Ten Guys From Indiana University-

These guys were selling a Christmas CD on QVC today. Why have I never heard of 'em before?

I Am Thankful

Today is a day to reflect and be thankful for our blessings.
My son is home. We HAVE a home to which he can return. We are warm, dry, and relatively without worries. In just a few hours there will be a feast on the table we use only two or three times a year that a large percentage of the world's population cannot even fathom, yet we can (and do) take this blessing for granted.
I have grown to know many of you better than I ever knew you years ago because of our shared thoughts here at VK. I have met and will meet some of you in the future because we share a common geographical and, for the most part, a philosophical bond.

I think we're all concerned about the near future. But we know we have the will and the resources to get this ship of State turned around and headed in the right direction, eventually.

So I'll share my prayer of thanks with you:
God, thank you for the strengthening relationship I have with my schoolmates and their spouses. I know I am blessed, and I give you thanks not just today, but EVERY day, for the gifts you have given us.

Everyone... classmates, schoolmates, friends and family...
If you are traveling today, please be careful.
From our house to yours...
Thank you for sharing.

"I Will Have Milk"

It's a phrase that has stuck with me all these years. Someone still in contact with Rick P. please ask him if he still remembers saying it...
He heard it in a movie or cartoon and liked it enough he said it over and over...
Apparently the character was in a bar and was asked what he wanted to drink. The response?
"I will have milk." And the phrase was said in a lilting way...
The first three words in rising pitch, with the last, "milk", at a lower pitch than the first. It WAS funny when Rick said it!
(Another phrase he picked up that I know he heard on some cartoon was "Why-for did you bury me in this COLD, COLD ground?" )
Isn't it odd that those things are memories that pop up for me now and then?

Do you remember the "Golden Guernsey Dairy"?
Someone help me with exactly where it was...
My vague memory of it was somewhere in the Southport area on the West side of a major arterial street. I thought the cows were beautiful... a golden caramel color and white. The milk was good too. But maintaining a dairy is hard work for little money, so I'm not surprised "Golden Guernsey" is long-gone, and that land is now covered with homes.
But the memory remains.

Got something, anything to contibute?
I think TD and Cinders are in Southern Florida.
Tonight is the night of the B-Ball game in the old gym.
Me? I'm stuck in an endless loop... work, sleep, work, sleep, work...

You can brighten my day and stimulate our lives by sharing your news!

CG 125 years

I received this from my cousin this morning, Shiela Crump.


Friends,

On Saturday, Dec. 5, in conjunction with a boys basketball game, we will honor many individuals who have had a part in the rich history of Center Grove High School. The game will be held in the West (Old) gym. Game time is 6:00 p.m.; tickets are $5. Please plan to be in the gymnasium by that time to enjoy all of the festivities; parking will fill early.

We plan to honor National Merit finalists, choral and band directors, former cheerleaders, all former coaches, former Administrators and Principals, former School Board members, Former teachers and staff, alumni who have served in the military, the oldest living male and female alum, state champions in all sports, boys and girls silver anniversary basketball teams, boys 50 year basketball team, all former male and female athletes. What a group!!!!

A reception will be held following the game in Room 333 at the north end of the gymnasium. An extensive display of CG memorabilia will be on display.

Please share this information with everyone you know and plan to attend. Please let me know regarding your plans to attend by November 29 by contacting cstdmt1941@aol.com, or tumeyc@centergrove.k12.in.us, or by phoning 317-888-1676 or 317-627-0971. We look forward to seeing all of you for this celebration.


Carol Summers Tumey
Secretary, Center Grove Board of School Trustees
1952 Skyline DriveGreenwood, Indiana 46143
317-888-1676 / 317-627-0971

Jason, Freddie Kruger, and...

It's the 13th of November.
It's Friday the 13th!
It's a Happy Day, 'cause TwoDogs and Tools were born years and years and years and years and years and years ago!
Happy Birthday guys...
Watch out for Freddie and Jason.

Too Good Not To Share:

Tip O' Hat to Life Is Good.
(Good stuff there... go see.)

Spontaneity – VK style

It was to be a short, fast visit home – one more of hundreds of blitzkrieg trips to Indy over the past 30-odd years. Aunts, uncles, dozens of cousins, friends of the family – try to visit all. Pitch-in dinners, meals at Greys, Dentist, Doctor and beauty shop appointments for Mother, (pant, huff, gasp).

Then comes the house cleaning (windows, curtains, carpet, knick-knacks, screens replaced with storm windows , gutters cleaned, car care too) fix house for winter, rake leaves --- feel guilty because I’ll never get even half of this done and it will all be left for my brother and other family members.

