President's Day

I feel challenged

My husband John gave me an Ipod Nano for Christmas 2 years ago for me to use when I walked and exercised. I have not used it. It's been sitting on a charger. Now I would like to download a song and I didn't know what to do. I tried reading the 70 page user guide but it didn't help. I went to Best Buy and was helped by a very nice young woman. My Ipod nano is ancient now. It's 4 x 2 and the new ones are a little bitty square like 1 1/2 x 1 1/2. I started to get very anxious and claustrophobic like life is passing me by and I didn't even know it. LOL I had to get out of the store. It was too loud and too disturbing. I'm still out of sorts. You think you know what you're doing and then you don't.
I went to the St. Louis Bread Co. for a mocha latte and scone. I decided to try texting. I thought I had no need to text but I can see I was wrong. It worked. I typed a short message and got an immediate response from both people I sent to. It was better than talking. I really don't like talking on the phone. I find it awkward.
Feeling better now.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Snow, snow, and more snow! Melinda Mussi Lockwood

Well, it is Sunday, February 6 and we are still here! Last week, as many of you know and many of you experienced, we had a tremendous snowfall. We measured 18" in 24 hours at our house north of Columbia, Missouri. Spent the day Tuesday keeping the deck cleared for the dogs, keeping our "bridge" to Charlie's shop cleared and keeping our path to the woodpile as free of snow as we could.

In the midst of the fun, our son's house sold! All of us were amazed and pleased that it sold so quickly! I guess if your home is well-built and the right buyers come along, you are good to go. All that is left is the inspection which will take place as soon as the driveway is cleared. Amazingly, the gal who sold them their home sold over 70 homes last year even though the market was down. She's just a super competent/confident businesswoman!

My husband, Charlie & I (he is responsible for 95%) shoveled our 150-foot long driveway as the man who normally does our plowing had a problem with his hydraulic system. Suffice to say, we have a single-lane driveway now with a small turn around at the end point which is in front of the Jeep. I have a Pathfinder and Charlie has a Jeep - thank goodness fir 4-wheel drive!

What did we do to pass the time? Well, for starters we made sure our oil lamps were filled and our wood supply was dry. Although we have a conventional heating system, we knew that if the furnace went out (which can always happen in a storm like we had), we would need to rely on our trusty wood stove for heat, cooking, and hot water. Fortunately, none of this came to pass. We sure enjoyed the wood stove anyway.

Charlie worked on canoe paddles (ThetisPaddles.com). He makes and sells canoe paddles with bamboo blades. They're very popular. I read and sewed. Got a new machine a month or so ago and am taking classes to learn the digitizing software I purchased with it so I can created and digitize my own designs. My goal is to "do" a picture of Jason & Katie's new home by next Christmas. I am confident that I will be proficient enough by then to carry out the design. For those of you who sew, I got a Bernina 830. Love it and am happy to report that, just as their motto says, "nothing sews like a Bernina, nothing." The "funest" part of all was that on the day I purchased my machine I had been attending a day-long Bernina event at my dealer's store in Barnet, MO. The event was held for two days with a drawing for a Bernina 210 (entry-level machine) being the grand prize. Well, much to my surprise, I won the 210! I waited to claim it until I started digitizing software class as his shop is about an hour away and I couldn't see the point of driving all that way just to pick up the machine. My granddaughter is the recipient of her first Bernina.

The shop is Top Stitch Sewing in Barnet, Missouri. It is owned by a Mennonite man and is staffed by Mennonites as well. When you walk in his shop, you are greeted by people who are warm, patient, and so kind and very very knowledgeable about all of the machines they sell (Bernina, Tin Lizzy)! Well, Timothy is the largest Bernina dealer in the state and this man is the best salesman I have ever had the pleasure to know. That is how I ended up with an 830!

Great snowstorm! Lovin it and really enjoyed staying home last week. The University of Missouri was closed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday - unheard of! Took good advantage of the time to do the things I like to do but never seem to have enough time to do.

Hope any of you who also weathered the storm enjoyed it as much as we!

Camilla Zankowski Daniels

Our daughter-in-law, Gina and our grandaughter, Ilsa were in a head-on collision about four weeks ago. Everyone's mending. However, Ben, our son, Jerry and I have been quite busy keeping two households running.
In my quiet moments I've read, The Various Flavors of Coffee and The Last Stand of Major Pettigrew. Just started The Help. Can'sleep: read.
My sister, Maribeth retired from the U. S. State Department on January 1, 2011.
Hope all is well, in spite of all the snow, wind, cold,sleet and ice.

Gerry Phillips

Well we don't have the snow but it has been cold (48 degrees) in the AM warming and sunny to 66 on most days. I have been retired from Xerox for almost 4 years and don't miss it one bit. Denise is still employed at Hoag Hospital as she still likes the challenge of Organization Development. We try to get two vacation each year one for us and one with the kids and grandchildren. This year it was Kauai in December and taking the kids to a all inclusive in the Dominican Republic early March.
I spend most of my free time riding either my bicycle or BMW motorcycle and doing projects around the house. Check out Face Book for the latest pictures on the backyard project, should be finished next weekend.
Having survived a couple bouts with cancer (gone now) I keep a positive attitude about life and look forward to every new day. The future, no plan to ever leave Huntington Beach and take time to visit as many exciting places in my bucket list as possible.

