole Acevedo enjoyed Paris in December so much in 2022 that it was worth a repeat in 2023. Pictured: Kitty with son Sam and his fiancée Nicole. 

City of lights. Let’s do Paris in December again! Kitty Strain, daughter Sarah Strain, and son Sam Strain and fiancée Nicole Acevedo enjoyed Paris in December so much in 2022 that it was worth a repeat in 2023. They rented an apartment near Notre Dame for six days. Besides the requisite shopping on Champs-Élysées and Rue Montorgueil, the Hotel Costes Bar was a favorite spot for music and people-watching as well as Ralph’s Restaurant and the Ritz Paris. They marveled in the beauty of the Eiffel Tower’s colorful light show for five minutes on the hour. Another highlight was the show at Moulin Rouge. Stay tuned for next year – will it be a new place or an encore? 

ARCTIC ACHIEVEMENT During a trip with the Traveling Aggies on the National Geographic Explorer to Antarctica, Susan Miller took the polar plunge into the 30-degree Arctic Ocean. Antarctica marked the seventh continent she has visited.

Penguins, polar plunge, and more. Susan Miller’s home for 12 days was with the Traveling Aggies on the National Geographic Explorer to Antarctica, the seventh continent she has visited. Although the itinerary was subject to change, due to the weather, the many stops included Brown Bluff, Snow Hill Island – the site of a Swedish expedition 1901-1903 – Barrientos Island to see thousands of penguins, and Cierva Cove, a highlight for hiking where they saw a pod of humpback whales. The iceberegs were majestic and unique, and a pod of orcas that swam alongside the ship for an hour was a killer of a ride. Another surprise was just how warm the summer there was – 30 degrees. And she took the polar plunge into the 30-degree Arctic Ocean.

Exclusive trip. It was by invitation only from Dean Dalton Tours Custom Music and Art Travel. Roberta Grossman and Shelly Cyprus went on an opera tour to see a performance of The Ring Cycle performed in Brisbane. By a random chance on the way to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, they met an opera star of The Ring Cycle on a river cruise (he portrays Siegfried). They had a 6 a.m. behind-the-scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House and later saw Swan Lake there at a normal time. The gals toured three wineries with wine tastings, saw the Australian Zoo, and cuddled and petted kangaroos and koalas at the Healesville Sanctuary in Melbourne. Shelly was brave when she let a python wrap around her neck. It was a wildly exciting trip.

GIRLS TRIP Friends (from left) Sharon Brier, Michele Hosko, Sharon Cordes, Vicky Dyer-Smith, Sue Feinberg, and Frances Rubin enjoyed their time at Sundance Film Festival. Here, they’re wearing PJs with photos from previous Sundance trips.

Sundancing. The fifth annual girls’ trip to Sundance Film Festival did not disappoint. Vicky Dyer-Smith’s second home in Park City, Utah was the hub. Vicky, Sharon Cordes, Sue Feinberg, Michele Hosko, Frances Rubin, and yours truly went on a sleigh ride to a yurt. While the six of us thought we would be the only ones on the sleigh, there were indeed 30. The Viking-themed yurt had whiskey shots served on a ski to pour in your glogg to warm your insides. A piano player added to the atmosphere as the gourmet meal exceeded expectations with dessert served inside a stone from a Nordic country. Viking hats were available for photo opps. Several of the 10 Sundance movies they saw were too edgy for the group; however, the movie Thelma was an exception. 

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