I’m not complaining - not at all! That’s just the way it is when you live far away.

I will admit to a major case of resentment because there was never time to see friends from HS. I tried to keep quiet about it but smoldered all the way back to Texas

As always, the best part of visiting home was the wiener roast at Rosie’s. Listening to conversations, looking at the stars, feeding hot dogs to real dogs, helping little guys with s’mores ,,, well, that’s just my favorite part.

Then came Vandy’s Kids! Reconnecting with life-long friends became a reality. Mini-reunions were like discovering a treasure trove of priceless gems – memories, friendships, laughter.

This is a long way of telling a short story; it’s a gift – it’s plagued me all my life.

Just before we left Texas, an email to/from Rosie suggested a wiener roast for HS friends. IT WAS JUST TOO PERFECT. Well, it was perfect for me but a last minute notice for others.

Mr. PT and I called everyone we could think of who lived near Rosie. Some of those VKs called others. And WA LA! On the spur of the moment, we had a party!

Of course, it poured down rain that night. In fact it rained side-ways. But it didn’t seem to matter. We sat around a pool table, shared food and laughter. I can’t believe everyone FOUND the place --- so many twists and turns south of Banta and mostly in the middle of nowhere.

Jane Ann and Guy made it all the way from Kentucky,,,, in the pouring rain,,, with a puppy. Puppy-sitters are not spur-of-moment people. I can’t believe they drove so far, braving so many obstacles, for a nuked hot dog. Ya gotta love it!

Jeanie and Steve came (LOVE my new Indy Coaches club wardrobe and coffee cup AND the books about General (Wishard) Hospital history. OH and the pictures of a new grandbaby boy! What a cutie) I stand ever-ready to help carry luggage to Sweden. Five minutes notice is all I need

Two – dogs and Cinders made it. TD is already planning the 45th Class Reunion and I would humbly suggest that it is too soon to plan if the Spur of the Moment Wiener Roast on A Rainy Night is an indicator. Cinders brought some killer brownies too

Mr. & Mrs. Hawkeye made it also with pictures of a new grandbaby boy. AND so many funny stories! Both are retired but busier than ever donating time and skills to needy folks in the area.

Dan & Edna found Rosie’s, too. Both are still working, enjoying grandkids and looking better than ever. Dan helped catch-us up on local news and the fun of being the Class Treasure. What is our balance? Pretty close to Zip. (easy math, huh Dan?)

David J made and we had a long conversation but I only understood half of it. Seeing my perplexed faced he told me we had changed subjects a few minutes ago. Whew! Otherwise TopCat had become a totally different person, had a totally different job,,, and I was totally confused. Alzheimer’s makes my life so entertaining

Mark G and Robyn made it. Mark made me feel so much better about the monkeys he cared for at Lilly’s. He often made popcorn for them – something they really enjoyed. And Robyn was like so many VK spouses -- so easy going, funny and familiar I could swear she was in our class (her youth gives her away though)

The result of our last blitzkrieg trip! Lots of laughter. Jeez Louise it was fun.

For a good time on the spur of the moment, call Vandy’s Kids. For me, it just doesn’t get any better than that. Rosie and Mike never have to get me another Christmas or Birthday present.

Early TV

I've blogged about being excited at first, hearing they'd be airing all the old "Lone Ranger" episodes a few years back, then being disappointed at how the acting was terrible, the story lines predictable. But when those programs first aired when we were kids the medium was in its infancy and we only had a choice of a couple channels. So we'd rise in the morning and watch the "Test Pattern" until that lame programming came on. I think part of the reason those old shows seem lame now is that we've seen the same story lines over and over again.
The plots were rehashed SO often...
"Lassie" did amazingly intelligent things, which were later repeated by "My Friend Flicka", then modified slightly so "Flipper" could do them in the water.

But the commercials...
They frequently were better than that programming, weren't they?
How many of them had a strong effect on ya?
"Sugar Frosted Flakes", "Ovaltine", "Buster Brown Shoes"...
I can remember those well. I know I pressured my parents to buy "Ovaltine" after watching "Captain Midnight"...
Do you remember the "Magic Decoder Ring", with which you could decode the message at the end of the program every week? (The message was always another commercial, like "Drink your Ovaltine for good health!") I was always sending 25 cents for shipping and handling along with my name and address to receive some "free" trinket advertised on whatever cereal I happened to be eating at the time, then day after day I'd check the mailbox to see if my new treasure had arrived.

Remember any commercials that motivated you?
What about the early TV programs?