Aarne Anton

Another classmate located and found. Great to hear from Aarne. Have requested a current photo. Let me know if you'd like his email address.

1966

Karen Whorrall Corliss

Debby

I am glad you found me. I am glad to be able to be in contact with our friends from school. I live in West Monroe, snow country have lived here 31 years.
Hope to hear from everyone.

Sandy Jackson Epoch

Everything fine here in Texas!

After the busy holiday season, my commitment turned to preparing my grandson, Dylan, for major surgery. He has Pectus Excavatum or sunken chest and was operated on January 14th. His preop visits confirmed that he had to have the surgery. He is a trooper at four years old and having all ribs and breastbone cracked to do a reconstruction of cartilage to support the chest wall and move his heart back in place. After the 3-4 hour operation, it only took him two days to get up and visit the hospital playroom and start bowling on the wii. He has been housebound for two weeks with two more weeks to go(short walks only). Next two months, low key exercise, then baring any complications, ready to hit the soccer fields.

It's been both real cold and in the 70's the past couple of weeks, I can't say what we are in for for the rest of the winter. I am hoping to travel to San Diego this spring, Syracuse, via Tennessee to visit my sister, sometime this summer and back to San Diego in the fall. It all depends on Dylan's recovery and my first Social Security check.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday and are staying warm this winter. It sounds like crazy weather everywhere. GO SU

Sandy from Texas today

Only 2

My goodness -- only 2 people responded to my email for news for the blog. That's a big disappointment. Usually I get about 10. But 2, that's a new low.

Deborah Larus Doolittle

Raquel, Lawanda and Maria and Millie (90 yrs) -- caregivers at Dolan Residential Care Center

Had a big scare over the weekend. Got a call from the administrator of my mother's residence saying she was shaking and would not get out of bed. I said don't do anything until I get there. 45 minutes later I was standing there saying call 911 for an ambulance. She had involuntary muscle spasms in her face and arms. That began a 6 hour odyssey in the ER of the closest hospital. She had all the conventional tests done. It was not a stroke and no reason was given for the spasms except a possible reaction to a drug she has been taking. It was finally decided to admit her to the hospital for observation overnight. .........Fortunately after a Parkinson drug was administered and an antibiotic for two infections, the spams stopped sometime in the night. .... The attending Dr. released her to go home. Almost a week later, she is fine and doesn't remember a thing. What an ordeal though. She is fine now. Thank heavens.

Dan Sheedy

Hi Debby,
Just returned from NY and New Haven where my eldest son auditioned for graduate schools. Saturday he performed for NYU, the American Conservatory Theatre and Harvard. Sunday, it was Yale. A grueling weekend, but he held up well and came away from each audition feeling positive.
Now we wait for letters from the schools.
Jon, my youngest, is on hiatus from college while he decides what he wants to do next.
I'm definitely not enjoying retirement. Not geared for it.

Good to hear from you.

Larry English

Spent a lovely week prior to Christmas resting in the sun, sand and surf at The Ritz Carlton Resort in St Thomas (beach picture attached). Weather was sunny and mid-eighties all week. Nice breeze blowing all of the time. Sprinkled a few times, mostly at night, but by and large it was perfect steady 85 degrees every day. I can highly recommend the resort to anyone planning a trip to St Thomas. Staff was excellent, facilities were great and a lot of water sports supported right on site. It is located on a protected bay at the east end of the island, not real easy to drive to, but a lovely area. Got a chance to read 2 books while there, the “Outlier’s” by Malcolm Caldwell and “Too Big to Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin. “Outliers” is an interesting thesis about the roots of successful people and institutions, anyone would likely enjoy it. While “Too Big to Fail” probably won’t win any Oprah book awards, you have to be interested in the world of Wall Street to wade through those 624 pages.

Our flooring business continues to go gang busters, working 6 days a week, one month after the other of record shipments. Not sure how long it can last, but things look sound through the spring for sure. Looking forward to spring, so far some strategic AWD car maneuvers have allowed me to skid up the driveway without a single snow blower session this season. Warmed up overnight so all the snow is now gone, totally vindicating my strategy. I am shooting for one entire winter without a single snow blowing session. If I wasn’t so cheap and would hire it done, but where is the challenge in that??!! Wish me luck.

That is about all the news fit to print from the English household.

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR NECK OF THE WOODS?

NEED NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE BLOG. PLEASE CONTRIBUTE.

