Dan McCabe

Patty and I went to wife Patty's 40th High School reunion, Class of 1970 Corvallis High School, Corvallis, Oregon this weekend. estimates for the class size were around 625. they had a band ranked #4 in the national battle of the bands competition back then who regrouped for the reunion. We danced our legs off and felt 17 again.

It wasn't our F-M 40th but it was a good time for all. Our class of 66 is one super group of people.

Thanks for blogging and generally cheering us all on.

Dan

Janice Cook Falvo

I am truly blessed, I have five wonderful children and seven grandchildren. We are retiring at the end of Dec. then on to Florida till April! 'Life is good'!!

Dan Sheedy

Debby,

I just visited the class blog and read all the entries. Very interesting. Some of our classmates have had distinguished careers and it amazes me to read about so many who have grandchildren. I still have a teenager living at home!
I recently had a nice long chat with Bob Pellenz who now lives in Tennessee. He has remarried since the death of his wife Joyce and seems very happy.
I hope all is well with you.

Dan

Just a couple more

Jim Myers Photos

Penrose Zimmerman Jackson

Reporting in from Northern Vermont in mid-August of the most glorious summer we've had in years; perhaps ever. The high point of the summer (so far) was a family reunion of sorts ... all four of my husband Schuyler's kids, all seven grandkids, and one spouse-in-law joined us at our tiny camp near St. Regis Falls in the northern Adirondacks. Here's a picture of 6 of the seven grands on Jose, our '64 Dodge pickup.
The camp includes the original cabin ... all 300 square feet of it ... a guest cabin with two bedrooms and huge screened porch (added by us) ... a pond of about 5 acres populated with an uncounted legion of leeches (if you stay on the surface, you're mostly safe) ... and about 50 acres of woods, some tended; some wild. We've had it about 15 years, and count ourselves as very lucky. The region is poor, poor, poor and our spot is definitely off the beaten track. The nearest real town (St. Regis Falls) has been in economic decline since the chair factory burned ... in 1906 or so. The regional high school serves 6 or 7 towns and last year had a graduating class of less than 20. People take good care of us, but you have to wonder what will -- in the end -- become of the human culture in the region.
Reading? Just finished Pearl by Anchee Min, a fictionalized account of Pearl Buck's early years in China and what happened to the people and community she left behind. Have become something of a fan of Eric Kraft's "Peter Leroy" series. Leroy, Kraft's alter-ego, lives in a fictionalized world of Babbington, NY in the mid-to-late 20th century. Many of his experiences and the world he describes definitely remind me of life in Central New York at pretty much the same time. The two books I've read so far are Herb 'n Lorna, which recounts Leroy's grandparents very interesting parallel life's occupations (known to each but not known to the other) and Leaving Small's Island. The latter account is about Peter Leroy and his wife's challenges in managing Small's Island/Hotel just a quick launch ride across the Sound from Babbington. At least three levels of story. Kraft disguises some very fine writing skills in humor. Fun.
Looming on the horizon ... going back to school in two weeks! First time in about 38 years ... distance learning graduate certificate program from St. Louis University (no on-campus work, so no overnights with Debby!) to get a Certificate in Community Benefit. If I survive and if I still think graduate-level work is a good idea, the 18 credits I'll earn will take me halfway to a Masters in Public Health. Stay tuned ... 6 credit hours for three straight semesters.
What was I thinking?

Penrose Jackson nee Penny Zimmerman

Jim Myers

Early this summer Marsha and I got out of the nasty Phoenix heat for a while to spend a great week in Idaho and Montana in late June and early July. The plan for this all started a year ago summer when my son Ed was about to turn 40. We wanted to take him on a trip or climb a mountain or do something big for his birthday. He told us that he had just signed up to run the Ironman race in Coeur d’Alene on June 27, 2010, and he would really like us to come along and be his “support” team. We of course agreed, and just to make up for the fact that he would have to wait a year to redeem his gift, we told him that, after the race, we would drive him down to Darby, MT for a few days of R&R at Triple Creek Ranch, our favorite outdoor getaway. It’s owned by some close friends, and this year it actually won Travel and Leisure magazine’s award as the #1 small resort in the world. See http://www.triplecreekranch.com/ if you’re addicted to the outdoors but you also want luxurious accommodations with gourmet food and wine every night. This is our idea of “roughing it!”

