Michael ("Mike") and Angelina Chute wanted us to share with the Chute family the recent publication of their new book, Roses for New England: A Guide to Sustainable Rose Gardening, just published by Forbes River Publishing, described as "the first book written for New England rose gardeners by New England rose gardeners". If you thought your rose bushes couldn't survive these ridiculously cold and snowy New England winters - and many of us are questioning whether or not even we will survive these New England winters ... Michael and Angelina would know better than most how to grow beautiful roses in New England - the son of James Hoey Chute and Katherine Healy Chute, Mike has lived all of his life in Rhode Island. They're also scheduling a book signing tour around the local area, so if you live in New England (and don't find yourself snowed in), drop by and say hi.

All Angels (with member Daisy Chute, second from right), have released their latest album Fly Away, available (as always) solely in the UK and not in the Americas, which means you need to visit Amazon.com.uk to purchase it. The song previews they provide are absolutely gorgeous, and they've provided a promotional video as well. Songs: I'll Fly Away, Blowin' In The Wind, Simple Gifts, Come Away With Me, Send In The Clowns, Cucurrucucu Paloma, All Love Can Be, I Dream Of Jeannie With The Light Brown Hair, Deep River, I Loves You Porgy/Summertime Medley, Somewhere, Black Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair and Sleep.

For those of us on Twitter, you can follow "All Angels" there too, for all the latest news.

Not one, but two very talented Chutes are now members of the top 10 ranked Harvard University's Crimson Tide Women's Ice Hockey team, which will begin its playing season in October of 2009. On the left: #15-Katharine Chute. Position: Forward. Year: Junior. Hometown: Wayzata, Minn. High School: Blake School. Height: 5-7. On the right: #7-Margaret Chute, sister of Katharine. Position: Forward. Year: incoming Freshman. Hometown: Wayzata, Minn. High School: The Blake School. Height: 5-6.

Both are daughters of Edmund Phelps Chute of the Minnesota Chutes; brother Donald Chute is right behind them, also playing forward for The Blake School, where Katharine and Margaret attended prior to Harvard. All three are among the sixteen grandchildren of Frederick Hawley Chute.

Yet another Chute daughter is famous for her sports prowess. That would be Valerie Nainima, daughter of Betty Chute Nainima of Fiji. Now playing for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, the school paper reports, "Valerie played for the Fijian National Team and the U-20 team ... averaged 23 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists at the 2005 South Pacific Mini Games, helping her team to the gold medal ... Led Fiji to a gold medal at the 2007 South Pacific Games, averaging 25.7 points per game."

In the action photo (left), published 23 NOV 2009, the caption reads, "Junior Valerie Nainima attempts a shot Sunday against Penn State." End result? "Gamecocks down Penn State in home opener! Nainima nets 18 points as Carolina pushes past Nittany Lions".

An article on The Two Wives of Lionel Chute, published by William Wyman Fiske for NEHGS in their quarterly journal in April of 2009. Response and reactions from Chute family genealogists followed soon thereafter. Again, all Chute family members are encouraged to read and respond. Many of us have seen the record of Lionel marrying Thomasine Barker on the Family History.org website, and generally assumed that Thomasine and Rose Barker were in fact the same person. Do you think author is correct and Thomasine and Rose were in fact two different people?

For those of you with Facebook, Windows Live or Twitter accounts, you can also find a few of us - although the list is growing - on these networks. You can join the usual babble by sending me a request (be sure and let me know which network you're on) and I'll be pleased to send you an invite. You'll find a few other Chutes to chat with, and hopefully the network will grow even larger. Of course, it is not meant to replace the website, by any means.