"Then Came Bronso... er... Greybeard"

You may remember the TV show "Then Came Bronson".
It debuted just about the time I got home from Viet Nam and the idea of a single guy motoring around the Nation on a bike appealed to me...
It was sort of a "Route 66" on two wheels. I liked the show and watched it regularly, but was disappointed in the fact that as usual, Hollywood mucked it up...
Bronson went motocrossing on his Harley Sportster, AND WON!
From that point on I watched the show partly to see how hokey the producers could make it. Others must have felt the same as me, 'cause the show lasted only one season.
Still, the music was good, as were the scenes of Bronson crossing the country on two wheels.

And there was another reason I liked the show...
Ron and I had made a Road Trip to Ft. Lauderdale in his big Pontiac Bonneville convertible the summer between our Junior and Senior years at CG, and we enjoyed the adventure. On the way home we discussed the possibility of taking an across-the-country road trip on Harley-Davidson "Dressers". We fantasized about the experiences we'd share... the two of us together riding to points unknown... wherever the wind would lead us, meeting wonderful, interesting people... stopping to work at odd jobs just long enough to buy enough gas to make it to our next exotic destination.

We were quite aware that actually doing it would take a chunk of change at the start...
Buying a Full-dress Harley would, for me (not him!), be daunting. Even a good used "HOG" would take the outlay equivalent to a VERY GOOD used car, and I was still working for minimum wage at the Frostop at the time.

My Mom expressed concern about the dangers of riding that far on two wheels but she needn't have worried...
It quickly became obvious that Ron's interest in his future bride would eliminate any hopes I had about the two of us riding up on our bikes and peering over the rim of the Grand Canyon.
I never saved a dime toward buying the big bike.

But I still dream of such a trip...
And Sara Jean and I MAY ACTUALLY DO IT...
(In a 28 foot motor home!)

HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!
Got news?

The Pied Piper

Did ya ever wonder...
"The Pied Piper"...
What caused him to be "Pied"?
Did Soupy Sales or the Three Stooges get to him?
I had to look it up. Cinders, DJ, and GH will have an advantage here, as will those who know why Elizabeth Taylor's horse in "National Velvet" was called "The Pie".
The term "Pied" is related to "Piebald", and means "many colored".
So apparently the Pied Piper, along with playing the flute better than Ian Anderson, was a pretty colorful dresser.

All the above is tangential.
I drove to work tonight to find that while I was sleeping today in preparation for my second night of 10 in a row, crews had oiled and chipped the last two miles of road leading to my workplace. I was lucky in that it wasn't blazingly hot, so my tires didn't pick up the oily rocks and throw them down the sides of my car.
But it brought back memories I knew I could share with you...
I can remember like yesterday when they first oiled and chipped all the roads in the Sutton addition. I think every kid with a bicycle showed up to watch the crews and follow them as the oil truck first laid down a coat of tar, with dump trucks following and dispensing rock on top of the tar.
They may as well have been "The Pied Piper"!
As I recall, there were also a couple guys with shovels following along to add rock where dump trucks might not have laid down a heavy enough layer.
It was fascinating to watch, and more so because with most of the neighborhood kids watching it became a social event. I'm sure we all came home with bicycle tires speckled with spots of tar, and we probably had tar samples on shoes, other parts of clothing, and maybe even some body parts.

A fond memory for me, and I've shared it with you.
Traffic has been mighty sparse here lately...
Have you a fond memory to share this Friday?

Rasslin'

Cowboy Bob Ellis...
Dick the Bruiser...
Bobo Brazil...
Do you remember 'em?

I do.

I was never really a "rasslin'" fan.
But Saturday afternoons would frequently find Steve B., Hawkeye, and me jumpin' into the old Ford Station Wagon and Mom would drive us North on Bluff Road to the WTTV broadcast offices. We'd arrive early, 'cause those first in line got the ringside seats...
And that was the whole reason for the exercise...
The matches were recorded for broadcast on Sundays.
On Sunday we'd sit at home and catch glimpses of ourselves ringside at "the match" on Channel 4.

Of course the faces have all changed...
Are any of those guys still alive?
The sport itself hasn't changed much though, except there's a lot more money in it these days.
I doubt kids these days can go to their local TV station and watch an hour of rasslin' free!
(We grew up in a better time!)

It's Friday.
Are you rasslin' with anything?
Anyone?

Jus' Not Enough Hours In The Day

Pushin' retirement age...
Wasn't life supposed to slow down?
I think I took the wrong entrance ramp somewhere on this trip.

Cool, Or Fool?

How often do you go through this exercise?
"If I had a chance to go back in time, would I ?"
And if you'd like to go back, how far would you go?

I imagine going back in time now and then, but generally come to the conclusion I'd just like to correct a wrong I did at a specific time, then return to the present. Life comes with pain spread intermittently throughout, and the only way I'd consider going back is if I could make changes. Of course making those changes would change EVERYTHING that followed, so if I stayed in that new life I'd soon find myself with new things that would cause me pain.
Who would want to go through that again?

And that brings me to the memories we discuss so often here...
Most, but not all of us, have wonderful memories of our days walking the CG halls.
And the folks that don't have great memories?
They may think some (many?) of the rest of us were cruel to them.
And... we MAY have been cruel to them.

I can remember going through life back then, making decisions looking through the "Cool or Fool?" lens.
Elvis was cool.
Kookie Byrnes was cool.
We were sure they never did anything stupid... never humiliated themselves.
Embarrassing yourself was just about the worst thing you could experience...
I didn't want anyone to be able to laugh at something stupid I did.
I suspect we all spent 'Way, 'WAY too much time looking through that lens, trying to avoid being laughed at. It's painful to think of how much time I wasted, worrying about what others thought. But I know I often was quick to ridicule others for their mistakes.
Shame on me.

Our earliest class reunions were similar experiences...
Who did what with their lives?
What work are you doing?
What are you driving?
All that... gone now.
Good riddance.

We're considering a few events for "minis" soon. You need to come. You'll enjoy yourself.
The only requirement I can think of?
Bring a smile and some memories to share.
We can talk about how Cool "Palladin" of "Have Gun, Will Travel" was!

It's Friday and I certainly hope you don't think I humiliated myself with this post, but criticize away if you must!

My Suspicions were Correct

Back when I was 15/16, I had a big crush on a classmate.  I carefully timed a trip to my locker every day so I would "just happen" to meet up with my crush in the hallway of Center Grove.  Then I would non-chalantly be going in the same direction at the same time.  I think we were "an item" a year or so until I got sick of his boyish ways and told him where to go.