Anyway, we arrived in Idaho the day before the big race and checked into the Coeur d’Alene Resort, a beautiful high-rise hotel and marina overlooking the lake. Ed swam some practice laps while I fussed around with my cameras, shooting some video and getting started on what we all envisioned would eventually become the definitive “Ironman Ed” documentary.

You cannot imagine the scope of an event like this until you’ve seen one for yourself. Three thousand amateur athletes compete in an all-day race: A 2.5 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bicycle race, followed by a 26 mile marathon run. The start was amazing: All three thousand contestants were lined up shoulder to shoulder on the beach about 20-30 ranks deep, when the gun went off and all of them started running into the water, pounding against one another, jockeying for position. Ed told us later that, just to protect themselves in the crush, most of the women entrants actually began the race swimming with closed fists until the ranks spread out a bit. It was quite a sight.

We were, of course, very proud of our son, who completed the whole ordeal in 12 hours flat with a big smile on his face, getting high-fives all around from the thousands of fans who lined the final quarter mile all the way to the finish line. It was a truly great day… one we will never forget.

The following days in Montana were a blur of outdoor activity. Ed and I hired a fly-fishing guide and caught some cutthroat trout on a half-day float down the West Fork of the Bitterroot River. We also took an early morning hike up to the clouds surrounding snow-capped Trapper Peak. Marsha and I rode horses for hours at a time with our friends through some of the high country around the ranch, soaked in our private hot tub looking out over the mountains, and one day she spent several hours spotting birds, deer, elk and other wildlife with the ranch’s naturalist Bill McConnell.

Later in the week Ed, exhilarated but rested, traveled back home to Virginia, while Marsha and I moved 5 miles up the river to stay a few more nights with another couple we know who own a home right on the waterfront. Our friend Jim Allred taught Marsha to flycast and walked her right into the river to catch her first trout. On another day the four of us drove and hiked up to the barren rocks of the Bear Creek Overlook for a picnic and some beautiful photography. Jim and I startled a Momma Moose and her calf early one morning as we parked his truck at the trail head to Boulder Creek Falls, where we logged about four miles on foot along a swift running stream to a spectacular 200-foot long cataract cascading over sheer rock. Finally, on Sunday we all went back to the ranch for their big annual 4th of July barbecue bash, complete with fireworks display and horseback riding in the dark. It seemed like the ten days passed in a blink, a whole summer’s worth of fun in way too short a time.

By the way, the Ironman Ed video turned out pretty darned well, and we were able to share it with the whole family a few weeks later when most of us were in Washington, D.C. for my nephew Todd’s wedding. When and if I get around to posting it on YouTube I’ll give you the link!

Jim Myers

Aarne Anton

Great to see pictures of older classmates and the various directions our lives have taken. I'm living in the country north of NYC with my son Willi and wife Tina and 2 cats. I have 2 grown up daughters living in California and have a new grandson I recently visited. I've had an art gallery in the big city for the past 20 years - American Primitive Gallery and show contemporary outsider art as well as American Folk Art. Art nourishes my soul as well as gardening and music. Studied geology for awhile at the University of Rochester and then went to the School of Visual Arts in NYC that lit my fire.

How Common is Glaucoma?

How Common is Glaucoma?
It is difficult to give an accurate answer to this question. The numbers of those afflicted actually depend on the definition of glaucoma, on the ethnic group being studied and on the population’s mean age. Figures indicate that, on average, 2% of the general population over the age of forty is afflicted with glaucoma, but only half of these people are aware of their condition. When only older populations are considered, the numbers are significantly higher.
It is estimated that about 70 million people worldwide have relevant glaucomatous damage. The condition is now the second most common cause of preventable blindness (after cataract) in the world. At least seven million glaucoma patients are blind in both eyes and this number is increasing.

http://www.glaucoma-association.com/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1581&=fromcfc&tt=article&lang=am&site_id=0 click on this link for information

