NEWSLETTERS ARCHIVE

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Your AHS '63 AUGUST 2014 Newsletter   …What  - I - Did  - On - My - Summe  r- Vacation Edition Austin, TX.  We got a ton of replies for this edition. You people have been lazy, hazy and crazy all over the place. Speaking of [crazy], we haven't jumped in and turned blue at Barton's Springs in awhile... but it was a big part of our growing up years, and some of you are still making memories like that with your grandchildren. Sweet. And some of you are really blowing it out of the water--all over the world--and, one of us is STILL winning water skiing championships. Aren't we supposed to be OLD? Nah. And some of you are reading and doing truly brainy things. Speaking of [brainy], the 2 sentences thing was merely a begging for at LEAST 2…but talk about unintended consequences... what happened was pure 2-line spun silver from some of you who still take assignments seriously. So here you go, pretty much exactly as you sent them in. _____________________________________________________ Twenty Elk in the pasture here in Pagosa Springs, CO. One Bull and lots of cows and babies. Thank heavens we have had the Monsoons all month and no fires. Beautiful sunsets and   r ainbows. Barbara (Huber Ward) …wo. helloooo heaven. Reading now. California in September. Emily Eichelberger Harrell …see?…Hemingway prize for short story in under 6 words...    The tiny spider, weaves webs of golden sunshine.  And makes no money. Haiku to you! Mike (Bown) …kookookachu haiku guru…lovely... Met with my "Band of Brothers" in Coronado, CA.  VU-3 "Iron Men" that I served with 49 years ago.  Love them all, on e-mail or phone with one of them each week. Jim Collier …sorta like a double rainbow..."loyal forever" with your other 'tribe'…very cool   Made first block of Swoon quilt. taking favorite only granddaughter and 2 of her bff's and favorite only daughter to Dallas next week to celebrate fav only's 17th bd.  Life is good.   Oops!  That's 3.   Ingrid (Thurman Simmons) …you can have all the sentences you want, Ingrid, just hand over the quilt and nobody gets hurt…*want*  .. Terry, Good morning, girl!    …good morning Rich…you silver-penned devil... ...two lines…hmmm  …  …cheating!!  using ellipses!! ... De bbie and I just returned from San Francisco and Napa/Sonoma wine land, where we enjoyed too much beverage and a wonderful visit from Bo and Linda Rothchild,    …oho, extra points back for pic with classmate…    who filled us in on their recent trip to West Point and the Hudson Valley, a trip triggered by Bo's reading of "The Parting" (author's apologies for tagging his book). :-) …shameless :) but we read your book and loved it so we shall suffer you your tiny transgression :) ...  Blessings on you and all maroons, Rich (Adams) & Debbie Dallas ,  New York City  ,  Falmouth, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Jefferson City, Missouri - family wedding ,  Hot Springs, Ark- visiting friends  ,  Colorado Springs and Vail- Just for Fun Birthday Week ( with grandson Jonathan)  ,  Marshall, Tx- family reunion and church camp  -- attended every year since I was 6-  -  that is a LOT of years!!! Mollie (Gregory Tower) by our count [first 5 destinations] your summer vacation report contains WORKING…points off! but you ended well, points back on :) Here it is.... My short shorts were long. So was my 3 weeks in British Columbia...short but long!    …you and Bown and Emily are the whole box of peaches...  Les Huff Kerrville, Texas (note #2 in response to asking WHERE WAS THAT BOOK YOU WROTE?)     Terry...The only book I wrote was "A Lesson for T. Sluggard."  It's a children's book, and it was on my "bucket list."  Only about a half dozen copies left if that many...with no plans to reprint.  Say hello to Claudia and Marguerite...and thanks to all of y'all for helping us all keep connected....tell them they no longer need to look for the "Lost works of Les Huff".....as I figure they have plenty of other better things to do!!!!!    …they all say hello back and would hunt all day to find fun like this... Terry, One of the things I was very pleased I did this summer was visit our classmate , Ed Hamby, during a trip to Charlotte, NC.  He and I were good friends in high school, but had lost touch (for close to 30 years).  It was wonderful to see him, reminisce and catch up.  Even while dealing with some health issues, his kind spirit and sense of humor were apparent. Best wishes, Bill (Barron)  …fantastic…another loyal forever golden friendship  Dear AHS classmates, I would like to be in Alaska, since Florida is a steam bath right now, but our daughter from AK is visiting us while her husband is doing commercial salmon fishing in Bristol Bay.  Preston is teaching two courses of three hundred students, so we are home this summer, but at the end of October we usually go to the best place next to England for a vacation, Sanibel Island, Florida, the “sea shell capitol of the world.” Wish we lived on Sanibel during Florida Winters and in Anchorage, AK, during Florida Summers.  That would completely solve the weather problem  ….brilliantly. but it would take more scratch than a few sand dollars!  I am reading Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi from the fifties, that somehow I missed.  Amazon.com advertised a selection of this genre recently, and as usual I bought a few for the Kindle.  We could probably write a sci-fi about Amazon.com taking over the world, if we all just wrote a couple of paragraphs about it.  This is more than two lines, sorry  ….you did just fine and we like the idea of group book…actually it looks like we've already started one with this newsletter.. Diane Mercer Making it short-- travelled to China in May for 3 weeks--so many people;  West Texas in June--where are the people? --read The Fault in our Stars by John Green--a great summer tear jerker. Joyce Ritchie Garner    …peach award for neat turn of thought…extra points for book rec :) ...   Attended the Jubilee celebration Mass at the "Monastery in the Desert" in New Mexico. Did a little fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast  ….…extra points for achieving two kinds of mystical in a single summer... Loyal Forever franklin mendez Rockport, Texas, children and grandchildren swimming in the pool, soaking in the hot tub, catching trout off the pier, fun in the sun.  Then to Corpus to tour the Lexington.  Jeanne Kittredge yup... making memories the old fashioned way..   