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My eyes are crossing
from tiredness but I wanted to get out the NEWSLETTER this weekend to
stay on our bi-monthly schedule that seems to be working so well.
By the way, since you have picked up the pace in sending in items and
news, Mike and I will continue with this schedule. We appreciate
it.
from
Pat Trahan Knox in Beaumont
My boys are doing well, as are my grandsons. My
oldest grandson, Kannon, begins Kindergarten this year. I can't believe
the time passes so fast. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at
the reunion.
from
Walter Jones
('67)
As some of you know, my older daughter,
Georgia, works for the Wyndam Corp in
their timeshare business. She is the director of Web based advertising
development. Her husband Scott and she have a web comic:
Ask Meridee to be found at
http://www.askmaridee.com/
Georgia and Scott are both artists and
graduates of Savannah College of Art and Design. The strip is somewhat
based on my daughter. I thought you might enjoy it.
from
Cherlyn Hebert in Houston
Well, the travel plans continue. A friend and I are working on
a Wild Wild West Adventure; our tentative itinerary includes the
Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert,
Bryce
Canyon,
Las Vegas and maybe
Salt Lake City. I
love to travel in
Europe and so have pretty much neglected the good ole US
of A. It's pretty embarrassing when a co-worker from
France comes to the
US and tours
canyons that you don't even know exist here. So my grand plan
is to do one domestic trip and one international trip each year.
As I mentioned in my last note, my 2008 international trip is in
December and is a river cruise down the Danube in mostly
Germany to see the Christmas markets.
We start in
Munich and end up in
Vienna. I am
really excited about experiencing what I hope will be a magical
taste of the Christmas season as it should be -- cold weather,
snow, town squares with big Christmas trees. I'll probably
freeze my you-know-what off, but I'm excited anyway.
from
Vicki
Plaia Michaels in
Denver,
CO
I'll be sending in my check for the reunion and plan to be there in
August! I'm beginning to look for jobs in the
Dallas area.
Colorado isn't home anymore. My oldest sister
in in Coppell, as is all of her other family members. My very best
friend since '68 lives in
Tyler with all of her family. I'm tired of
"going it alone."
from
Paula
Iles ('69)
I loved what you said about the husband who was "washing his car in
YOUR driveway." If I still lived in PA, I know that
would be what I'd say, too. I haven't thought about our
beloved
2342 Evergreen Drive
in
Griffing
Park too much since we sold it about a
year ago. But when I do, it's pretty painful, I just cannot
imagine someone else in OUR house. I even think about our
phone number YU 59568 sometimes, and I so want to call it, but alas,
Mom and Dad won't answer. When we turned it off, the phone
company employee who was probably all of 25 said something like
"WOW, they had this number for 70 years."
Since I didn't graduate in 68, I wasn't really planning to
"crash" your reunion, although I'm sure I'd be welcome. A
couple days ago I came home and there was this postcard
announced the Class of 68 reunion, and I skimmed over it quickly
and thought well, Linda sent me an invitation, and lo and
behold, it announced that the location was to be a Marriott
Hotel in
Florida.
I thought WOW, I knew the TJ Class of 68 has a unique
cameraderie and spirit, but man, they are really going all out
for this 40th reunion. After a closer inspection of the
card, I noticed it was for some high school in
Florida, and how they got my name to send an
invite to I'll never know.
It was fun to get in touch with my old Hussar Big Sister, Cindy
Duplantis, via email after she posted her family news and
pictures recently. I'm going to try to visit with her next
time in the
Horseshoe
Bay area. Our only child, Victoria,
just turned 13 yesterday, Lord help me! We took her and a
friend to Medieval Times last night, our first time there.
Was really fun. We had her knighted or made a lady for a
surprise.
Dallas
is
Dallas, we are fortunate to live in
Highland Park, and
it's really not an overwhelming city. I was in
San Francisco 2 weekends ago with my little
sister, her daughter and her future daughter in law. We
had a really fun "girls weekend". Went to
Alcatraz, very interesting.
Beautiful City....San Francisco. Their first time, I've
been there numerous times.
So sorry to hear about the mishaps with your family.
Praying for your mental and physical strength during this time
of your life. I really look forward to the newsletters
even though I'm not from your class.