My Mother's Things

Three years ago when I first started with the change in my Mother's life in NC, I was going through her papers and I came across a program from 1945. It was in a folder that had Save, Frank Sinatra's autograph.
I came across it again going through stuff in my basement. I tried to research it. My mother worked at the Whitehouse during the Roosevelt administration. She attended this function in the Statler Hotel in Washington in January 1945. It was a program to honor Roosevelt and Truman put on by The 1000 Club of the USA. The main speaker was Orson Welles. The toastmaster was George Jessel and the singer/entertainer was the young and new Frank Sinatra. His name was written next to his printed name in the program. Unfortunately I never got the opportunity to question my mother about this.
I couldn't find any information about the 1000 Club. But another significant point, was that Roosevelt passed away in April, just 3 months later. Well, I thought I had a gold mine.
I contacted some autograph places out west and here in St. Louis. I got different quote amounts from $400 to $150. Then I was told I would have to authenticate the signature which would cost around $200. I finally heard from one last autograph expert who told me it was not Frank Sinatra's signature. He had compared it to known signatures and this did not resemble these at all. I looked on EBay and saw for myself that this indeed did not look like any Frank Sinatra signature. It looks like someone just wrote his name.
I thought that since my mother had been at the function, that it was a genuine signature.
It was sort of interesting and fun to imagine it being the real thing but I guess not. (:

Heard from

Duncan Hamilton
Coby Rising
Camp Tellman
Tom Weller

Ralph Braun

It's been a busy, hot , humid summer so far. I know that it has been simmering down there as well. This has also been our worst mosquito year yet, with no end in sight.
I went to a Naval squadron reunion in Charleston SC. back in May and had a great time with many old shipmates from 40 years ago. We stopped at the carrier Yorktown,in Charleston harbor. It's a museum now, sunk in the mud. There is a great collection of old aircraft and memorabilia on board. A friend and I found an example of one our old helicopters on the flight deck and surreptitiously "Tagged" it with our squadron numbers, HC-7. We didn't feel bad about it since they had not begun restoration and it would be all redone anyway at some point plus this was one of the many ships our squadron was on at some point during Viet Nam.

Charleston is beautiful old historic southern belle but already hot in May. After Charleston, a squadron friend and family stopped by Madison on their way back to Montana from the reunion. We managed to park his 38 ft. trailer out in front and had a great few days of visiting and "barley pops" and telling lies. Then Carol and I went out to Ohio for a family reunion on her side. We visited there for a week and returned in time for her cousin from Germany to arrive. He was with us for a couple of fine weeks . Carol speaks fluent German but I am only able to generally understand their conversations. What a dynamic, indomitable man. He has had a stroke, prostate cancer and a heart attack but it has not slowed him or diminished his spirit or zest for life. He travels constantly and even spent some months in England learning English and this at 76.
Assorted relatives have been and gone with Carol's daughter, three little ones and dog arriving next week and another daughter coming up from Fl. in September. My son had planned a visit from Hong Kong but I guess that isn't working out. I have had a couple of visits with my daughter in Milwaukee which is always great. I don't get to see either of them often enough.We take as many long weekends as we can 'Up North" at our place in northern Wi. It's such a treat to get to the lake and swim and boat in that crystal clear water. That sounds good about now, since it's 92 and humid. I've rambled far too long.
take care and be well
Ralph

Dan Sheedy

I have spent the entire summer thus far at my little place on the St Lawrence River, mostly with my Golden Retriever Bailey. She is my constant, faithful companion. She had her spleen removed earlier this spring. We were told it was probably a malignancy and would not result in a positive outcome. However, we elected to pause, collect ourselves and get a second opinion. Not only did she come through surgery well (for an 11 year old), it turned out to be non-malignant and the old girl is fine! Disaster avoided.
Other than some odd mechanical problems with my boat, it has been a fine season so far. Plenty of sunshine and HOT weather.
My younger son Jonathan continues to work and live at home. Not interested in college at this point.
Ben, the older son, just finished a 5 week program at Harvard (today, in fact). Conducted by the Moscow Theatre Arts School, it concentrates on the Stanislovsky school of method acting. I have no idea what it all means. He'll audition again in January for graduate schools, looking to start a year from now.
I'm still actively pursuing my career doing voiceover work.
I hope all is well with you.
Best,
Dan

Bailey enjoying a summer dip

Tom Weller

It's Tom's birthday today.
Happy birthday!

Guy Beck's Birthday Today 8/3

Happy Birthday Guy

Finally Magazine August 2010

The magazine for baby boomers

http://www.finallymagazine.com/