It is New Year's Eve as I am writing this. I am glad that 2010 is coming to a close. I think I need a fresh start. Here's hoping for a new beginning and keeping my eyes on some goals I am setting for myself.
MAIL CALL
from Beth Anne
Sutherlin
Coakley
in
eac2005@sbcglobal.net
from Cherlyn
Hebert
in
hebert1220@att.net
from Dwight
Wagner
'69
in
(Dwight is
the
principal at
Dowling
Elementary
in the Port
Acres area.)
dwagner@paisd.org
from Paula Iles
Restrepo
'69 in
Dallas area
I missed the
NEWSLETTER
not being on
the website
update two
weeks ago.
I do indeed
look forward
to the
McFadden/Lawson
bi-monthly
news
updates.
Our family
has spread
around the
world, and
John and I
have no
family here
in Dallas.
We are
looking
forward to
driving with
our daughter
Victoria,
15, to
Kansas to
spend with
John's
family which
includes 93
year
mother-in-law
who acts
more like
73, lives
alone,
drives to
church and
to work for
Source of
Light
Christian
ministry
during the
week, works
out at the
community
rec center
twice a
week,
and corresponds
to many
friends
around the
world, and
she is
bi-lingual
to boot.
She was a
missionary
teacher in
Columbia
where she
met her
husband in
the 40's.
restrepo2009@aol.com
from Gary Hammond
in Plano
I wanted to
wish you and
Mike, along
with all my
TJ '68
classmates,
a very Merry
Christmas.
Speaking for
the class,
we
appreciate
all ya'll do
to keep us
together.
ghammond@sabrerealty.com
from David Salter
in Oklahoma
City, OK
Thanks to
you and Mike
for doing a
great job
with the
website of
keeping tabs
on our
classmates.
I always
look forward
to receiving
the updates
every two
weeks.
As for us
here in OKC,
this year
ends for our
family with
excitement
and
anticipation
as we await
the birth in
early March
of Anna, who
will be our
first
granddaughter.
This is my
son, Windell
and
Kristen's
first child.
Our little
Anna will
have some
seasoned
mentors in
cousins,
A.J. (3
1/2+) and
Brogan (2
1/2), our
daughter
Erica &
Dan's boys.
Lana and I
are so
blessed in
that, our
kids and
grandkids
all are
located
within a
half mile of
our house!
In addition to working as financial secretary/treasurer of our church, Lana keeps the boys on weekdays. I am still in the oil business with Mustang Fuel and , as of yet, have no plans to retire soon. Work is still fun, and we get to travel as the school schedule allows. We and our kids are big fans of the OKC Thurnder basketball, watching many of the games on TV together and attending several games each year. Best wishes to my TJ classmate family for a most blessed 2011! desalter@sbcglobal.net
from Rhonda
Carleton
Richey '70
(wife of
Bill Richey)
(taken from
Face Book)
What a great
Christmas
with family,
especially
the little
ones.
Happy New
Year to all.
We are
staying home
for New
Year's Eve
while Bill's
foot/ankle
heals.
So sorry to
miss out on
our
after-Christmas
hill country
travels.
The doctor
said he is
too old to
jump out of
the duck
boat onto
the
concrete!!!
rrich@gt.rr.com
excerpts
taken from Allen &
Wanda
Baldridge's
Christmas
Newsletter
In Hideaway,
TX Allen
continues to
enjoy
playing golf
and watching
FOX News.
And the fall
here has
been
glorious; in
the four
years we've
lived here
we've never
seen it
quite so
beautiful.
Ballooning
was once
again part
of our late
summer and
early fall
travel.
Reno and
Albuquerque
are still
our favorite
ballooning
trips.
We invite
you to give
us a call
and come
visit.
We are
grateful for
our health,
our family,
and our dear
friends.
xbaldridge@hotmail.com
***********************************************************************
NEWS FROM THE HOMEFRONT
It has been pretty quiet here. We had a low-key Thanksgiving (still mourning my mom) and wanted it to be quiet. Christmas is more for the kiddoes and I felt more in the holiday spirit (not my usual, though). My sister has been down with upper respiatory infection and dad was showing the beginnings of the same. Well, he was out of his dementia medicine (lost in the mail after being sent from the mail order station) and obviously his congestion medicine combined with his LACK of Dementia medicine drove him into a hallucinogentic state. He was "crazy" for 2 1/2 days. This is so unlike him. I obviously got a glimse of what someone acts like with Alzheimers. I sure didn't like what I saw. It was very dangerous for him and us, too. He seems to be feeling back to his "normal" self.
I wanted to again share with you my home address in Lumberton. We received some Christmas mail at our OLD evacuation address at our daughter's home.
Linda DeCuir
McFadden
7699
Boardwalk
Lumberton,
TX 77657
(409)755-1439
lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com
***********************************************************************
EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE OVER 50
(sent in by Linda Blakeley Rindlishbacher )
1)Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.
