The festivities in progress. 2026.8.9. Photo Credit, Robert Corby.
A Who’s Who at A Frog House
Thank You to Everyone
Thank you to everyone who joined our Seventh Annual Froggy Family Birthday Celebration for an afternoon of music, art, food, friendship, gardens, frogs, and celebration—to the many people who helped make the afternoon possible, and to everyone who contributed financially.
But who exactly are all these people? Musicians, artists, scientists, physicians, academics, businesspeople, Scouts, old friends, new friends, neighbors, children, volunteers—and a few people who simply saw a flyer and wandered in. Together, they make up something of a Who’s Who at A Frog House.
Polly and Pixie attracted a good many of our guests while scouting for old and new friends to invite to our event.
Welcome Time!
And the people started arriving! Joyce has been a generous donor and attendee at all of our events, and we just met her granddaughter Sarah at the party. Gold and silver all in one family. Naveen also has been a faithful friend for all these years. Keep reading for a special surprise from this town councilman at the bottom of this blog.
So nice to see my fellow psychiatrists once in a while!
One hundred and fifty-four adults and children registered, and we know of 117 adults and 22 children who actually attended. That’s 139 we can account for, and probably at least eleven more snuck in to round us up to 150!
We also want to shout out the 24 volunteers among those 139 who made things so much easier and so much fun.
Our Volunteers
Five Knockout Musicians
The incomparable three-time Grammy-nominated Eastman School of Music faculty member Sara Gazarek , by contract, is allowed to sing “Happy Birthday.” So graceful is her presence that we pinch ourselves that she can be brought down from the stars by little Pixie. I first met her amazing husband, Steve Blewett, at the A Frog House three-vernal-pond build, and was lucky enough to hear Sara in her first Eastman concert through our mutual friend and donor Donna Payne.
Matthew Fass and our daughter-in-law Sarah did a lot of running around, purchasing goodies and coolers, setting up and breaking down. They came up on August 3 and stayed until the following Monday. It is always such a joy to have them here, but next time maybe we’ll have more time to just play.
I worked Matthew so hard making up the singalong list, only for him to conclude that people don’t really like to sing along. People didn’t necessarily love my Harry Nilsson songs either, but once the musicians got jamming off script, things got hot.
Brandon is a full-time Nurse Practitioner in Urology at the University of Rochester and, whenever he can, sings in a cover band called Tryst. He was truly cooperative in learning some of the Harry Nilsson songs I requested. I didn’t know until he began that he sings, too! He met Michelle through music, and together they are raising their two sons.
We moved off to the sides because clearly Annika could hold her own. Her gift was singing “Fireflies,” by Owl City, a cappella, with perfect pitch, timing, tempo, and poise. After the party we listened to the original, and frankly, her version is much better: more tender and captivating.
Annika is the youngest member of our First Frog Family , who have attended our events since our inception in 2019. Her parents, Kristen Thornton and Steve Brauksieck, and her brother Noah have contributed merchandise, bat boxes, Scout involvement, time, money, Christmas Eve caroling—and just plain love.
Note glitter weaves by Ella Jordan—see below.
Five and a Half Talented Artists
This is part of what I wrote after the party
Dear Professor Rem,
You know how thrilled and pleased I was to see you yesterday, and I heard a great many reports of delight regarding your tricks and puzzles and jokes. Engineers make the best companions.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your generosity—you may not have heard me calling out after you when you left: “I love you!”
True story. Please give my best regards to your wife, and tell her I’m no threat, because I am dead set against partnering romantically, short- or long-term, for the rest of my life.
AnneMarie is Dean of the School of Nursing, Professor of Nursing, and Director of Graduate Nursing Programs at Roberts Wesleyan University. But the important part of her story vis-à-vis A Frog House is that she brought her husband, Steve Castronovo , to Pittsford.
Steve happened upon us working in the Arboretum last year, asked what we were doing, and then showed up for the next three days of vernal pond installation. Given his enthusiasm and eager participation again this year, he became one of A Frog House’s newest board members.