P.S. Does anyone know if
Dorothy Day
is still around the area?
from
Jude Arisco
in
Temple
I'm looking forward to the class reunion this summer.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
WEBSITE $$$$ CONTRIBUTIONS
Fred McCarty
in KIngwood
Thanks for all you and Mike do. You may use this money to
pay for long distance phone calls finding classmates and
confirming addresses and for printing cartridges, softwear,
security, etc.
Cherlyn Hebert
in
Houston
THANKS!
(No, Fred! Thanks for the hundreds of hours you have spent
trying to locate our MISSING classmates. Sadly, you have
confirmed several DECEASED ones.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Just in case you have been living under a rock, the 40th Class
Reunion will be held on Aug. 1-2, 2008. All the details
are listed on the website homepage under the heading
REUNION NEWS/SCHEDULE and can
be found by clicking the gray bar. The committee's "early
bird INTERNET SPECIAL" will end on MARCH 15, so make sure that
we receive your check by then. By doing so, you will
be entered in the raffle drawing and
two
classmates' names will be drawn at
the committee meeting on March 18.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT (BC)
Where do I start? What a two weeks since I last wrote a
NEWSLETTER! The last you heard was about the 14 hour wait
in the emergency room for Mom. It started when she fell on
Valentine's Day and fractured a vertebrae. The pain became
too much for her to bear and we brought her to the hospital a
couple of days later. Well,
11 days LATER we
returned home probably in worst condition than when she went
in.
IF all she would have had was the
KYPHOPLASTY (balloon surgery to fill the space in her spine with
cement) then the stay would have been a day or so. But,
no. As many of you know, ELDERLY don't tend to do well
after a fall. Complications set in even before the surgery
could be scheduled and to make a long story short, we almost
lost her. We finally had the minor surgery for the back 9
days after the fall and she is back home. She is starting
to show some improvement and is not needing oxygen 24/7.
She is on a walker and we have home health coming in a couple of
times a week.
My brother-in-law (around the block) had a stroke the same week
and is still in the hospital. My sister was the one who
would help me once in awhile with MOM & DAD. Now, neither
of us can help
each other.
I received 22 e-mails and numerous cards, phone calls, and
cards from classmates showing me their support and offering
prayers! I was overwhelmed. I apologize for now
responding to each one. It wasn't an oversight,
just overwhelmed
some days. I had an offer from a classmate to do my
NEWSLETTER. I had to refuse because this is a great
therapy. How many of you are blessed as I am to hear from
so many friends daily? Thank you from the bottom of my
heart. I did want to share one of the support e-mails that
I received:
from Janette Light Norton in
Amarillo
I've been thinking about your dream of becoming a nun. If
your wish had come true, you would have missed much more than a
cruise: (in no particular order) the garage sale of the
century, being a grandmother (or a mother, for that matter),
the dog that would be a cat, the driveway that was but is no
more, the zany saga of family ties and un-ties, and all the
parts of your life that you have so generously shared.
The heartfelt stories that you tell, and all of our other
classmates offer so simply and honestly, keep us going.
Hearing each tale, no matter how sad or silly, reminds us
that we are in the Game of Life and that if we keep going,
we'll all win. There is absolutely nothing that any of
us can say or do to prevent our sadness, but sharing with
our oldest friends, somehow helps us through.
By writing the SUPPORT and CONDOLENCE sections each NEWSLETTER,
I know that I am not along in this plight with helping with
elderly parents. Actually, I ran into 3 classmates at St.
Mary Hospital during our two weeks stay that were in the same
boat. Please pray for
Vicki Brunow's
mom and father,
Alan "AJ" Hebert's
mom, and
Sharon Gary's
parent while they are recovering. Please send any names or
concerns of your family members so that we can pray for them,
also. Bless you all.
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
SUPPORT
from
Pat Trahan Knox
It has been so good to hear about all of you
and what you are doing. It has been very sad to me to lose so many of
our friends. I do remember all who are having medical problems or have
lost loved ones in my prayers.
On January 15, I tripped over one of my dogs and fell full force on my
left arm and shoulder on the tile floor. I fractured my shoulder. I have
just completed my third week of therapy and am still in a great deal of
pain. According to the Dr., the fracture has healed, but something in my
arm doesn't like me to move it. I have used all of my sick leave and am
now working on my vacation. For all of you who played sports and had
injuries, my hat goes off to you for what you must have had to endure!