Spent a great 2 days at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Hotel & Casino in Ruidoso, New Mexico!!! Going to try for Buffalo Thunder Resort in Santa Fe next. Dana & Skip Blaylock  …  buffalo thunder AND mountain gods?…cue the music, yer livin' in a movie...   Grand kids here, fun, laughter, joy! Grand kids gone, relax, remember, sigh.  Joan (Black) Light …peach nectar prize, cue the champagne.. What did I read? I met a woman last month whose right temporal lobe had been surgically removed in her mid-30's to stop the seizures she had had since age 9. Much to the amazement of Stevie and her husband Eric, the surgery opened doors for her, but it also created new challenges for both of them. She said it raised her IQ by 20 points, enriched her skills, and changed her from a submissive, dependent person, to a woman who has met the world on different terms for the last 22 years. She wrote a small book (101 pages) about her experience: "Facing Me: Breaking The Bonds Of Seizure Confinement. A Journey In Faith And Restoration." I am just beginning to read Stephanie Sawyer's second book: "Imprints: Stories That Solicit A Response." -- Kathryn Huss …wow. surgical life change, PLUS enhanced IQ AND skill enrichment... gasped the right-brained music person…okay, KH, you need some comic books to help ekal this all out...   Thanks, Terry, for the opportunity to start a conversation.  I'm not traveling; but have just finished George Packer's  The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America. 2013 pp. 434. Pogo was part  l y right; only some of us are the enemy and the rest of us are their victims.    Richard (Bill) Engle …oh you're  traveling  al  right, bill--it's just more inner than outer!--this book is on our list...   View from back deck in Sante Fe Santa Fe Sunset !! Dale Lovell …uh huh...your other home, where we happen to know you have been hiding out four months or so since your kids took over your austin domicile while they build   …you have really been toughing it out this summer, poor guy  … Dear Readers: In order to get the gist of what's going on in this next transmission, you're going to have to refer to your April Fool Edition for background on this slippery character for whom all the world is waaaay too much stage to not try most of it out... dear t i don'thavetime to tell you where i have traveled this summer. why? because i'm too busy traveling, so far been to london, ireland, denver, estes park, leander, new york city, honolulu; next are oregon, indiana, wisconsin, santa fe; not to mention fitting a colonoscopy in there sometime ….lord love a duck... someone did take a foto of me in short shorts on a trip to ellis island earlier this month but i don't think i'll send it to you.  so there! ….  *tsk tsk* not wise  taunting people who buy bytes by the barrel, or something like that  love love love your column always, ….  excellent flattery placement here... i know you'll come up with or make up  something good.  i'm so glad i'm not going back to russia to do another play this summer.  …we think you will pay for that crack..see Meigs' note to follow…she's onto ya...   (hope this makes the august deadline.)    …indeed,   we haunted the mailbox till your little tales came in, susan ruth  …and we thought to ask for pictures to prove your wild & craven adventure stories this time.. :)    susan ruth roberts … note #2:   Funny re photo u mention cause I took foto of girl in her 20s standing on boat to Ellis island. We were laughing cause her butt was hanging out of her short shorts ….   teeming masses and all that, eh... and I took pic on my phone. Started to send to u but had visions of pervert, hhh (that means hardy har har,I'm tired of lol)    …HHH!..   Sr reporting live from Honolulu.   …mahalo you rascal …  HHH I want to hear about Susan's experience in ...Vladivostok was it? :-) Mary Ann (Mellenbruch) Meigs …HHH! HHH!  hi, terry...........I'm going to iowa in august to check on my cottages and see my goofy little 5 1/2 year old grandson...............to 'visit' my cottages go to  westokobojicottages  they're pretty cute.......(so is my grandson!)  marcy (  h oward) …ha. found 'em   … pretty cute... ROLL OUT THOSE CRAZY HAZY DAYS OF SUMMER! T.H. TO QUOTE SOMEONE , WHO ONCE ASKED ME WHY I READ. I RESPONDED BECAUSE I CAN.  …HHH! MY LAST (3) READS WERE: 1) 'MIDNIGHT IN EUROPE'-ALAN FURST 2) 'THE BEATLES: TUNE IN (ALL THESE YEARS)'-MARK LEWISOHN 3) 'WILLIN'-THE STORY OF LITTLE FEAT'-BEN FONG TORRES                                                      STAY COOL                                                       S. GOODWIN (I NEED A MARGARITA)  …come and get it, songbird, we're out in the backyard cantina :) Touring Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, & a very little of Russia. It is correcting & enlarging much of our view from world history class. Hallie Slaughter Casey …remember coloring those countries in on a map?…coloring in a life map must be glorious...    1) I went to Birmingham, Alabama to take a genealogical course with IGHR (Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research) at Samford University on the Trans-Mississippi-South. 2) In August we will be going to the FGS (Federation Genealogical Societies) Conference in San Antonio, Texas where we hope to meet up with members of the Austin Genealogical Society. Best Regards, John C. Luedecke …genealogy! wanna be the class expert on that?    I spent the summer competing in water skiing.  Placed second at Texas State Championship in slalom and first in tricks.  In our 5 state regionals, place fourth in slalom and second in tricks.  Off to the national competition in August in San Marcos, Texas. Bill Mears …  breathe in, breathe out... gawdamighty… superstar... Hey , this is Bob West.  My 2 lines – a week in Los Cabos to celebrate Linda’s and my 45th anniversary!!   …wonder how many classmates can say that?  Blessed to have 5 grandchildren, too! A trip to Orlando was fun and games. Downtown Disney was the  extent   of my exploring for there was an Assistance League conference to be planned. All was accomplished and a return trip will be in order in September and then off to Melbourne, FL to visit our daughter. Ok, so I surpassed the 2 lines.…  oh  shriven and forgiven :) you and a dozen 'guilty'   others… Sue (Dodgen Vasser) being here for sunrises and days spent with friends flying to Cordova where the light never wants to end Gloria Sue Hyatt …hard to tell where the mountains end and the clouds begin, in rhyming couplet...smarty...   