2)With a 5 lb. potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax.
3)Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10 lb. potato bags.
4)After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag!!!
***********************************************************************
WEBSITE $$$ DONATION
Mike and I were pleased and happily surprised to receive a check in the mail for a donation to help pay for the class website. Thank you to Cynthia Marshall Devlin in Zavalla, TX.
***********************************************************************
REMEMBERING CLASSMATES WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2010
Rachel
Burton
Wheeler
Ronnie
Hollier
Arthur
Eugene
Hufstetler
Tim Kennedy
Myra
McConathy
Schexnayder
***********************************************************************
SAGE ADVICE
(written by Regina Brett, 90, of Cleveland, OH and sent in by Janice Hebert Boudreaux )
1)Life isn't fair but it's still good.
2)When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3)Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4)Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5)Pay off your credit cards every month.
6)You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7)Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8)It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9)Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10)When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11)Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12)It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13)Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14)If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15)Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16)Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17)Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18)Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19)It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20)When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21)Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22)Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23)Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24)The most important sex organ is the brain.
25)No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26)Frame every so-called disaster with these words, "In five years, will this matter?"
27)Always choose life.
28)Forgive everyone everything.
29)What other people think of you is none of your business.
30)Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31)However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32)Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33)Believe in miracles.
34)God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35)Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36)Growing old beats the alternative--dying young.
37)Your children get only one childhood.
38)All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39)Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40)If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's. we'd grab ours back.
41)Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42)The best is yet to come.
43)No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44)Yield.
45)Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
***********************************************************************
SUPPORT
Ernie
Castaneda
Bullion's
in-laws are
both in poor
health after
falls and
age-related
illnesses. Mrs.
Bullion will
be
undergoing
surgery
soon.
tbull50@sbcglobal.net
( Janette
Light Norton
sent me the
following
note on Dec.
19th)
Just a note
to tell you
that I am in
the hospital
with a small
pulmonary
embolism.
A month ago
I had a
heart cath
because I
had severe
chest pains.
Nothing
showed and
the
determination
was stress.
And the pain
went away.
Friday
morning the
pain
returned and
did not go
away.
I thought I
was being a
big baby; I
wouldn't let
Richard
bring me to
the hospital
until late
that
evening.
Lord willing
we have
discovered
the clot
soon enough.
Just pray
for me and
my family.
(I just
procrastinated
too long for
my shopping
so it looks
like they
won't be
getting
Christmas
presents!
"-)
hjn50beach@yahoo.com
**********************************************************************
CONDOLENCES
Carla Castro
Hass
(death of
her mother)
1106 Sun
Ave.
Port Neches,
TX 77651
cah0722@yahoo.com
(Taken off of Face Book on Wed., Dec. 29)
My MOM had the most beautiful funeral today. Everything but the rain was wonderful. But, the rain means she went straight to Heaven. She was so beautiful.
Janette
Light Norton
(death of
her mother)
20219
Sweetgum Way
Cypress, TX
77433
hjn50beach@yahoo.com
(Taken off of Face Book Wed., Jan. 28)
Tonight my momma is singing with the angels. My daddy and Charlie are sitting on either side of her--and she is smiling! No pain, no sorrow. Thank you God for your gift to our family.
The worst part of losing my mom just now is that, after loving her for 60 years, I can't tell her goodbye. Last week the Drs. found a small blood clot in my left lung and I can't travel to the little country cemetery in NE TX. I'm feeling sorry for myself. I've been with her almost every day.
Jeanne
Painton Cain
(death of
her mother)
15975 County
Rd 30
Delores, CO
81323
leonardcain@gmail.com
Bart Darby
(death of
his mother)
5207 High
Glen Ct.
Kingwood, TX
77345
bart.darby@yahoo.com
Grammier
Oberle
Funeral Home
4841 39th
St.
Port Arthur,
TX 77642
Visitation: Monday, January 3 from 4-8 pm
Funeral Service: Tuesday, January 4, 10 am at the funeral home
(Sent to me
by Laura Meece
Darby
)
We spent
Christmas
day with
Bart's mom
and she was
so happy to
see all of
us.
Even though
she was
getting
weaker and
weaker, she
really
fought hard
to be
here...especially
for his dad.
Bart left to
go see his
mom this
morning
(Friday, New
Year's Eve)
and was able
to be with
her for a
little time
before she
passed away.
God listened
to my
prayers.
She had
suffered
enough.
The family
suffered
watching her
this way.
His dad, who
is also in
very poor
health, is
devastated.
Thanks to
all who have
been
supporting
us these
last two
years.
We are
blessed with
good
friends.
***********************************************************************
Goodbye 2010. I had some good times (vacations in Alaska and Boston) and bad times (Mom passing away). Here's hoping that my classmates will have a healthy, safe, and fun-filled NEW YEAR.
Love to you
all,
Linda
DeCuir
McFadden
lindadmcfadden@yahoo.com
www.tjhs1968.com
.