There is a story about Ella Jordan as well. You already saw the smock I was wearing, made from the cute frog material Donna Silverman donated at our Save The Frogs Day event. Naturally, I waited until six days before the birthday party to find someone to sew it.
Ella said she would like to volunteer to do something “artsy.”
Ah ha! A FROGincidence!
“Can you sew?”
She was just learning, but willing to try—and she put the pieces together beautifully. Ella, who also goes by Ella Mitina professionally, then volunteered at the party doing glitter weaves in anyone’s hair who wanted them, young or old, greatly adding to the fun.
And don’t you think the dummy with the shirt and dangling legs is adorable? It didn’t sell, though.
Stephanie Cui , an art designer, came all the way from Brooklyn to paint lovely frogs on people’s faces. Her dad, Xingua Cui, another psychiatrist, has supported A Frog House for a long time.
Dorothy and David Ross are longtime friends and two of the most deserving people I know to take an afternoon off and just chill. Frances and Isabella Giraldo assist me in living in my own home. The four young people in the back saw a flyer, brought a table and game board, and simply joined our community. I hope we see more of them.
David Mock and Bryson Coccia were amazing in facilitating installation of our first genuine Homebuilt Vernal Pond kit on April 19 in the Village Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary. David and Bryson’s mom, Cheryl Coccia, provided the food and cheer.
And Stephanie’s frog art is right there on Ashan’s cheek.
This photo will frustrate the heck out of you because none of the three artists I’m about to mention is much for making a big deal out of themselves—as I do. I own it. I am proud to showcase my friends and Lindsay’s, not for name-dropping, but because I am delighted to be in their company and get to know them better.
All statuses, standings, colors, sizes, shapes, and ages are welcome—mimicking the amazing diversity among frogs.
Third from the left, with shoulder-length blonde hair, is Donna Richardson , who set up a shady table to make her elegant origami frogs. Donna is a published writer, retired English literature professor, and talented maker of intricate Russian-style decorative eggs. Our board member Bonnie Garner was sitting with her, and I hope they had a great conversation with all the others who dropped by.
On the far left, in a dark shirt, is Kiara Donaldson , who plays stand-up bass, sings, acts, and enjoys mask-making. Her masks may have taken too much time to make very many, but judging from the youngsters gathered around her, that didn’t matter much. Her dad Mike, the other artist in the family, helped her throughout the afternoon and sprang into action again for breakdown and cleanup.
General Volunteers
Cathleen and Gabe have known each other forever, with Cathleen first becoming my right hand and Gabe then becoming my left. They faithfully run interference for me, in spite of my inadvertent blocking moves.
Cathleen opted to come to my birthday party instead of performing a wedding for a couple. I call her my hired priest. (Judges 17:7–10. But Micah only paid his Levite room and board, ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes. That was in the old days.)
Gabe, because he has endeared himself to me by laughing heartily at my jokes, gets to be the brunt of many of them.
You may remember a very similar photo from last year with our same twins, Joseph and Nico Derisi . We are so grateful for their volunteer help. Margaret, mother of our friend Kate Beale, teamed up with longtime volunteer Sandra Kingston at the food counter.
Nobody wanted to wait for the ice cream, and 142 cups , so kindly donated by Charles Corby at Pittsford Farms Dairy, disappeared like that!
It took a village to produce one birthday cake: Bonnie Abrams ordered it; Matthew and Sarah picked it up and put on the 8 and the 6; Rob Corby carried it to the “stage,” as he has every year; Sarah Bissonette Adler lit the candles; Sara Gazarek sang to us; and I blew them out and received—but didn’t eat—all of the lower right corner piece.
An Unexpected Volunteer
Bryson Coccia came with his dad, David Mock, and I put him on the spot by calling him up to describe his Eagle Scout project. He recruited friends and fellow Scouts to install two small vernal ponds: one behind A Frog House and another in the Robert C. Corby Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary.
Bryson had already worked on the three large ponds last year and was one of Tom Biebighauser’s hardest workers, along with Steve Castronovo, Axel Baker—now an A Frog House docent—and Wynne Thompson, who unfortunately for us has moved to New Jersey.