I can remember admiring his older brother Charlie.  He was a ton more outgoing than his younger brother, and seemed to "own the hallways" of Center Grove.  Charlie was popular, and I thought he must be a really nice guy.  Two days ago, and 41 years later, I confirmed my suspicions that Charlie really is a nice guy.

Before we left on vacation to Ft. Myers, I asked Charlie if we might meet up while we're down here.  Luckily, we were able to do that.  He and his wife drove two hours to see us.  We sat around my sister's condo and talked about Center Grove and our high school days.  Three short hours later, we went out to eat at a restaurant owned by a fellow Hoosier.  We enjoyed good food and good company.  The evening was "done too soon", but I've got more good memories to stow away for a rainy day.

Once again, my Vandy's Kids friends got me started on this path to reaching out.  I am not only finding new friends, but old friends that I've missed for decades.  I told Charlie that when we do our "valley walk", I'll send him photos of his old place.  I think he'll like that.

Love to all,
"Cissy"

From Echo, "A Mixture of Joy and Sorrow"

Echo is still having some difficulty posting and commenting,
so she sent this and asked that I post it for her:



     A MIXTURE OF JOY AND SORROW

Two weeks ago Shifty and I was so excited about attending
the Alumni Banquet and the 45th Class Reunion for the
Class of 65.  As many of you already know I received a
phone call at the reunion that my oldest brother was
dying. I was able to make it to Northern Indiana the next
day and see my brother, Buddy, for one last time before
he passed away. God was merciful in giving us this time.

Then as you know Shifty and I just purchased our
retirement home in Florida. We left for Florida on the
following Saturday to take possession of our new home.
We arrieve on Sunday which was Father's Day.  I was
thinking what a wonderful Father's day present this was
for Shifty.  When we arrived we was welcomed by my
foster sister Jan and her family. They had a huge family
cook out waiting for us when we arrived.

This seemed like a wonderful start to a new life
following our loss the week before.  But that joy was
short lived.  Just as we sat down to our first dinner
in our new home the phone rang and we was told that
my brother, Bobby, had taken a turn for the worst and
wasn't expected to pull through.  Bobby had lung cancer
but was giving it a good fight. He had been admitted a
few days earlier to the hospital with a double staph
infecton but they thought that they had it under control
and he was doing much better.  We thought he would be
going home in a few days.  I visited with him on
Friday before we left for Florida on Saturday and we
even planned a family reunion when we returned from
Florida.

Four hours after we got to Florida our son Todd called
us and told us that Bobby had taken a turn for the worse
late Saturday night.  He said, " Mom, Uncle Bobby isn't
going to make it but he just won't let go.  There is some
reason that he won't give up and we believe that it is
because he is waiting for you to say good bye".

So Todd held the phone to Bobby's ear and I spoke to
him begging him not to give up and telling him how much
I loved him.  Twenty minutes after I spoke to him he
peacefully passed away.

I have always been told and believe that God has a plan
for each of us.  He has a schedule for all of us and when
we have accomplished what we were here for it will be our
time to go.  Us being able to say good bye was his final
accomplishment.

Be sure that all of you take advantage of every opportunity
to enjoy your loved ones as much as you can.  And remember
to tell your loved ones how much you love them as often as
you can.

Echo & Shifty

The Last Friday of June, 2009

Ain't that depressing?
In less than a week, half the year will be in the history book. Days will get shorter-nights will begin to be longer. It'll remain hotter than a firecracker for two months and change, but then the leaves will begin to turn and temps will moderate. I like Spring... LOVE Summer and Fall.
But Winter?
Most often I wish I was a bear and could hibernate.
In my opinion, the best thing about Winter is that it's preceded by Autumn and followed by Spring.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawkeye are beginning to follow a procedure I could quickly get accustomed to...
Wintering down South where the temps seldom get below 50 degrees.

And mention of Mr. and Mrs. Hawk brings us to the discussion of the day... a question posed to me by Hawk...
It's a discussion some of us have had before, directly or indirectly...
What's the requirement to be a "Vandy's Kid"?
We now have this blog and PT started the related Facebook page. We're beginning to get considerable participation in both, and that's wonderful. But the question has been asked and I'd like to throw it out for discussion:
What's the membership requirement?

When asked that question, my first response is, "The more the merrier".
But that's me, and the blog and Facebook page belong to us all. So your vote counts the same as mine and I want you to answer the question too...
"Who can be a Vandy's Kid?"

I'm as close to some spouses as I am to most classmates.
I'm delighted to have gotten to know schoolmates, Cissy, Rita, Mike, C&C, Janet, and others.
We laugh with them and share the common bond of school and community.

The only restriction that makes any sense at all to me, (and I can even be easily dissuaded from this with a determined argument) is that it seems to me a "Vandy's Kid" should come from the era when Mr. Vandermeer was active with CGHS.

Discussion and debate please:
Who is a "Vandy's Kid"?

Saturday's "Friday Forum".

Friday got away from me.
We spent the day outside, cleaning up the result of winds that brought a huge branch down on my neighbor's garage, caving it in and rendering him "auto-less" since his car was trapped inside. (Undamaged, thankfully.)
The worst damage we suffered was limbs/branches down everywhere on our 2-1/2 acre property. Some were so big I had to get out the chain saw to cut them down to size so I could pull them to the burn pile.

Ever hear anyone say "Green wood won't burn?"
It's hogwash, ya know?
If green wood won't burn, why are there forest fires?
Ya just have to get the fire hot enough to get combustion started.

So how do ya do that?
Burn a tire on top of your green brush.
That's hot.
It'll get-r-started.

And that's what I did yesterday. By sunset the lot was cleared and virtually all the green wood had been converted to hot coals. This morning I'm a little sore, but not so sore my butt cannot be placed on the mower to get this soon-to-be jungle under control.

But it's hot...
Where's my coozy?
Put that cold beer in there.
(Gotta stay hydrated, ya know!)

What're you doin' to make the world a prettier, better place?

Updated:
It's an indication of how my mind works as I near retirement...
It also indicates how confusing it can be... this 7-day on, 7-day off schedule...
I mistakenly thought today was Saturday!
It's a gift, this extra day in my life!