A short trip to Tokyo and Yachiyo, Japan as part of Tyler Sister Cities' delegation provided priceless memories, beautiful sights, new friendships, & unique experiences -- including the typhoon on Mt. Fuji, and the 6.+ earthquake felt on the 7th. floor of our hotel!  Mary (Schattenberg) Delaney …omg as they say…a little more adventure than was necessary The Guerrero clan went to St.Louis Missouri, while there we spent quality time together exploring the city. We ate some awesome BBQ at Pappy's, if a Texan tells you that the BBQ is awesome you know it was great! The kids & grandkids enjoyed The City Museum while this Grandma enjoyed story time about the history of the museum & made paper snowflakes. The St.Louis Arch was a majestic site to look out from & I felt so close to my honey, Tomas, who now resides in the clouds. We all felt his presence during this vacation. Family time is good for the  soul !  -- Mary Frances Mercado Guerrero …and good for making beautiful memories, grandma... sigh…some of us only have grand dogs, but they make sweet memories too...   Jim and I took our daughter and her family to London for 11 days (rented a flat, fun!) and Paris (stayed in a neighborhood hotel) for 5 days during June.  Even though we averaged 5 miles a day walking, everyone had a great time.  Picture is a family dinner at Rules Restaurant in London, the oldest continuingly operating restaurant in London, established in 1798 by Thomas Rule. This newsletter might be the best yet!! …soooo agree!...  Ann M. Downing (Musselman) This photo is from the Bandol region in France where we went to a wine tasting at the home of Jean-Marc and Kristin Espinasse who writes the blog French Word-A-Day.  I have been reading her blog for about 2 years and have seen photos of their home, garden, vinyards so it was special to get to see those up close and personal, and there were only about 20 people in attendance.    ... Taking tequila shots on our anniversary while in Sao Paulo, Brazil.    Meiling Newman In Alaska with clear blue skies and cool dry temps. Heaven! Patricia A Morrison ..and that is gonna be our NEXT summer vacation….we vow it....   I took a weekend baseball trip to Pittsburgh with two buddies, but no real vacation this summer. I am going to a wedding in Connecticut next week.    Jim Raup …its 'll stitches and knots with you, raup…you need a vacation!!   _____________________________________ …hello mudder, hello fadder… FROM LINDA BURK KEMP Friends, This is one of my favorite ways to support our alma mater—the old Maroon and White, home of Mr. Maroo, the institution that prepared us for adulthood, the place we “grew up” together during the times that resembled ‘Happy Days’ TV show—Stephen F. Austin High School.  The SFA Society bestows grant$ to AHS athletic & academic endeavors.  Gifts to the AHS Society add much needed support to AHS student activities that elevate the standing of Austin High among the competitive local schools. Everything from UIL contests like debate, music, & theatre to high stakes athletic competitions, the AHS Society grants enable our school to be able to stand out in the crowd. The attachment [see end of newsletter]  is a b/w scanned copy of the invitation and the RSVP card/envelope.  I plan to attend the fundraiser dinner on Sunday evening Aug. 31st at the Auler’s home at 2513 Hartford Rd, 7-9 pm. Please join us there. Even if you can’t attend, show your Maroon Pride and send a few bucks to this great cause. Feel free to share this with other alums or AHS supporters! Loyal Forever, Linda Burk Kemp 3315 Meredith Austin TX 78703 Day- 512-463-9056 (yes, I’m still working!) Cell- 512-423-5568 _______________________________________________________ … the last big splash … PAGE TWO  We continue to add to the addendum,  which would seem redundant  but just leave that thought alone … there's always more newsletter stuff, and we're outta room here,  so we have made another space for you to JUST GO and read the REST of the story. Although the picture is of a young high school baseball coach,  The 27th Out  is a Longhorn baseball story by classmate Jimmy Raup. 'Turns out to be a pretty nice piece on Bibb Falk's last game as coach  and Jimmy's own last game on as a Longhorn pitcher. It's shocking enough that a lawyer can write anything readable but it's quite good, and there you have it.  CLICK HERE AND GO READ THAT Also on PAGE TWO you will find, as soon as we can do it, copies of all of the newsletters thus far. Sometimes it's useful to be able to go back and see just exactly what went on. For example, this month we refer to an incident that occurred in the April Fool Edition.  No doubt you have crossed many sleep times into the Land of Nod since April 1st and lack the wherewithal to fetch up that issue.  But, now you can magic your way with a CLICK to that destination of your spent dreams. Aint it the finest thing to have lived this long and ALSO to be able to play with these toys… in our dotage, to be light years beyond the summers of the sixties, and yet be able to call them up…click! _______________________________________________         HAPPY HOUR            TUESDAY, AUGUST 12TH    5 - 7 Two Dollar Tacos & Two Dollar Tecates SANTA RITA CANTINA 38TH / ACROSS FROM SETON ...it would be such a great kindness to the aging and angsty folks who plan things   if you'd hit REPLY  and let us know you're going to COME!! did you hit REPLY YET?    ________________________________________________  …only slightly covered up birthday suits... Claudia's Little Birthday Book…AUGUST 03 Bobby West (45) 04 Mina Hawkins Dosher (45) 07 Michael Pendley (45) 08 John Calhoun Miller (45) 15 Carl Beck (46) YOUNGSTER! 18 Bob Schoen (45) 19 Ed Hamby (44) 22 Roxanne McCown Keel (45) 23 Jo Ann Johnson Weston (45) 25 Bonnie Isaac (45) 28 Mary Jo Culp Parker (45) 30 Georgia Lochridge (45) 30 Kathy Shive Matthews (45) *don't see your July birthday here?  bummer.  Send it. We fix. ________________________ ...the last toasted marshmallow… If you never went to the class website  and clicked the play button on the picture show Bonnie put together yer all mush.  Click on the link below and go enjoy a few minutes of the good stuff yer made of  AHS '63 WEBSITE LINK _______________________ AND if you are changing your email address OR  changed your snail address or phone,  we want that!! ...of course, if you have changed your email,  you have not a whisper of a chance of reading this little note… BUT eventually Marguerite will hunt you down. She is relentless. So just hit reply and confess your changed ways-- it'll always be the right thing to do. loyal forever, y'all

