Well,
it is beautiful spring-like weather outside. Weeds are growing
everywhere but not a bit of
Saint Augustine
grass!
MAIL CALL
from Joe Gongora in
Port Arthur
We will be on the same cruise out of Galveston as classmate,
Debbie Borres. My wife,
Belinda Fernandez '71 and her two brothers, Ricky '74 and George '75
will also be traveling with us.
from Monty Nolan in
Helena,
Montana
No doubt that I am the only 1968 grad here in Montana. Too bad. I live a pretty
simple and quiet life up here. But, I really do enjoy it.
After many years of wandering around, I've finally found my true home
here.
I like the new look of the website but find the music annoying.
So, I will take your suggestion and will turn my speakers down to zero
when I am viewing the site. Thanks for keeping us informed.
from Felicia Hiatt Petit
in Texas City
(taken off of FACEBOOK)
I am sitting at home waiting for the rain to stop so I can stock up my
trailer. I am going on a camping EXPEDITION with my science
department buddies this weekend. It should be lots of fun.
We are going to Brazos Bend
State Park and take in some
nature and some relaxation.
from Cherlyn Hebert in Houston
A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with classmate
Karen Giles Hopper out in Sugar Land. We figured this was the first
time we had seen each other in probably 25 years. Even though we
were always close at Woodrow Wilson and TJ and I was the maid of honor
at her first wedding to our classmate
Dennis Schmidt, life happened
and poof.....it's 25 years later. It's so nice to know that
none of that mattered. We had such a good time, catching up on our
lives and laughing a lot. We've already made our next date, so
time doesn't get away from us again.
I leave for Israel in a week or so. We're
flying British Airways; and I went on the website today to select our
seats and found, to my astonishment that you have to pay $90 per leg to
make your seat assignments more than 24 hours in advance!
That's the first time I've heard of that gimmick. So anyway, guess
who's choosing her seat 24 hours ahead of time?
I've read the notes on the website about the wisdom of doing
colonoscopies on a regular basis. My father died of colon cancer,
so, like Charles Cramer,
I'm on a five-year plan. I've been "harassing" several friends who
are "of age" for years to have their first one. One of them
finally had hers a couple of weeks ago and a couple of polyps were
found. The doctor told her that they were non-cancerous but that,
if she had waited two or three more years, they would have been
malignant and the cancer would have probably spread throughout her body.
Now she's a believer and is preaching to all HER other friends.
So, I'll join in and urge all our classmates to have this done,
especially if they've never had one before. The prep is not nearly
as bad as it used to be. And the feeling of getting good
news.....priceless.
from Martha Lipe Bodin '69
(wife of classmate, Carl Bodin)
Reading and listening to
classmates and friends. I had my colonoscopy. Everything
turned out great. No problems at all!!! Now that I have that
behind me (so to speak), I can get on with the getting one. The
best part of the procedure was the meds they gave me to sleep.
Have not been this well-rested in years!
from Jack Etheredge in Bridge City
We just found out that our second daughter, Brittany and her husband
Jake, after many years of trying to get pregnant, are going to have
TWINS!
from Hal Ross in Nederland
(taken from FACEBOOK)
Bicycles were not made to ride into the wind. And who decided to
put flat spokes in a wheel? The cross winds were challenging. We
made the ride from Hell this morning to Kountze and Silsbee and back.
52 miles with lots of wind....and cold. One broken chain and one
flat tire. No wrecks this time.
**********************************************************************
LIFE
(contributed by Hal Ross)
-
Forget health
food. I'm at an age where I need all the preservatives I can get.
-
If there's no
chocolate in heaven, I'm not going.
-
As you get older,
your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember
them either.
-
I would be
unstoppable if I could just get started.
-
Out of estrogen.
Next mood swing: 2 minutes.
-
The quickest way
for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look
comfortable.
-
My WILD OATS have
turned into prunes and All-Bran.
-
You can't stay
young forever but you can be immature for the rest of your life.
-
Gone crazy. Back
soon.
-
I live in my own
little world but it's okay. They know me here.