Two Volunteers in Categories of Their Own
Year after year, Lindsay brings the same joyful energy and extraordinary marketing skills, somehow getting results for the best event ever. She is founder and CEO of Car-Pal, mother to Polly and Pixie, our party ambassadors, and committed to making me live up to the reputation she has built for me.
She does keep me on my toes!
You may have noticed this amazing phone carrier in the photo of me with Matthew, made stitch by stitch by our daughter-in-law Sarah Bissonette Adler , representing me 100%—including the bib shorts I often garden in. We don’t have good photos of Sarah from the party, but representing her through her art seems particularly appropriate.
Some of Our Well-Wishers
Here are some of Lindsay’s skiing pals. Kate comes up from D.C. periodically to ski at Hunt Hollow—or attend a birthday party in August. Eddie skis almost every day in winter and bikes almost every day in summer, just like Lindsay, and has been to almost all of A Frog House’s events. We were honored to have the McGuire-Beales, Gilberts and Jacobsons join us this year.
Kathy Goldberg has been a friend for at least a dozen years and a monthly donor almost from our inception. I met her friend Maria Valleriani about five years later. Together, they have been wonderfully generous with their appreciation, praise and support.
And then there was the very tall Dr. Chris Deeney . With a name rooted in Ireland, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised: Irish legend gave us the giant Finn McCool, who supposedly built the Giant’s Causeway to confront an equally enormous Scotsman. We have no evidence that Dr. Deeney is descended from either giant—but having stood beside him, we’re not ruling it out.
He most certainly is a giant in accomplishments as Director of the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics . He was amused when I told him I was more interested in touring the frog ponds than the labs.
And yes, there really are frog ponds there: vernal pool wetlands behind the Laser Lab were constructed and preserved as environmental mitigation for facility expansion, providing habitat for local frogs and other wetland species.
I would have loved to introduce Chris to A Frog House board member and former Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel , whose years of advocacy for natural spaces and wildlife protection left their own lasting mark on our community. Alas, Sandy wasn’t feeling well and left early.
Vivek Kaul, MD, FACG , is the Segal-Watson Professor of Medicine and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Rochester Medical Center , where he has served since 2008. He received the Senior Governor’s Award for his outstanding commitment and service to the American College of Gastroenterology’s Board of Governors.
I thought it was adorable that he slipped a World Gastroenterology Organization lapel pin into the card he and his family gave me!
These two were young whippersnappers when we first met.
David Fernandez’s father, Joe, befriended my late husband Martin soon after we arrived in Rochester in 1964. His mother, Audrey, introduced me to the Zen Center, vegetarian cuisine and master gardening. The family took us under their wings.
David now owns Cayuga Landscape in Ithaca—and one of their favorite installations happens to be vernal ponds .
So how did David Fernandez and I reconnect?
A collage from my froggy-art retrospective at Impact Earth was hanging high in the top row from April through July. David happened to be in Rochester, wandered into Impact Earth and, unbeknownst to me, put his name on the silent-auction sheet.
Imagine my surprise when I took down the show and saw his name.
I texted to ask whether he was my own David Fernandez of Joe and Audrey—and indeed he was. Better yet, he was returning to Rochester for the Zen Center’s 60th anniversary and staying with David Mock , his friend since at least high school.
David Mock lived around the corner from us and was, in fact, the reason I finally went to medical school. I had wanted to do that since I was 18, but, you know—marriage, kids, that sort of thing.
I ran into him in 1974, just after he had enrolled in the University of Michigan Medical School. After we talked, I thought:
“If David can go to medical school, so can I.”
So I did, starting at age 37 in 1977.
And how did David Mock come back into my life? Through frogs, naturally.
Bryson Coccia had proved himself a stellar worker installing the three large vernal ponds in the Village Arboretum. He later called to ask whether he could do his Eagle Scout project with me. At the end of our work one Sunday, who should appear but his dad— David Mock!
Who would have thunk it?
Other Well-Wishers
With permission from their mother, 2026.8.9. Photo Credit, Lindsay Graham
Enjoying Pittsford Dairy’s Froggy Green Ice Cream, while mixing it up at the paint table.