Mr. Legan Update

Some of you may remember Mr. Legan owned property in West Virginia and had been going back there intermittently to vacation and care for it. When it became difficult for him to make that trip he decided to allow his son to have it. To that end, he and Mary Lee went back to WV recently. While there, Mary Lee suffered problems with an internal infection which got serious enough that she was admitted to the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries. When she was well enough, the two came home to recuperate. After their return, Mr. Legan started feeling pain/pressure with his heart that he had never felt. His son-in-law took him to the hospital and he too was admitted, then underwent a cardiac cath. Thank Goodness they apparently found no serious problems, just a narrowing of one of the vessels. He is now home and feeling better.

I'm sure he'd enjoy hearing a few words from you if you would like to contact him. He stops by here now and then so you can either comment here or email him.
Need his address? Let me know.

Big Brother Loves You. Big Brother Is Your Friend.

Some of you already know this. Some of you don't. Some don't care.
And ya know what? It's all good.

Lots of us got together this weekend. There was a lotta laughter, even more smiles, some hugs, a few tears, and a lot of brain cells saved by memory-exercising conversation. I think most everyone that attended came away wishing we had more time to share.
I think all of us would like to see more of our schoolmates attending these functions.
It's not like we haven't tried. Let me fill you in on something you probably don't know, (and in the process I'm gonna embarrass him. I don't care.)
I did a little.
TD did a LOT.

To those he thought he had valid email addresses, he sent emails.
When some of those were returned, he added those names to the names he only had snail-mail addresses for and sent letters out to those.
When some of those came back as undeliverable, he got on the 'phone.
When he failed with some of those he contacted several of us for help finding his "lost sheep".
We're still looking for some of those sheep. I think the Wolf, (BigBad) may be involved here.

I threw up a post here at VK. Dan and several of us put up "Status Updates" at Facebook. That's the direction we have to go as we progress with these technologies, but we all know there will be folks like John T. that will resist dealing with these new-fangled gadgets 'til their dying breath.
So we gotta work together to overcome that. We're certainly aware there are some schoolmates that have NO interest whatsoever in these events.
It's all good.
But to the degree possible, we want to make sure that we are contacting everyone, so everyone can make the yea-nay decision.

I am now organizing and compiling a list of addresses we gathered during the alumni banquet. I'm gonna print that list and add to it any emails we think are current, so that those organizing events in the future will have an easier time contacting all of us. In that quest, we may contact you for assistance in finding some of those sheep that are just hiding in plain sight.

And if, after all this work trying to contact you, we hear you say, "Well, no one informed me....", there will be a terrible application of NOOGIES to certain skulls.

Don't make us stoop to that.

Life Is Good. Sometimes It's Sad.

From Karen this morning, via email:

"My brother Terry and I left early Monday morning and drove
to La Porte Indiana to see my brother Bud.  We were able to
spend a few hours with him. They had given him morphine just
before we arrived so he wouldn't open his eyes and of course
he couldn't verbally communicate with us.  But he could hear
us and he made facial movements to acknowledge us.

On our way back to Indy we had just reached the far North
side of Indy when our cell rang and told us that he had
passed away. God was good to give us the opportunity to
reunite one last time.

....Would you please make a small post for me to let
everyone in on this news.  And also to thank everyone
for me for their wonderful support and love they shared
when I received the news."


God Bless and comfort you Karen. Keep us
updated.

Review, Alumni Banquet and Picnic-

We are literally on our way out the door as I write this, so it'll be quick and dirty and I'll either comment or post more later.
What a weekend!
Again, I'm closer now to many of you than I EVER thought of being while we were growing up together. God Bless and keep you all.

Names I hadn't seen since graduation:
Gary P.
Brenda M.
Larry L.
How great to see you again, but time was too short. I hope this taste of the fellowship we all now share has whetted your appetite for more!

More names:
Cissy.
Leroy B.
Rita R-G.
Bob G.
Mike R.
Mark R.
Welcome to our "family", ALL of you!
I hope this is the start of more of the same.

Other names:
Mary Ella.
Janet.
Thank you both for the joy and laughter!

And finally:
Mr. and Mrs. C. and Mrs. Sloop:
Thank you for being there in the past, present, and we hope... the future.
We'll see you all soon.

And Bo?
?????????

What A Strange Job...

It's 3:30 A.M. as I write this note. I'm at work. Fox News is on the TV here and I'm watching Brett Baier for the second time... a repeat of the broadcast I saw just before leaving home for work.

Two days ago I had barely gotten through the door when the telephone rang asking if I could fly. I hurriedly finished my aircraft preflight, weather checks, and other preflight duties. We flew 15 minutes and picked up a man with a gunshot wound. Gunshot wounds are frequently interesting. This one was only mildly interesting. He was shot with a small caliber weapon and the bullet made several detours around his abdomen before coming to a stop. He needed a good surgeon badly.

But here I am now, more than halfway through my last night at work before coming home to Indiana, and so far it has been quiet. If the phone is gonna ring I wish it would happen quickly so we can be finished with post-flight paperwork by shift change. It would be nice to get off work on time so I can get home and get some rest today.

We're excited about the weekend...
It looks like there's gonna be a good turnout for the banquet, and with good weather Sunday we're hoping to see 50 or so at the picnic.

Sara Jean and I will be on the road early Saturday morning.
We may stop off at the old "Dog and Suds" to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Hawk on the way to the banquet.
We hope to either see ya there, at the banquet, or at the picnic Sunday.
Be safe in your travels, everyone.

I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore...

It saddens me to say I'm not surprised at this.

How idyllic our memories seem, compared to what kids face today.

Then and Now...

Just about every day, I look back to how things were back when I was teenager.  I wonder if today's kids could even stand living in the world as it was when I was their age.  I remember thinking that we were hot stuff because our econ class was playing a stock market game against kids from high schools all over the US.  We used our good ol' #2 pencils to fill in little ovals on cards with our stock market decisions.  The cards were sent in to some company, who would combine all the cards, feed 'em into a computer, and the computer would spit out the results.  We'd never, ever seen a computer.  I imagine this thing filled up a room and cranked for hours.

Today it's a rare household that doesn't have at least one computer.  At this time, I have four!  We own a Netbook, A 17" Dell Studio laptop, and two Dell towers that I need to revamp someday.  Four computers for two people.  Imagine...

During my junior year, I took typing--not keyboarding.  We had these old Royal manual typewriters.  I have extremely short fingers, and constantly got my fingers stuck between the keys.  That sure slowed down my typing speed and accuracy.  And typing an uppercase A, Q, Z, P, ", and ?  Darned near impossible with my weak little fingers trying to hold down the Shift key.  I still cringe at the term "flying caps".