Class of '63 Newsletter

 Sounding Off & Holding Fourth Edition

__________________JULY 2014____________________

Ye Olde Mailbag

Austin, TX. July 1, 2014. We had a bushel of responses to last month's bustin'-out-all-over edition. And if it's true that behind every letter to the ed. are ten more unwritten just like it, we've got about a hunnert classmates hankering to crack wise this very second. Who knew Charlie Morton's "Assembly Manual For a Solar Hot Water System Differential Thermostat Kit" was a sexy four star rush? This from Walter Webb: 

Not to be outdone by my old friend Charlie Morton and his offering... the citation below is similarly unique and at least equally boring. I don't know if any copies of this gem are still floating around (other than my own lovingly preserved copy), but I'm sure there are other such environmental tomes bearing my name (and numerous others) in the so-called gray literature. And of course there are the well-known scientific articles concerning the host-plant relations of psyllids and other insects. 

Here it is: Webb, J.W., Mezga, L.J. & Reed, A.W. "International Environmental Evaluation for the Helical Screw Expander Generator Unit Projects in Cesano, Italy and Broadlands, New Zealand." [http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/891868]

Uh-HUH. ....if you are agog, as we were, off we went to see about pesky psyllids & pine beetles…sure nuff...Webb, JW,  in 

 Tomicus piniperda (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) emergence in relation to burial depth of brood logs 

 ..Brood logs!  gawdamighty…what's next?

Then Jimmy Raup scrawled an email in that ol' jock-y, country lawyer -y whole-'nother-kinda-down-to-earth way …sans breeding logs: 

             

  "I am glad I did not submit my small piece on 'Coaches and the Law' or the

           short publication on Bibb Falk ... Some of our folks wrote sure 'nuff BOOKS! "

Shore nuff. But you can read that 2007 legal digest article with 64 footnotes *really* if you click HERE. Ha. Found'ja. 