Tom Weller

Sunsets in San Diego

There are times when we begin to wonder about living in San Diego. Most days, the news is not good. Record deficits, loss of services, City Services being cut back, the housing debacle, our Governator screaming gloom and doom. Then all it takes sometimes is a 10 minute drive to the beach to reinforce the reasons for being here. The pics are from Saturday and Sunday evening. I think they pretty much say it all.

Take care.

Tom

Memorial Blog

http://fm66memorial.blogspot.com/

Question

So what happened to the memorial blog?

Mr. Stone "Stoney" passed away yesterday

William F. “Bill” Stone, 77, of Manlius, died Saturday at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Bill has been a resident of St. Camillus for over a year. Bill known to many of his friends as “Stoney” was born October 6, 1932 to the late Raymond and Gladys McMahon Stone. Bill graduated from Oswego High School and SUNY Oswego. Bill served in the Army, stationed in Saudi Arabia. His graduate studies were at Oswego, Cortland and Syracuse University. Bill was an industrial arts teacher at Fayetteville-Manlius High School for 31 years. He taught mechanical drawing, metal working, graphic arts, driver education and screen printing (a course he developed). While at F-M he served as varsity football coach for eight years, golf coach for nine years and he was the athletic equipment manager. He was timekeeper for the FM basketball and lacrosse teams, coached boys varsity bowling and filmed the football games. While at FM he also worked with the FM Industrial Communication Center in prepress work for the FM News and other publications. He hand-lettered every Regents Diploma. He was active in the Onondaga County Coaches Association. Following retirement he ran a successful screen print business called LaPierre Shirts & Hats. His love for choral music began at St. Mary’s in Oswego where he was a choir boy and later in the men’s choir. During these years he sang in select groups in High School and SUNY Oswego. He was a communicant of St. Ann’s Church in Manlius where he was a member of the choir and often soloist. During the Christmas season, Bill wore a familiar red suit at many parties and events. Bill enjoyed sports, especially SU and the Yankees. He also enjoyed trips in the motor home, going to auctions, bowling and golf. Bill has been an active member of the Archie Van Patten American Legion Post 141 in Manlius, Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Council 5171 and an honorary member of the Fayetteville Fire Department. Bill is survived by Rita, his wife of 50 years; his children, Connie (David) English, Marge LaVancher (John Zych), Raymond, and Lorraine (Thomas T.J.) Reynolds; grandchildren, Sheila and Kristen English, Emily Stone, Shannon and Andrew Reynolds; his brother, Robert (Jeanne) of Oswego; sister Irene Dziura of Whitesboro; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and Godchildren. The family would like to thank the many doctors and nurses at Upstate, St. Joseph's and Community Hospitals and all those who have helped Bill at St. Camillus. Services: 10:15 am Wednesday at Newell-Fay Funeral Home and 11:00 am at St. Ann’s Church, Manlius. Burial will be in Manlius Village Cemetery. Calling hours will be 4:00 to 7:00 pm Tuesday at the funeral home, 8171 Cazenovia Rd. (Rt. 92), Manlius. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Kidney Transplant Unit at Upstate Hospital, 750 E. Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210.

My Christmas Dogs

Mavis

Bailey

Savana

Christmas with my mother

I debated for days whether to bring my mother to our house for Christmas day. I finally decided a few hours would be all right even though I would have to drive 100 miles in total to do this. One roung trip is 50 miles. Unfortunately it had started to snow. By the time I was almost home, the streets were treacherous. But we eventually made it.

My mother was fine. Happy and smiling. We had lunch. I decided against a big meal, I didn't think that would work. About 3 o'clock we decided to make the trip back to my mother's residence. She didn't want to go. She thought she was home. Couldn't get her coat on. Couldn't get her into the car. All the way back she wanted John to stop the car so she could get out and go home. This was difficult. Once back at Dolan House she was all right. The aides was very helpful and got her situated.

For people with Dementia, change is very difficult so actually doing this was not a good idea for the disruption it caused my mother.

WoodPeckers

Once again Woodpeckers are destroying our cedar sided house. Once they peck their way into the siding other birds rush in to get warm. We find insulation puffing around. If we can reach the holes, we fill them but many are above the reach of our ladders thus initiating handyman help and fees.

I have fake woodpeckers around the house to deter and lots of suet but it still doesn't beat me running outside in my pj's with a pellet gun to fire away. The pecking resounds especially when a large fellow gets going. Right now I'm looking at my feeders that are covered with red winged blackbirds, cardinals and yes, woodpeckers.

January 2010 Finally Magazine

The online magazine for Baby Boomers

http://www.finallymagazine.com/

Happy New Year 2010