I signed up for vocational business for my senior year.  When I got into the room for the first time, we were allowed to pick out the electric typewriter we wanted to use for the year.  I ran to the only IBM Selectronic...you know, it had the metal ball with all the letters on it.  I went from typing maybe 20 words a minute to more than 63, and that was after a summer of not typing at all.  I can no longer type on a typewriter--I've gotten too used to keyboards.

One day in Vocational Business, a salesman came in to show us a calculator.  It was the size of a small book and cost $1,000.  But it gave instant results to the most complex division problems.  Our adding machines cranked and cranked before it could spit out the results of a division problem.  Now, the tiniest calculators are given away as freebies, or they just cost a few bucks.  Oh, and then there were the slide rules.  Think a kid today has ever heard of a slide rule?

Most kids have MP3 players.  Songs are downloaded from the Internet.  Can you imagine jogging while carrying a turntable?  I owned a tiny little portable record player that played 45s and 33-1/3s.  It didn't even place the needle.  I had to do that myself.  I played one 45 at a time.  I might have owned 20 of them, and a few LPs.

Every Saturday morning, Mom and I would go to Marsh and I was allowed to select a 45 each week.  I know they cost less than a dollar, and I felt privileged that Mom would buy me one each week.  The first one I chose was Archie Bell and the Drells' "Tighten Up".  (I read later on that he only had the one hit because he was drafted and served in Vietnam.) 

The photo is of me, taking during one Christmas when I was given a Herman's Hermits album.  Mom liked Peter Noone as much as I did.  "Mrs. Brown, you've got a lovely daughter...girls as sharp as her are something rare.  But it's sad.  She doesn't love me now..."  Peter's still a cutie at the ripe old age of 62.  (How can he possibly be that old?)

I also had a Jackson 5 album and later on, my boyfriend bought me a Neil Diamond album "Tap Root Manuscript".  I might have owned three or four LPs, but that was it. (I eventually moved up to an 8-track player when the same boyfriend bought me one for Christmas.  I ended up marrying that guy--he bought good presents.)

Back then, our idea of an electronic game was our battery-operated "Green Ghost" game.  We'd turn out all the lights after we powered up the green ghost with some light.  And we'd play that game for hours.  We loved it.  Now the hot thing is a Wii.  Can you imagine showing kids back in the 60s such a thing?  I remember being amazed at the first Pong game.  I'd probably have passed out if I'd been shown a Wii back then.

If we were out driving and got lost, we'd have to stop and ask directions.  Now we either go to Mapquest, use our iPhone, or we fire up a GPS that communicates with three or four satellites.  (Hey, we did know what a satellite was...we all remember Telstar.)

I was an avid reader then.  I always had a book stuck in my face.  If I was still a reader, I'd have a Kindle stuck in my face and could have entire libraries of books occupying the space of an electronic doodad the size of a small book.

We did a research paper on embalming during my senior year.  We went to different libraries and even a funeral home to glean information for our paper.  It began as a joke, but ended up being a very interesting subject.  Now we could either do our research by Googling, or just cheat and download something that someone else wrote.  I wouldn't even have to leave the comfort of my recliner.

One day Dad brought home a color TV--the kind with the rounded sides.  Very few shows were in color back then, so we watched whatever was in color.  That was mostly the news.  Then Bonanza began showing in color.  The NBC peacock unfurled his tail "in living color".  We barely managed to tune in four channels, and forget watching late night TV.  You'd be watching a test pattern.  Digital cable and satellite have taken over the airways.  We have hundreds of channels, but nothing to watch but informercials.  And now they're coming out with 3D TVs.  What next?  Smellavision?

We owned one phone and it was screwed down to the kitchen wall.  If you wanted to talk on the phone, you sat on a stool in the kitchen.  We couldn't even leave the room, much less jump in the car and take our phone with us.  One month I talked long-distance to my boyfriend so much, it cost me $12!  Outrageous!  Now I don't even have a long-distance carrier.  Don't need one with my cell phone.  We constantly carry a 5,000 minute balance.

It's getting late.  I've got to change into my jammies and strap on the full-face mask connected to the CPAP machine that forces me to breathe all night.  Back then, my insomnia caused me to stay up all night and listen to my dad snoring.  When he stopped breathing, I'd hold my breath until he took another breath.  No one ever heard of sleep apnea.  We had to do our own breathing.

So what are your favorite "then and nows"?

Peonies In Bloom

I can't remember exactly how old I was, but I was old enough to notice and remember the Peonies.
We had been to the Time Trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mom had planted Peonies alongside the fence on the South side of our property, and there were also a few plants adjacent to our driveway, also on the South side.
I got out of the car and took notice of them...
Vibrant, healthy plants. Full, white blossoms.
Beautiful.
And I think of that time whenever I see them.

The Peonies are in bloom here.
It must be "500" time!

I'm on duty nights this weekend, so depending on how "the natives" behave I will probably be asleep during the race. I'll listen to as much of it over the radio as I can before falling asleep, and "Tivo" the broadcast to watch it later.

Among the 33 starters are 4 women this year. I'm sure that's a record.
I've written before about how I favor "fillies". I'd be delighted to see one of 'em become the first woman on that Borg-Warner Trophy!

How 'bout you...
Got a favorite?
Why?

Longacre

Chatting here at Vandy's Kids has opened my eyes to lots of things, including the differences we had in our environment as we grew up. One of the differences I sense is that it seems VK's who grew up near Bargersville tended to head to Franklin for business needs, where those of us who grew up in the Valley tended to head North and East, to Greenwood or even NapTown.
When I got old enough to drive, most every night I was in my car or on my motorcycle in Greenwood. Later, I grew tired of what Greenwood had to offer and ranged out farther to Al Green's, the TeePee, The Pole, and WIFE's "Window on the World".

I'm sure much of that inclination was due to the direction our parents led us in...
Most of my Dad's family lived in and around Indianapolis. He worked for Indianapolis Power and Light Company. For us, heading North was natural.

A fond memory for me, during hot summer weather, was Mom driving us to Longacre Pool. It's another of those memories that has been clouded over the years, but I still can remember the smell of the place, the locker room and the little key you'd attach to your swimwear so you could retrieve your stuff, and that seemingly huge slide at the deep end of the pool. I failed, trying to find a good photo I could add to the top of this post, but in searching for one I found this blog and a treasure of old photos from in and around Indianapolis from years past... some VERY old, but many of them familiar to those of us that consider ourselves "Sixties kids".
Take a look and see what you think. And if you find anything there that surprises or interests you, please bring it to our attention here.