-
If you leave me,
can I come, too?
**********************************************************************
NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT
Mom and Dad are having better days. Mom has FINALLY agreed to give
up the car. It is so sad for them to have to make that decision
since it is the only independence they feel they have left.
I feel guilty when I am not there since I keep thinking she might want
to go somewhere to visit or run an errand. But, then again I have
to have a life here in Lumberton with my husband and grandkids, too.
Do any of you feel the same way? Elderly life stinks. I feel
helpless at times on how to help them mentally AND physically.
**********************************************************************
PAISD APPROVES RENAMING TWO
CAMPUSES
(from the PA NEWS by Mary
Meaux)
In keeping with the legacy of the past while creating the legacy of the
future, PAISD Trustees voted to rename two district schools.
Effective July 1, Thomas Edison
Middle School will become
Thomas Jefferson Middle School, located at 2200 Jefferson
Drive (formerly Thomas Jefferson
High School), and Wilson
K-8 Technology Theme School will become
Abraham Lincoln k-8 Technology Theme
School, located at 1023 Abe Lincoln Ave.
When the district consolidated the three high schools to form one high
school, the names of Abraham
Lincoln High
School and Thomas Jefferson High School
were lost. The former Lincoln campus became the Ninth Grade
Center and Jefferson became Memorial High School. A new high school
was then constructed in a different location and became Memorial High School.
(It is located off of 9th Ave. across from
Guadalupe Catholic Church.)
The name change will not bring back the mascots and school colors of
old, though. The official PAISD colors for all schools are to
remain red, black and silver and the official PAISD mascot, for all
schools, the Titans.
**********************************************************************
GOT OUT OF DODGE!
Murphy and I "ran away" and went for the weekend to Meyer Bed
& Breakfast in Comfort, TX. Awesome place and our awesome friends
and classmates meeting us there was just icing on the cake. Classmates
Jim Andrus, Lynn Eldridge,
Jude Arisco, and Paul Colletti,
along with their spouses, all met for the 3 days. We sat on the porch
and talked and laughed and drank and laughed again. We went out to
eat and went to wineries and flea markets in Fredericksburg. Jude's sister, Patsy and
husband Kenny, were there for the weekend, also. Paul's sister,
Ruthie and husband David, met us and stayed for the last night.
Relaxation and laughter were upmost in our plans and it happened with
avengence! We will see the gang again July 4th weekend at
Lynn and Jim's ranch in
Tupelo, outside of Corsicana. Can't wait.
**********************************************************************
SUPPORT
from Chrissy Dupuis Mullens
about health update on husband, Richard
(copied from FACEBOOK)
Feb. 16th
Heading to MDA tomorrow. Have appts. Wed, Thurs, and Fri. and will
drive back on Friday and then back on Monday. Chemo, scans, and
Dr. appt. Monday.
Feb. 19th
We made it home today at 1:00 pm. Unpacked and hit the bed.
Go back to MDA on Monday for test results and future plans of treatment.
Feb. 22nd
Just got back from MDA with visit with the Dr. Tumors are not
growing but they are not shrinking either. Richard asked for a
break as his scleroderma is acting up and he gets a 2 week break and
then may qualify for a new study wusing differnet drug. We go back
in 2 weeks to find out.
TWO WEEKS without a trip to HOUSTON!
cmullens@gt.rr.com
from Joel Levy in Houston
(update on his dad's health (multiple myeloma)
Dad is doing well. The chemo is working so far. Thank God he
has no pain or other bad side effects. Because it is a bone marrow
cancer, it weakens the bones. We have to make sure that he uses
his walker all the time.
docjkl@msn.com
**********************************************************************
You know even if I had to "steal" information on classmates from
FACEBOOK, at least I had a little more to share with you. I do
enjoy doing this NEWSLETTER and know from your comments that you enjoy
the website updates, as well.
Stay in touch and contact a classmate,
Linda DeCuir McFadden
lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com
www.tjhs1968.com
Don't forget to change my e-mail address in your CONTACT folder!