We featured publications in the June edition just because it was a summer reading thing BUT THEN... 'got this jewel from Frank that, 'turns out, was well within the range if you are into a different kind of 3-D publishing and especially into summer things, as in speaking-of-baseball: 

I am not at all amazed at all the writing that our class has done over the years, after all we were awesome from the beginning. I have not done any writing, but I've done a lot of art for a lot of folks over the years. I had a chance to talk to Rich at our Reunion this past May about his book " The Parting." As a designer of Graduation Rings, history is a must if you plan on winning accounts, so I'm steeped in the history of the Civil War…which was a factor in winning the VMI account 11 of 13 years. Having also competed and won the West Point account, I was familiar with the campus and I felt right at home with the book. 

Along the way I also had the opportunity to design the last 3 New York Yankee's World Series Championship Rings, the '98, '99, 2000 Series. June 19 will usher in my 47th year of designing rings. I'll stop blowing my horn and … hope to make a Happy Hour soon and see all of you again. Franklin Mendez

...

along the way indeed…what fun. 

And one final thing in the mailbag, which was an oversight in last month's mailbag… so, turns out, Bill Bohannon can outlast anybody in kindle book writing competition (although Jackie still holds the record on sheer volume of volumes) and you can see what he's been writing about on HIS Amazon webpage [PLEASE CLICK HERE], with my apologies for completely missing his compelling blurb on his latest e-pub:

  

WHY do you have a screen saver of a tropical beach on your computer? Have you ever BEEN to that tropical beach? It's real, you know? That's a REAL photograph of a REAL place. And, yeah, it's just as tranquil and beautiful and ... cheap as you imagine.

But, what if you really COULD live and work on your dream profession or art - or just be blissfully retired, on that tropical beach on your screensaver? You CAN, you know? I'll show you how. Bring the wife and kids too. Or, "just slip out the back, Jack". That's your call. [ Click here for "How to live cheaply on a tropical island and start a profitable business!" ]

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HAPPY HOUR RETURNS

…having survived the onslaught of summer & getting used to the heat, 

*although the somewhat freaky sudden occurrence of rain from outta nowhere is a welcome new feature

 

*

we are just pleased as

&  

that you're looking at your calendar right this very minute

&

actually planning to do a post-fourth party-down happy hour 

  

TUESDAY, JULY 8TH

 

with the the people who knew you 

back when you were actually good looking'

and who STILL act like they're glad to SEE you!!

        

5 - 7

Two Dollar Tacos & Two Dollar Tecates

SANTA RITA CANTINA

38TH / ACROSS FROM SETON 

Directions? Click HERE

And it would be such a comfort to the mind

if you'd hit REPLY 

and let us know you're going to COME!!

  

do it do it do it

  

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Claudia's Little List of July Birthday Hotdoggers 

03 Dana McSpadden Blaylock (45)

07 Mary Frances Mercado Guerrero (45)

08 Cheryl Lucksinger Sassman (45)

14 Kathryn Huss (45)

17 Caroline Jenkins Ragsdill (45)

17 Mollie Gregory Tower (45)

19 Bruce Lindsey (45)

22 Linda Burk Kemp (45)

22 Barbara Keller Visage (45)

23 Saralyn White Stewart (45)

23 Ralph Bailey (45)

26 Lucy Ross (45)

27 Margery Kengla English (45)

28 Leslie Robinson Moeller (45)

30 James Means, Jr. (45)

31 Jeanne Richey O'Meara (45)

*don't see your July birthday here?  bummer. 

Send it. We fix.

If you have changed your address or phone, we want that!!

And, of course, if you changed your email, 

you

 are

 happily ignorant for 

only

 a little while...

eventually Marguerite will hunt you down.

She is relentless.

So just hit reply with that info...

it'll be the right thing to do

OR

EMAIL MARGUERITE KELLY,  OR KELLY MARGUERITE 

or whatever she's calling herself THIS WEEK

 …

click HERE TO EMAIL KELLY

 

_________________________________

…and one more little tiny thing

…

we are experimenting with an addendum to the newsletter 

called 

AHS 63 NEWSLETTER -- PAGE TWO

 …

if you click right here

 

you can go right there…

what you'll find at this time are two delightful articles

--and just a smidge LONG for the stretch of newsletter here--

by Harper Clark, which were his original contributions to last month's summer reading.

You really have to go see the chicken artists….and the shop cats. 

WE EXPECT MORE TO COME ON PAGE TWO…but go take a look anyway during construction.

And it is also going to be a handy place for keeping copies of the newsletters

so you don't have to go digging through your email…on the off chance

there is a critical something you can't live without in the newsletter, it'll be a bookmark away.

*be still our beating heart that you could become smitten with this newsletter!*

COMING UP IN AUGUST: Your summer pics & what you did for fun.

So line 'em up. 

…meanwhile, may baseball, hotdogs, apple pie & ...the Fourth be with you...