Now, once again, IT'S FRIDAY!
You ARE planning on coming to the Alumni Banquet aren't you?
(No excuses accepted this year Bo!)

Update:
Reviewing the link I realize that's not the site I had found some time back. The original site I found had LOTS of old photos of Indy and surroundings. I'm still searching for that site and will link it here if/when I find it for you.

A Weekend Affair

After much consternation and some last minute maneuvering, it looks as if CG will indeed have the 2010 Alumni Banquet. And this being our 45th year out of school and the 5 year anniversary of VandysKids, we are planning a celebration.

A Weekend Affair - Saturday June 12 and Sunday June 13.

CG Alumni Dinner and Dance June 12th

The Saturday night gathering will be combined with the CG Alumni Dinner & Dance. This year, the banquet will be held in the HS cafeteria. Tickets are approx. $20 per person and should be available soon. These can be purchased from Dan - Embroidery 'n Things 317-859-8963 (Thank You, Dan!). As in the past, it is imperative to know the numbers -- so please plan accordingly and purchase your tickets ahead of time. Also, in the past, doors have opened at 6:00pm. I know all of this sounds a little vague. We do not know all of the details just yet. Tickets will be picked up from the printers this week. We will attempt to group several tables together for our Class. It will be a lot of fun and you will see and maybe even recognize a few people that you haven’t seen in years. Please plan on joining us.

CG Class of ‘65 and VandysKids Picnic June 13th

The Sunday afternoon affair will be a Picnic type Pitch In hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Hawkeye (Thanks, both of you!) and will be a gathering for all those that read and enjoy VandysKids. It will also be the ‘official’ 45th Reunion of the Class of ‘65. So come one, come all. The picnic will be held on the grounds of the New Hope Church, 5307 Fairview Road (near Morgantown and Fairview Roads). There is a covered hexagon shelter with 14 picnic tables, electricity, rest room, and plenty of parking. No alcohol permitted. The shelter, suitable for 100 people, will be available as early as 12:30 PM on June 13th. So, bring your favorite picnic dish(s) to share, along with your own tableware. Lawn chairs, too, if you have them. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Buns and Drinks will be provided. If we get lucky, even some great live music from ‘Grass Roots Revival’. Questions and infomation about the Picnic 317-888-2014

Looking forward to seeing everyone. Please reply/comment if you can make either or both. And if you are going to the Alumni - remember, tickets may be unavailable the night of the banquet, so please purchase your tickets ahead of time and let us know - so hopefully, we can all sit together.

All Followers, Friends and Classmates are invited.

1977

I landed the Huey at the Greenwood airport and my folks came over to get my copilot and me. When we got home Mom said "Try this!" Two sitting chairs, side by side, faced the TV with a table in between. On the table was a sort of console with two devices attached to it by wire. On the devices was a circular controller.
Mom turned the thing on and an image similar to the one above came onto the TV screen. My copilot and I played "Pong" and laughed out loud at how much fun it was.
Mom still has the game. As one of the first of the video games, it probably has collector value now.

Today the video games are so complex, folks actually devote more time to them than they do to their real lives.
What a world.

It Is What It Is. It Ain't What It Ain't.

I started driving my motor scooter around our neighborhood when I was twelve. Those of you in the Class of '65 will remember...
Paddock road from in front of Steve W. and Rick P.'s house to Olive Branch was gravel, as was much of Fairview Road, Railroad Road, and many of the secondary roads in the area. On the heavily traveled parts of these roads the gravel was pushed aside, leaving a crown of gravel in the center of the road, and along both sides. Trying to navigate these roads with a motor scooter with its small tires was exciting...
Crossing over that crown of gravel was like driving on marbles. Some of my scooter riding friends hated it. I learned early to keep the machine pointed in the direction I wanted and allow the gyroscopic effect of the tires to carry me safely across. I never fell, thank goodness.

All those old roads are paved now, of course.
Progress?
I miss 'em. Do you?

The Treadmill

Vacations?
Yeah, well, sorta.
We went to L.A. a few weeks ago to visit our son. He worked 4 of the five days we were there and we actually went to work (and worked!) with him so we'd have more time together...
And we came home more tired than before we went.

Eufaula.
Wonderful. Great memories.
But it was one of those "different bed, different surroundings" situations.
I didn't get a full eight hours sleep in the four nights we were there...
And we came home more tired than before we went.

By the time you read this I'm hoping Lucy, Yogi, Sara Jean and I will be most of the way to Destin.
We'll be sleeping in a bed of OUR choosing there and it's mighty comfortable.
The bedroom is removed from the "activity area" and is quiet.
We're in our "second home" there and are perfectly comfortable.
We'll be there 10 days and I can promise you... we'll come home rested but sorry we have to leave.
Got time to head South? Come on down... all are welcome.

I know someone who has GREAT news and will no doubt share it when the time is right.
It's prom time, graduation time, planting time, mushroom gathering time.
I know you have stuff to share with us.
So do it.
Now.

I wrote this before news started trickling in that we'll have oil on our beaches within 72 hours or so. I'm heartbroken. I cannot imagine the overall impact of this spill...
If they don't get it under control quickly it will affect the Gulf of Mexico as a whole. Think of that... fishing, tourism, real estate values, the soiling of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I'm praying for a miracle.

I'm A Prude

"Oooh... There's something I can share!"
Ya know, I'm always thinkin' about stuff I can bring to share with friends, either here at Vandy's Kids or at my own blog. I'll start off reading something, find it interesting, and start to consider linking to it so you too can enjoy it. Then, all too often, things will go sour.
I found a blog post today about folks with out-of-control kids in restaurants that started off making me laugh. Then somewhere along the line the writer began to emphasize her thoughts with the "F" word. By the end of the piece she apparently felt the need to REALLY emphasize her thoughts...
Every eighth word or so was vile.

I'm upset by what to me seems the coarsening of our society. I hear "blue" language used today in places and situations that absolutely shock me.
I guess I'm still a hick at heart...
I'm not gonna share that with you.

Got something "clean" to share with the rest of us?

EUFAULA, ALABAMA

EUFAULA, ALABAMA - THE CITY, THE LAKE, THE FRIENDS…….