Joyce Lindley, 2026.8.9. Photo Credit, Lindsay Graham.
Joyce carrying home a gifted Thanksgiving cactus clipping provided from my huge plant by my Pittsford Garden Club friend Priscilla Varland. I was so happy to have two friends from the club, Priscilla and Judy White, whose husband David will join our board.
After Party
Jordan and Etta were invited by Pixie and Polly on one of their towpath bike-basket rides. Etta is sitting to the right, with her two favorite dogs on her lap. Jack and Jordan are interested in eventually starting an arborist company, and so some of us will take a field trip to David Fernandez’ Cayuga Landscape in Ithaca. Jack and Jordan already helped pull out invasive plants in the Arborem Permaculture Garden, and Jack will also learn about being an ambassador in helping to install our last vernal pond kit.
Pixie and I think it was a job well done, and we are tired.
And here is the special surprise from Naveen Havanar that I mentioned earlier.
A Metaphor
Robert Burns wrote The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley…
Or, as most of us know it, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Burns’s poem is doubly appropriate for A Frog House. In it, he also apologizes to the mouse because “Man’s dominion” has broken “ Nature’s social union ” ; which is a sentiment that could almost have been written for us.
And then there was our registration system.
Now for the Somewhat Imperfect Bookkeeping
If our records are less than accurate, that is entirely my responsibility. I took my shower too late, so people were already arriving when I finally appeared at registration. Meanwhile, my computer had “disappeared”—or, more likely, was hiding in plain sight—along with our preprinted name tags and carefully planned system for tracking who had registered, paid in advance, or contributed at the event.
So much for carefully laid plans.
What we can say with certainty is that the celebration brought thousands of dollars in contributions to A Frog House, from people giving at many different levels, from Tadpoles to Froglets, Frog Fans, Frog Army members and a Wetland Patron.
That Wetland Patron happens to be one of my favorite people in the world. He contributed $10 for every year of my life. But, even more important to me was that he came to the party. I simply don’t get to see him often enough.
And then there is our extraordinary Watershed Guardian , who contributed $5,000 earlier in the year and came all the way from North Carolina for the second time to attend our celebration.
Never underestimate the generosity of someone who really cares about this world, our environment, and all of life itself.
And a Special Word to our Pittsford Neighbors
A Frog House sits in one of the most fortunate communities in Greater Rochester, and Pittsford receives many of the most immediate benefits of our work. Yet I suspect many people who live here still don’t know very much about what A Frog House does—or that this small nonprofit depends upon individual financial support to keep doing it.
If you came to the party and didn’t know what A Frog House has accomplished, what we are working on now, or why your support matters, that is also my responsibility.
Some guests apparently thought the little house behind the musicians’ stand was private and may never even have walked around it to see our ponds and gardens. I didn’t do a good enough job making sure everyone was welcomed into the whole A Frog House experience and introduced to our mission.
Perhaps the relaxed, casual atmosphere was part of what made the afternoon so enjoyable. But next year, we’ll do a better job showing you what is happening behind the music, cake, masks, gardens and frogs.
Because A Frog House is much more than this one wonderful afternoon.
Throughout the year, we create and restore amphibian habitat; teach children and adults about frogs and the ecosystems that sustain them; promote native plants and chemical-free properties; advocate for clean water and wetlands; collaborate with scientists, students, conservation organizations and community groups; and now help families create their own Homebuilt Vernal Ponds , so habitat can spread from one backyard and neighborhood to another.
Much of that work begins right here in Pittsford, but its impact reaches far beyond Pittsford.
So if you enjoyed the birthday party, wandered through our gardens, listened to the music, made a frog mask, had your face painted, visited a pond, glimpsed a frog, learned something new, or simply believe that frogs, clean water, healthy habitats and the natural world are worth protecting, we hope you will consider becoming one of the people who helps sustain A Frog House.
We are very grateful to the people who already do.
And to all of you who came to celebrate with us:
Thank you for making our seventh birthday celebration such a happy and successful one.