*is that a ford or a chevy…we sigh*

_______________________________

loyal forever, y'all

_________________________________________________________________________________

​Leaves of Summer 2014

Class of '63 Newsletter

The JuneIsBustinOutAllOver Edition

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AUSTIN, Texas, June 6 -- This is a fun project. Our brainy class is well launched in the publishing world…from historical fiction to kitchen witchin'... lotsa lotsa cookbooks.  By the time you can figure out the dry ingredients, Jackie Moon has already put them in a jar and popped out a cookbook. And Richard Adams is no slouchy imagineer either, chipping away like a forensic historian, gathering voices and conversations out of thin air, colorizing the pre-civil war days of the long grey line. Then there's JoAnn, and Charlie, and Lulu and… oh just read on. Here are some of the contributions sent in by the class for our mutual summer amusement, while the cotton is high and the fish are jumpin'. 

1. RICHARD ADAMS (www.RichardBarlowAdams.com)

  The Parting: A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War. It is July 18, 1861 in Winchester, Virginia. The Civil War has begun, and Lieutenant John Pelham, formerly of the West Point Class of 1861, is about to play a pivotal role in the First Battle of Bull Run.

The confident Lieutenant Pelham bears little resemblance to the seventeen-year-old who journeyed alone five years earlier from Jacksonville, Alabama, to West Point, New York, to attend the United States Military Academy. As he immerses himself in West Point, both Pelham's life and his beloved country see substantial change. While Pelham and his classmates witness the unraveling of the Union and the birth of the Confederacy, Pelham meets Clara Bolton, a Philadelphian belle who captures his heart-all while Pelham and his compatriots are preparing for the reality of combat.

Told against the backdrop of slavery and states' rights, the Democratic and Republican Parties, the fire-eaters of the South and the abolitionists of the North, The Parting portrays how profoundly historical events divided West Point's graduating class of 1861 on the eve of the Civil War, changing all of their lives forever.

​ (Want it? I found it online HERE~)​

   Eben Kruge: How “A Christmas Carol” Came to be Written

A Story about Charles Dickens.

Rich is the first of three brothers to graduate from West Point and has had a lifelong fascination with Charles Dickens, his works generally and his Christmas Carol specifically. He is a member of the original London Dickens Fellowship, headquartered in the Dickens museum at 48 Doughty St, where Dickens and his family lived from 1837-39. Rich is also a forensic engineering consultant who enjoys golfing, skiing, hiking, biking, and traveling. He and his wife Debbie live in Miramar Beach, Florida.

​ (Find it HERE.)​

2. JO ANN MORRIS MATTHEWS (www.joannmatthews.com)

​

  

 JoAnn writes:  

  ​

 For several months earlier this year, I interviewed and researched for a book titled K-9 Power which will be coming out at the end of June.  The book is the second in the series of books I have written situated in Granbury, Hood County, Texas, where I lived 18 years.  Hood County is fortunate to have 6 canines trained specifically for detection of illegal drugs, medications, and gunpowder residue. One of the dogs I met is a ginormous black and brown German Shepherd named Oxy.  He definitely resembles a black bear cub with intense large black eyes.  Gentle on meeting him.  On duty, I understand he is fierce.  He is well- behaved around people in general but does not play well with the other drug dogs.  (Remind you of anyone you know?) Another book to be released in September 2014 is The Chocolate Ghost.  More on that as the manuscript progresses

  ​. Meanwhile, she's written four children's books for various ages--line up the grands and see if it's a match:

 ​  ​

  MOVE OVER, MISS CLOVER

[From publicist] A large brown cow riding on a school bus?  That’s just goofy. Move Over Miss Clover tells of an overzealous brown cow sitting with schoolchildren on a bus.  The presence of the cow makes for a fun ride to school.  The students name the cow Clover.

​

THE

 TROUBLE WITH MOJO

​

 ​

[From publicist] This new book presents the charmed life of Mojo who loves causing trouble and  challenges his owners whenever possible According to author JoAnn Morris Matthews, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.” She pens a vibrant picture book that tells the story of a dog that always gets into trouble, putting the family who owns him into serious contemplation of whether to keep him or not. Engaging and humorous, The Trouble with Mojo is an entertaining read for pet owners who have the same experience in taming a pet like Mojo.

  ROAD WARRIORS -- LIFE LESSONS 

Survival Strategies for Teen Drivers

[From publicist] “Road Warriors” is an invaluable guide to road safety –– A heap of twisted metal mixed with body parts strewn over the onyx asphalt of an interstate highway is neither a pretty sight nor a good combo, but the chance to mix the two ingredients becomes available every time someone gets behind the steering wheel of a vehicle. Driving on the roads and highways of the 21st century takes the literal meaning of Road Warriors to a whole new level. In her book, the author provides an unconventional but effective road safety instruction manual for teenage drivers.