We soooo enjoyed the time with friends at the two cabins on the lake surrounded by the beautiful azalea bushes and dogwood and pine trees. By the end of our time there, it did feel and work much like a family. There was always someone to fish, play cards, see beautiful antebellum homes, take a walk, gab on the porch or eat with. It was fun to work together to make meals and everyone eat together. Thank you to Cinders for the delicious ham, H & C for the tasty fish fry and GB and Sara Jean for the yummy Belgian Waffles. Everyone was pleasant, lots of laughing and I think by the pictures, you could tell how relaxed everyone was. Beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures made this the perfect time.

The antebellum homes and Civil War Eufaula Rifles living history encampment were so beautiful and amazing. The time period was 1861, Alabama had just seceded from the United States. At the encampment the Civil War soldiers (the Eufaula Boy Scouts) guided us on a tour of their camp. The white canvas tents, hardtack mush warming on the fire and the crack of musket fire took us all back to experience the Civil War in Eufaula for ourselves.

The seven antebellum homes we saw during the day and 4 by candlelight were completely restored. The murals, curtains, furnishings, lovely chandeliers and gardens were such a joy to see. The ladies in the hoop skirts and gentlemen in period clothes at the homes made us feel so welcome. The slow southern voices felt good to your ears. At many of the homes period musical instruments were played. I remember the beautiful hammered dulcimer, guitar, flute, piano and violin. Sometimes gentle songs from the past were sung as the instruments were played. A step back in time was such a pleasant experience.

Many thanks to H & C and everyone else who organized this.

Note to H: Hawk has good genes and probably a high metabolism. Thank you for the complement! I do love to cook.

Mrs. Hawkeye

Gettin' It Done

Well, I'm still comin' down from the high of being with beloved schoolmates in Eufaula.
These visits illuminate several things-

1. Chatting with Hawk and others at the gathering I'm convinced retirement won't be such a difficult adjustment.
And 2- I didn't allot nearly enough time to feel satisfied when we had to drive away. We need to do more of these sorts of things, and from the outset plan for more than a few days together. I know I say this every time but ask around and you'll find it's true-

If you miss these minis, you're really missing great memory-making times.

Now, some new business:

We're all lookin' forward to our next chance to meet, and right now that opportunity looks to be the Alumni Banquet on Saturday, June 12. Last year we effectively closed the banquet down and moved to a new venue, then closed that down too. Along the way we picked up some new Vandy's Kids, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the chance to really visit with one another. I've said before that I love these banquets because it's entirely likely you'll run into a schoolmate you haven't seen since graduation, or earlier. (You may remember last year I ran into my cousin Jim H., and I hadn't seem him since '64.)

But none of these events... the Alumni Banquet, the formal class reunions, or the minis, happens without someone taking the reins and getting the horse pointed in the right direction.
Yesterday I received this note from Mr. L. :

"(Greybeard),

I recently had correspondence with (Hatchet), a former student at CG. He informed me that a Mr. (Jack R.) who is in charge of the banquet was having trouble getting people to help with the 2010 CG Alumni Banquet, and wasn't sure if there would be one. Hatchet's health of late has prevented him from helping as he has in the past with the banquet. It might be wise for you to e-mail Hatchet by the e-mail address at the bottom of this correspondence.

Glad you all had a great time down south recently. My Franklin High School Class of '51 meet once a month at the Indiana Masonic Home in Franklin, IN for a breakfast get-together. WE, too, have kept close to one another through the years. I represent the communicator of the class keeping news, etc abreast of what is going on by e-mails, phone calls, and regular mailing. We have between 20-25 including spouses too. Our class graduated 66, 21 are now deceased. I also appreciated reading from Vandy's Kids all who had passed away. Behave but know that is hard for you to do.

Mr. L"

First, I'm sorry Hatchet is having health concerns. I know he stops by here now and then, so Hatchet-

Get well soon!

Secondly, I complained last year about the way ticket sales were handled...
That tickets were not available for purchase the night of the banquet. I understand why the committee did what they did... running out of food the year before was an embarrassment. But how did anyone know beforehand they would not be able to buy a ticket at the door? The Alumni website is a farce. (Most information there is over a year old.) Where must we go (other than here) for accurate information about Alumni activities? If the committee wants to attract larger crowds to these events, there needs to be a place to get timely, accurate information.
I suspect those on the committee may already feel overwhelmed by the tasks they must do to get the job done. So I suggest you do what I'm gonna do-
I'll email Hatchet and BobWhiteDan tomorrow to see if there is anything I can do to help. If you have Jack R's phone number or email, you might want to contact him and see if you can help pull the wagon. We have no right to complain unless we have tried to be part of the solution.

Now...
Friday has once again rolled around with no help from any of us.
Spring is springing and the Mayapples are popping up everywhere. I bet TC is out searching for Morels!
What about you? What are you doing?

Old Friend...New Friends

The drive was longer than it should've been, but Spring got a little farther along with each mile south.  We rarely see wysteria in Indiana, but here it grew wild and abundantly, often reaching the top of the tallest trees.  And it was in full bloom.  Taking the "scenic route" to avoid the stopped traffic on the 65S entrances in Nashville, we passed through a couple of beautiful towns we never would've seen otherwise.  It was worth the extra hour or so on the road.

When we reached our destination, a guy was in the front yard.  I asked him if he was with the Center Grove group, and he verified that he was.  After he introduced himself, I asked if he had any brothers.  Sure enough...I had graduated with his brother Terry.  Although Terry and I never ran in the same circles, I knew he was a nice guy.  His brother was bound to be the same.

We met everyone else there, and they were in the final stages of supper preparation.  We gladly accepted the invitation to share in the meal.  It had been a 12-hour trip and we were hungry.  The ham, green beans, and taters tasted great--so did dessert.  After the cleanup, we waited for the last couple to arrive.  GB and his wife were the only ones we'd met before.  We were strangers to the rest of the group, but I had a common thread with them--we were graduates of Center Grove High School.

Over the next few days, fish were caught, fish tales were told, and the fish was cleaned and fried.  We played "Hand and Foot" and I loved the card game so much that I've already ordered all the stuff I need from Amazon.  (I can't wait to teach my family.)  We toured southern mansions, gardens, and a plantation.  We enjoyed a few bottles of wine, and gave away a few bottles.  And although my husband and I planned on fishing, we enjoyed just sitting and visiting so much that we just stayed on land.  Besides, the real fishermen of the group were doing a great job, as you can see by the photo above.