My husband, along with many of my friends, has been diagnosed with a
sleeping problem. He now has his mask to wear each night and we are
hopeful he will more than 5 hours of sleep a night.
from
Carole Oubre
Reeves
Well, I have had a round of shingles for
the last week. It's on the right side of my face and in my
right ear. I am on medication and it has helped, but it's not
gone yet. Unfortunately, I am told the physical stuff can
leave, but the pain can come and go for some time. My prayer
is that is all goes at one time - and soon! Boy, do I have
patience or what??? I want it yesterday :)
from
Walter Jones
('67) about his wife,
Linda Messer Jones
('66)
I'm writing from MD Anderson. Today is clinic day. Infusion is in
progress and going well. We will get home late tonight, about 11 pm.
All today's results are positive. Linda is feeling fine, not tired,
eating well, looking well, etc. Blood work is OK, physical was OK,
incision almost healed. Wound Nurse gave me an A in home nursing.
The tracking indicator, CA 125, is 8.1 about what it was last time
(7.5). We expect side effects to be about the same as always, achy
legs from day 3 - day 7. Your continued prayer support is
appreciated- for her continued success with the therapy and for me
and my worries. Let me hear from you.
from
Mr. Rowland
(history teacher)
I just had a treatment Wednesday. Doing fine. Trusting
God's Word that says, "By His stripe I am healed."
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Gail Wilson Felker
(death of her mother)
2836 Jonas Profit Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
(757)645-4056
rgcjfelker@cox.net
Hello everyone.
This is Ross Felker. On behalf of Gail and our family, thank you
for your prayers, kind e-mails, and support. Gail's mother, Eva
Lauraine Wilson, passed away on February 28, 2008, surrounded by her
loving family. Gail arrived at the hospital Thursday morning and
was able to spend several hours with her mother and other family members
before Eva passed away. The funeral will be Monday, March 3 at
10:00 am at the First United Methodist church in Luling, Texas.
Funeral arrangements are being provided by O-Bannon's Funeral Home, 210
Laurel Ave, Luling, TX 78648. (830)875-5713. A viewing will
take place at the O'Bannon's on Sunday evening from 5:00-7:00 pm.
I will be flying to Texas on Saturday, accompanied by Jenny and my Mom.
Chris will be coming in from Alaska, also.
Judy Jones Sandifer
(death of her mother)
6330 Washington
Groves, TX 77619
judytia@sbcglobal.net
I wanted to let
you know that my mom died last night bout 12:00. She had been
ill for about 3 years but really bad for the last 6 months. My she
and my dad had been married for 64 years, so he is taking it awfully
hard. So, I just wanted y'all to include us in your prayers.
Phil Hall
(death of his father)
12000 Old Stage Trail
Austin, TX 78750-1711
Tommy Thompson
(death of his father)
501 N. Rivershire
Conroe, TX 77304
(936)441-1964
tthompson@romco.com
(a note from Fred
McCarty)
I attended the Celebration of Life Memorial Service. It was a really
beautiful tribute to Tommy's Dad and a celebration of his life and
of the 62 years of marriage to Tommy's Mom, who died in January
2006. Also in attendance from TJ were Gary Hammond and Webb Draughon.
Having Tommy as my next door neighbor since we were age 4, and
knowing Tommy and his parents for the past 54 years has been a
wonderful experience for me. Tommy's Dad and Mom will always remain
in my memory, and in my heart, as two really special people.
Linda Clause Glenn
(death of her husband)
3301 Bryan
Groves, TX 77619
(409)962-4713
Charlene Valenciano
Allen
(death of her mother) .
4921 Kent
Groves, TX 77619
(409)962-1105
rose03-2006@gt.rr.com
Please contact them at
this sad time. Remember them in your prayers. It is what our
class does best! I know!
*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Gotta go. Too
tired to find funny things to add this time. Keep sending in news,
photos, memories, concerns, etc. I will do my BEST to keep you
posted. Love to all.
Linda DeCuir McFadden
lindasuemcfadden@sbcglobal.net
www.tjhs1968.com
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