Respect for Aretha Franklin

The iconic Aretha Franklin passed away today

One of her most icon songs was Respect, which has always held a special place in my heart due to how much it remind me of Jen.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I found two pictures of Jen from when she twirled in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City. Nif, along with the rest of the Silver Starlites, twirl with the Dover High School marching band.

My Sister, My Sister, My Sister

Recently, I have found myself talking more about Jen. I have been talking about her mostly when conversing with friends or coworkers, and saying things like, “My sister did this,” or, “One time, my sister Niff said that.” I never follow-up with anything about her passing, because it’s really none of their business.

Twirling Music

Jennifer and I would always be on the lookout for good songs for her to use for either her own show-twirl routines, or for her to use for one of her teams. Usually, we would hear a song, listen to it, and then act out what moves she would add. I was normally the guinea pig, and had to pretend to be the twirlers and stand in different positions. We would practice in the driveway, and she would make me hold batons, or throw her some for practicing group passes.

Jennifer “Niffie” DeVito Memorial Plaque

Last Saturday, April 2nd, was the New York State Baton Competition at John Jay, hosted by the Silver Starlites. There was about 84 teams, and one team was awarded the Jennifer “Niffie” DeVito Memorial Plaque. The award was given to the highest scoring New York State Advanced Juvenile Dance Twirl Team. I know to many of you that means nothing, but in layman’s terms, that means the award goes to the best team of younger girls (elementary ages) who twirled to a song, not march music.