I've met a lot of nice people in my life, but these old classmates were among the nicest I've ever met.  Not once did I feel out of place.  I think my husband and I have another set of friends, and we're looking forward to seeing everyone again and again.  Before the trip was over, I was thinking about the next trip.  Wherever it is, it's bound to be a fun time.

Thanks to all of you for extending your hands in friendship to us.  It's a blessing to get to know all of you.  And I've got a feeling that Mr. V. had a hand in orchestrating this whole thing.

Love to our new friends,

~Cissy (AKA: Helen)

OTD Eufaula

"Out The Door"

We're all on our way home. What a GREAT TIME!
Sara Jean and I just finished lunch here in the Krystal restaurant in Montgomery, Alabama. We have another 10 hours or so to drive, but it's wonderful weather for the trip.

Several VK's got great pics, to include the 6 ib. 6 oz bass Harry caught. Beautiful!

Open forum time.
Tell us your news. We'll fill in more details about Eufaula when we unwind from the trip.

Eufaula- "Coming Attractions"

I haven't discussed it in a while. I thought we had the problem licked but it's a tough one, and she has regressed...
QVC addiction.
And one of the main problems is that I am sometimes "co-dependent".
"Look at this!", she'll exclaim. "Isn't that a GREAT deal?!!"
And when I look, of course IT IS a great deal.
Example:
I LOVE Belgian waffles. For a long time I had my eye on a waffle maker at Macy's. The price was too dear for me to pull the trigger, but I went in one day and they had reduced the price. I commented to Sara Jean that if they reduced it further I'd buy the thing.
Next time we were in, it was sold...
No plans to restock it.

Late January, she gave me a big box to open for my birthday.
When I opened it, there was my Belgian waffle maker!
QVC was selling them, and they had them at a considerable discount over the one I was watching at Macy's. I found a "Best" recipe online and we've made waffles with it almost every weekend since January. They're so good they make you want to smack your Grandma!

We're bringing the waffle maker with us to Eufaula. We'll take a consensus vote, and one morning we'll be making breakfast and Belgian waffles will be served overlooking the lake.
Do you want to miss that?
I didn't think so.
But... if she's still living, you'd better warn your Grandma.

When It's Windy It's Wendy or Windy:

And boy has it been windy here! Last night, a flight that normally takes 40 minutes took almost an hour... I was buckin' a 30 knot headwind. The only thing good about it? The 42-year old female stroke victim was the beneficiary of almost a 30 knot tailwind on the way to get the help she needed. In the midst of a terrible situation, she got a little blessing.

Are you counting your blessings on these windy days?
Tell us about it.

A Sad Update

TD has been in touch with Louise (A.) F., CGHS '64, and she updated him with the names of several folks she knew that have passed that were not on our Memorial. TD added the names there.
Reading many of them brought back a flood of memories.
See if you have the same experience.

Open All Night

I've always been a nightowl. Back in the days we were walking the creaking floors of the old middle building my Friday and Saturday nights would find me awake until 3 A.M. or so, then sleeping in until 11-12 O'Clock.
(And that sleep schedule made Monday mornings mighty difficult.)
But thinkin' about those days dredged a couple stories up from 'way back in the grey matter-

The Greybeard garage was a place to congregate.
A great tool inventory, plenty of available light, Jacks/jackstands, a lift for pulling engines, and a radio for top 40, news, weather, and sports.
Near perfection.
It was perfectly normal to find several teen-aged boys changing a clutch/pressure plate/throwout bearing at 1 A.M. Saturday morning at Greybeard's folk's place. We'd listen to Rock-n-Roll on WIBC until midnight, then when "Dawnbeat" came on we'd try switching over to WLS out of Chicago so we didn't have to listen to the elevator music Dawnbeat offered. Sometimes Dick Biondi would be on WLS... (Remember "Greasy Kid Stuff"?)

Fond memories...
And part of the reason they are fond memories is because IF, in the middle of our mechanic-ing efforts we broke something or found something worn out that we didn't expect, we knew we could call "Hi-Way Parts" and check to see if they had what we needed. Hi-Way Parts was "Open All Night"!
I wish I had a nickel for every muffler and tailpipe I've changed in the wee hours using parts procured from Hi-Way parts...
I could now buy a fine cuppa Joe!

When the wrench-twisting was done and our stomachs were growling, we'd head to the newly opened "White Castle" on Madison Avenue...
Open All Night...
What an interesting place to be at 3 A.M.! It's understatement to say the clientele there at that hour was "diverse".
I can remember standing in line with TPO one morning when he informed me the reason White Castle's burgers were so cheap was because they were made from "lame cows". White Castle got 'em for bottom dollar 'cause no one else wanted 'em!
At the cash register, the name-tag on the gal said "Betty", and beneath that it said "Manager".
From that point on, any time we saw her we referred to her as "Betty Manager". Betty Manager tolerated us with a big smile.

It may have been that same morning that a VERY drunk, mid-twenties black man in front of me started singing...
"La di dah di di... La di dah di die." (Sonny's part from Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On".)
He turned to me and with a mostly-toothy grin and said, "I wrote that!"
"You wrote what?"
"That part of that song. They couldn't figure out what to put in there, so they called me. I told them what to put in there."

So now you can imagine what I think of every time I hear Sonny singing on the radio:
"La di dah di di... La di dah di die"... even these fifty or so years later.

Now...
Echo is knee deep in a Real Estate deal.
Cissy is thinking about going postal at her new/old job.
Rita is overworked and she and Bob need a trip to Alabama.
HF is thinkin' about catching fish.
GB and Sara Jean are headed to L.A. to visit Big Bubba this weekend.
Many of us are looking forward to fine fellowship and an adult beverage while overlooking lovely Lake Eufaula.
It's Friday Forum time.
Tell us...
What's upcoming on your agenda?

See The Eufaula Alligators!