Dan Sheedy

Despite all the hype and hysteria, this has been just an average winter in upstate New York. Much like what I remember from our youth. Still, the older I get the less tolerance I have for the dreary, shorter days and the cold. I'll be heading south for a month or so sometime after mid-February. My older son Ben is again auditioning for graduate school. Jonathan, my youngest, will start school again in the fall. Nothing much exciting happening other than that. I hope all is well with you and John.

Heard from.......

Heard from:
Rick Cook
Camilla Zankowski Daniels
Kirsten Mackey Fleisher
Charlene Owens Maguire

Charlene Owens Maguire

Just got off the phone with Charlene. She's recently back from spending a week in Manlius visiting with her Mother. We caught up on quite a bit since we saw each other a couple of summers ago.

Now Charlene is off to Florida for 3 weeks of rest and relaxation.

Ann Whitney Breihan

After 26 years I've decided to leave college teaching. I've just become the Chief Learning Officer of The Chimes, Inc. It's a large nonprofit that serves 13,000 people with disabilities in five states & Israel. I've just started, but so far it's really interesting.

regards, Ann Whitney Breihan

Kirsten Mackey Fleisher

In the "mystery" photo - Greg Reynolds


Retirement - Maybe in a few more years...mostly because I cannot imagine what I will do! I don't see myself relaxing at home...but I don't want to start a new job! The house is too big for my "golden years," but the condo in Florida is not as appealing as it used to be. So the next chapter in my life is yet to even be outlined!

Signatures of Classmates

These are the signatures of classmates on the back of the class photo.

8th Grade Miss Bowes

My 7th Grade Homeroom Mr. Harris

6 th Grade Mr. Otis

This was my first class in my new school in Fayetteville. My family had moved from Scarsdale, just outside NYC about 1958.

Do you know who this is?

Email me with your answer.

Let us know your experience

What would you like to do when you retire?


What are you doing in retirement?

Either post your answer or send to me in an email.

Debby

Kirsten Mackey Fleisher

Kirsten writes: I enjoyed your posting of your grandfather's obituary so much. It gave me more insight into your family and in to history. I was thinking that it might be interesting to post a question a week - or a month, on the Blog and have anyone interested post an answer.

Tell about grandparents
How did your family come to live in Fayetteville/Manlius
Tell where you were born, and any little story that might go along with it
How did you get your name
What were your goals upon graduating from HS, college, at 40, etc
Tell what your siblings are doing now
What are/do you want to do in retirement
Talk about your children - names, locations, what are they doing
What were you doing at major events in history - MLK assassination, 9-11

This is just a thought. I love our blog, but after a few updates, I don't feel that I have anything really worthy of posting. This would give a little direction.

My Grandfather Jacob Larus

My grandfather Jacob Larus died in 1951. He was founder and chairman of the Ellay chain of department stores, the forerunner of stores such as Walmart, Kmart and Kresge chain stores. I rcently ran across this obituary on him in my mothers files.

Working for WSYR Radio

This was a promotion for SU Basketball run by WSYR Radio in around 1988. I had braces and was about 38 years old.

Snow in Missouri

We got about 9 inches of snow last week with another 2 yesterday. That is a lot of snow for here.

My husband John slid with our Ford Explorer and skidded into a tree on the right side of the driveway doing about $3500 damage to the driver's side. He was OK but not the car.

Fishing at the Cape 1988

I have a new printer/scanner and was looking for pictures this morning and found this one of myself. I was fishing at Cape Cod with John Butler, my soon to be husband. He loves to surf cast so he was teaching me. I did pretty well. Other men on the beach thought it was a real hoot.

Duke Leonard

I am still alive and enjoying the best weather in the world in AZ.. I am getting ready to travel back to Iraq at the end of the month.

Since I have been home, I have done nothing, but travel and work.

While home, I have been doing nuclear security reviews for one of the largest public utility companiies in the US. Also have been assisting a joint task force on this armed incursion challenge that we have on our boarder (interesting work). We are working twenty miles South of Phoenix and I have to wear body armor, imagine that! I don't wear body armor in Iraq. Just returned from the Las Vegas Shot Show which was mind blowing - did your husband go?. Out the door for Coronado tomorrow for more meetings.

Enjoy the snow,

Duke

The Reunion Website

The reunion website has over 500 hits. That's great. Hope you'll start leaving some feedback.

Steve Bickelhaup

I found Steve's sister Carol on Facebook and she graciously gave me permission to use a photo of Steve and his wife Cindy. This is the first time I've seen Steve since we graduated. I guess that would be the case for any of you looking at this as well. Photo top taken in 1995. Small shot taken in 2004. With book taken 2010.