    ​  

RED, WHITE, AND WHO

Young​

  ​

Adult Readers Learn Patriotism and Volunteerism in New Novel

[From publicist] Author draws from personal experience and promotes good social and community values in her book, titled "“Red, White, and Who"”.  This is a story of patriotism, volunteerism, community, and friendships. 

JoAnn Morris Matthews’ compelling story revolves around three pre-teen boys, Simon, and the twins, Mason and Jason, who are working to decorate prized bicycles for the upcoming 4th of July Parade in a small town called Granbury, Texas. Days before the parade, their prized bikes disappear.  Solving the mystery of the disappearance falls on the shoulders of twelve to thirteen-year old boys. The boys must be quick studies in communicating with local citizens in their efforts to find the bicycles.  This communication effort is not inherent in pre-teens and teens.

You can also find all of JoAnn's books [written for ages 10-14]

​ ​

through her website www.joannmatthews.com or email her at jamatthews@satx.rr.com

​3.  

JACKIE MOON GANNAWAY

  

​

​  ​

​(​

Claudia

 ​

, the true queen of communication, went to the trouble of remembering who was where writing what and sending it in for Jackie and Lulu and Sandi…she truly has a secret knowledge of ALL THINGS. We are so awed.)

   

​

 

     THE HOW TO COOK COOKBOOK 

​

  ​

Out of print, but not out of your life. 

  

'

Pretty sure you know this, but all of the so-called 'out of print' books are STILL OUT THERE either on Amazon or Ebay in small bookstores around the world. Really. And Jackie's been turning out cookbooks for 30 years, so you'd think they were hard to find…but, you're in luck you ol' dinosaur...here's a link, and there's a passel of 'em...

 

  SIX PAGES on Amazon​.

 For SURE you want to check out the rarebook price tag on a new copy of the cup collection book on page 3 ($199.74)…itza heckuva fun find!  (But how did they come up with the .74?) Jackie is flat amazing.  

​

Claudia sez …"T

here are approximately 60 (SIXTY!!!) small 'one subject' cookbooks that make great gifts and are inexpensive. 

For information on titles still available, go to amazon or  www.cookbookcupboard.com OR email Jackie at jackieandberrygannaway@gmail.com

.

"

('Saints be praised for inventory…it's why we don't dare clean out the garage.

 Might be something' valuable. $199.74. Mercy.

)

​4.

​ 

CHARLIE MORTON

​CHARLIE SEZ:  I've attached a photo of the now-out-of-print "Assembly Manual For a Solar Hot Water System Differential Thermostat Kit," published by C. Morton in 1978 and reviewed by Mechanics Illustrated.  It's a light read, but mercilessly boring.  Hey, it's way better than my research report on vibrio cholera bacteriophage.  (I can't even claim sole authorship for these tomes.)

(Alas *wrist to forehead* no links to this 

 ​priceless gem​

….we are verklempt...)​

5. SANDI MILLER DENENBURG 

​  

​

 Now here's a sad story...Claudia sez "Sandi's Super System" personal organizer/dayplanner is no longer available, and this time we can't find it on the magic internet machines. No pic. No link. No joy. Rats.

​ ​

​

​6

. 

  ​

LULU PEAL MUSE

​

THE 30-MINUTE LITE GOURMET  (Lulu

  Grace)​

"Prepare healthy, delicious meals in 30 minutes or less with dishes low in saturated fats, sodium, and calories. Includes nutrition analysis of all recipes and special microwave and grilling chapters."  

(Found it online! click HERE …Ha..love findin' this stuff.)

     ​

LEAVING HOME (Louise P. Grace)

"Leaving home: For people who love good food-- but don't know how to cook-- are too tired to cook-- or don't want to cook" …we reckon that's about 98% of the population, of which over 96% just pretend to know or care. Smirk. 

​ (Just like darn near anything else but your short term memory, you can find it online--

click HERE if you can't live without it or email Lulu at musele@clearwire.net)​

   

7.  ​

 MOLLIE TOWER (www.molliegregorytower.com )Not to reiterate the last two months spent reviewing the accomplishments of this person, but the giant pyramids of Giza would be dwarfed by the piles of textbooks Mollie currently has in print. We are not going to list the umpty-ump titles--you can see those on her website above--but for show and tell purposes, here are two. 

​

 ​

USING MUSIC TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING

This, they say, is a ''practical'' guide for elementary classroom teachers, so if you've got one or two of those in your fam or close circle, it's just a little less than that cupcake book, which is probably a bargain at any price.

    MIGHTY MUSIC INTERACTIVE

Oh just go look at it. It might make you smarter and more interesting fare to the grandkids. (http://mightymusicinteractive.com)

 

8. JOHN BODE (www.divasandcavaliers) 

 ​

Okay. It's not a book or a plane or even a tall building, superman, BUT it's published ONLINE, so we're going to call it a piece of work. Which he really is. Bode sent this in and we're allowing it because it stands to reason there's going to be a CD one of these days--a vibration publication. [More smirking.] 'Buy that?  (Click HERE and go take a listen.)​

__________________________________

AND THEN…a few of you wrote about this and that for summer reads:

Lucile Puett

The book that have loved the most this year is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats. also Americannah. Lucile. Sure wished I had written either of these. 