H&C warn that expecting your GPS to get ya there may getcha in trouble. I've personally come to depend so heavily on "Carmen the Garmin" that I frequently cannot tell you which direction I'm going, (and for a pilot, that's a Cardinal sin!) But GPS leading us astray? I'll wager this is one of those situations where the GPS will do fine until we get onto some of the uncharted two-lane roads down close to the Lake.
SO.... in order for ya to arrive safely and non-frazzled, instructions are provided:

From the South:
Take Hwy 431 North towards Eufaula, AL out of Dothan
From the Headland Hardee’s on 431 go 33.3 miles
Turn Right on Hwy 95 – Go 4 miles
Turn Left on Old River Road (Same as Hwy 97) – Go 4 miles ( Turns in front of Church on Left as you start to go up hill)
Turn Left (stay on 97… hwy 93 goes straight) – Go 2 miles
Englewood entrance located on left side of road
Turn Left on Galaxie Drive
Take First Right on South Galaxie
Go to dead end stop and turn Right on Englewood
5th cabin on left just around the curve (459 Englewood Drive)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the North:
Take Hwy 431 South to Eufaula, AL
From the Eufaula Wal-Mart located on 431 travel 5.7 miles South
Turn Left on Hwy 95 – Go 4 Miles
Turn Left on Old River Road (Same as Hwy 97) – Go 4 miles ( Turns in front of Church on Left as you start to go up hill)
Turn Left (stay on 97… hwy 93 goes straight) – Go 2 miles
Englewood entrance located on left side of road
Turn Left on Galaxie Drive
Take First Right on South Galaxie
Go to dead end stop and turn Right on Englewood
5th cabin on left just around the curve (459 Englewood Drive)

Don't be confused... use of the term "Cabin" above does not mean we'll be staying in "Cabins".
We'll actually be in tall cotton. We have two full-size, gen-U-WINE homes reserved and we're still looking for schoolmates to fill vacancies. Why not do something out of the ordinary, you "stick in the mud, boring person"? Surprise yourself and everyone else by doing something a little crazy and spontaneous... head to the Deep South for fun, relaxation, and ALLIGATORS!
From previous experience I know the week will start with smiles and hugs and from that point will only improve. And you're gonna risk missing this?
Are you CRAZY?!!

Once again it's Friday open forum time...
Let 'er rip!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN-Tampa, Fl to Greenwood, IN

Hello everyone, Mrs. Hawk here, today is the morning after.....Hawk and I left Tampa yesterday at 9:11 AM and I was driving. We knew there was rain ahead before we got out of Florida, but did not realize how much. Sheets of gray pouring rain made driving 15 to 20 MPH the best we could do. Stopping for gas just before Gainesville, FL when the rain let up a little and being blocked in by a fire truck and an ambulance at the gas station was our first blessing (a lady in the bay next to us had some kind of medical problem and the emergency trucks were there for her). Back on the road, and rain not so bad, but traffic soon came to a stop. As we edged forward slowly, we came upon an accident with 9 cars smashed like coke cans. The cars were scattered for maybe 1/4 mile on either side of 75 North. Only one police car had arrived on the scene, the accident had just happened. Had we not stopped for gas and been blocked in by emergency trucks........

During the rain, I was driving. I kept commenting to Bob the way we were bumping along. I thought it was caused by the heavy rain I was driving through. After the rain slowed down, I could still feel the bump, but reasoned it must be the road.

I missed our exit for 10 West and we had to turn around. At this time the car gave a warning message of "low tire pressure". We stopped, Hawk checked our tires and found a bulge on the left front tire. A steel belt had separated. Using the GPS Hawk found a tire store 1.7 miles away. We got a new tire and were back on the road at 3 PM. It was 6 hours after we left Tampa and we had traveled 175 miles. Our second blessing was not having that tire cause us to crash........

About 5:30PM yesterday, March 11th, and in beautiful sunshine we passed through Chipply, Florida, home of Carol and Harry F. Such a nice town. We had to get to Montgomery, Alabama where our overnight reservations were, or we would have made contact with them. We will see them in 3 weeks in Eufalla and will visit then.

This morning we see again rain ahead for our trip home up 65 North. Looks like the bad storms are now over Atlanta. By God's Grace we will be home to Greenwood tonight.

Peace and love, Mrs. Hawk

vacations

Moribund?
Dormant, maybe, but not moribund (I hope).

Anyhow, I haven't been on in awhile and then I find I'm listed as dormant & moribund.
Ha ha. I don't mind, at least I'm not alone.

I have a little story about Lake Eufaula, it goes like this:
My ex-husband has relatives in Southern Georgia and every year (sometimes twice a year) he and his fishing buddies would take his bass boat and head to Eufaula and stay with his cousins. They caught tons of bass. He would take the video camera and tape the dead fish they caught lying on the picnic tables. A simple picture would suffice, but he had to use the video of dead fish lying there! Then all summer, here in IN, he would go fishing on weekends at Lake Monroe, Patoka Lake, or wherever he heard the fishing was good. He even entered contests.
I was never asked to go to Eufaula, not that I would have anyhow, but it would have been a nice vacation for me and the kids.

Meanwhile, my sister-in-law (she being a single mom of 2) and I, with my 2 kids, would make a yearly trip to Disney World in Orlando. Now, don't you think a husband & wife should take vacations together? Especially when they have kids? In the whole 18 years I was married, I think we took, maybe, 4 or 5 vacations as a family.

I'm not trying to be a downer and I'm sure Eufaula is beautiful; all I saw of it was a video of dead fish lying on a picnic table, but I just had to put my 2 cents worth in. Ha!
I hope you all have a wonderful time, really. But for me Eufaula leaves a bad taste in my mouth and is definitely one of the reasons I am no longer married.
Joker

It's March!

Well, here we are. Time flies, doesn't it? Buds on trees here look ready to burst. We've had a couple 50+ degree days here when the breeze blowing out of the South made it impossible to deny Spring is just around the corner. Soon the Willows will be green and Dogwoods will be in bloom...
A wonderful time of year.

The countdown to Eufaula has also begun. I've been working 56-hour weeks for what seems to be forever, so I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to rising in late morning, pouring a cuppa Joe, sitting in a chair overlooking the lake and visiting with whomever happens to be within arm's reach. If that sounds like good duty to you, we still have plenty of room for you to join us. Get in touch with me, TD, or H&C and we'll add your name to the list. Details are available at links in posts below, so check it out and get the ball rollin'!

Ferdy left a comment at the post immediately below this one about Jim Robinson's Mother. Anyone with more information, please update us.

I'm convinced Sara Jean has a mild case of pneumonia. She's been hacking now for more than two weeks. She feels fine until she climbs stairs or otherwise taxes her body. TD said he has something similar, and the last time I chatted with him he said he believes he's finally on the road to recovery. There's still lots of stuff running around to catch, so take care of yourselves and don't let your immunity get weak. Obviously, we can thank God the predicted Swine Flu pandemic was another false alarm.

Now... it's Friday again. You've got news to share, haven't you?