*we're putting them on our list! thanks Lucile!*

RIchard Engle

 ...I think I've written several really great books; but I can't remember the titles.

*shocker*

Sidney Brient Lock

The only thing I can think of is the Adams House cook book.  As far as I know it is only print.  Would you like a copy?

Sidney

*do we look like a box of hair? OF COURSE we want a copy!!*

Bill Bennett

No books by this guy!

*we see a giant typewriter flying up your nose--get with it you big storyteller!*

Camey Spaulding Stewart

I am just an ordinary gal with no amazing accomplishments but a happy life anyway. Thanks so much for what you do.

Love, Camey

*nothing ordinary about you, girl! thanks for checking in :)*

6. Charlie Morton

Here's a pretty serious and surprising recommendation: Monday, Monday: A Novel , by Elizabeth Crook.  It's about how the UT Tower shootings in 1966 affect some fictional, but familiar characters.  Since many of us were there during the actual incident, it makes this story especially compelling.

Happy Summer,

Charlie 

*good one! on the list! thanks charlie*

7. Harper Clark

I haven't written a book yet. I have two in the planning stages. But as a newspaper journalist I wrote many entertaining feature stories. One is about chicken art. An artist in Salado slathers a canvas with acrylic paint, then puts his prize pullets on the canvas. It's very Jackson Pollock by all appearances. They leap about squawking and leaving their footprints in the paint. Good photos go with it. Highly entertaining.

Also another one on shop cats and Central Texas. It's the concept of the old English shops that always have a resident cat. Good photos with this, too.

There are others. Legends of the Stagecoach Inn in Salado.

What do you think? Is this anything like what you were looking for? 

​

*DUH. Pollo Picasso? Ye Olde Shoppe Kittye?…wanted it.

 So we stuffed it all in right about here aaaand…

 promptly got shut down by Google for "too much activity"…

felt somewhat Snowdenesque. 

*we breathe in, we breathe out*

temporarily and involuntarily shut down for several hours while they investigated…

a dragnet was going on somewhere out there for too much NEWSLETTER?!?!

Lost all of the foregoing pics and chachacha…

but, we are 68 and beyond wild displays of regret. Unless they do it again. 

THEN it's whatever i've got in the kitchen drawers -- hammers, needle nose pliers, and chicken scissors at 20 paces, BUCKOS.

Meanwhile, still feeling quite abused,

at the juncture of Harper's q and the rest of the story, 

 we turned over a new leaf...

______________________________________

 ​ TURNING OVER LEAVES

                    Had plenty of time to ponder our sins during the lock down. So. Maybe throw up a blog to handle the ''rest of the story"…hence, The AHS'63 Newsletter: PAGE TWO. Feels sorta like we just had kittens. Go see. Actually, we had chickens. Harper's fun article is there. A blog is

  a handy appendage for this

​​

newsletter, 

​because there

 are artful inventionings and doings of all kinds

 ​ in this class that we didn't get around to last year in a 2 day weekend

. We are such an interesting 

​group​. I

t seems worth a bit of effort to find out more about what 

​we've done. And what's next. ​A

 

s we careen into our 70s​

.

 ​ Maybe we need a newsletter for Page 1 and a blog for Page 2?​

 

Reply with your thoughts OR 

 go take the blog for a spin and kick the wheels in the comments section. 

________________________________

 and now, eschewing tea leaves and fig leaves, here are CLAUDIA'S little JUNE BIRTHDAY HIGHliners …

01 Tina Lawson Houston (45)

    03 Georgia Gaarde Fariss (45)

    05 Jon Fruchter (45)

    09 Linda Slease Sadler (45)

    09 Marsha Slease McLaurin (45)

    09 Nancy Williams (45)

    09 Polly Coffin Swain (45)

    10 Will Houston (45)

    11 Glen Lewis (46) YOUNGSTER!

    13 Bill Moses(45)

    13 Jim Sanders (45)

    13 Gary Don Whitlock (45)

    16 Connie Knippa Simmonds (45)

    20 David Nelson (45)

    23 Babs Becker (45)

    23 George Covington (45)

    24 Sam Boyd (45)

    26 Nancy Taylor (45)

    29 Sherman DeBusk (45)

    29 Alan Bergstrom (45)

*if you don't see your June birthday here, 

well, that's a bummer. 

Send it. We'll fix it.

If you have changed your address or phone, we'd like to have that!!

And,  of course, if you changed your email, 

you may be happily ignorant for just a little while...

but eventually Marguerite will hunt you down.

She is relentless. 

_________________________________

…the leaves of happy hour 

so, after the silly events that wasted THIS week, we took a straw vote

and decided to hold off on happy hour this month,

what with one thing another, 

and do up a proper celebration in July…

*however, if you feel a pout coming on, just smack down the reply button and we'll sort it out over a margarita in the cantina out back*

loyal forever, y'all

​