WHATS NEW

Bill, thank you for posting! What an amazing resource for kids (and adults too!) to learn( and refresh memory banks!) how the bill process works. I think we learned this in elementary school somewhere in the recesses of my mind. Nice to know kids must be still learning some good stuff on how our system works!

09/16/19 09:50 AM

#275

A visit to Denver area RHS Classmates this week. L/R Ron Morris, Judi Adams Morris, Kathy White, Jim White, Elizabeth Gwartney Lowney and Walter Lowney. Today, for Elizabeth's birthday, we are all going to Estes Park and watch the Elk bugle. Meeting up with lifelong classmate friends is Highly Recommended.

09/17/19 07:51 AM

#276

Gilbert "Butch" Colbert

In local news – a psychic (who happened to be a midget) was arrested for defrauding clients by “contacting” deceased relatives. Unfortunately, she escaped from jail the next day. The headlines read – “Small Medium at Large”.

09/17/19 05:10 PM

#277

Here we are in Estes Park, Colorado. Walter and Elizabeth Gwartney Lowney, Judi Adams Morris and Ron, Kathy White and Jim White. (classmates in bold) This was a good time but it was not without problems before getting there. :-)

Each lady think they are pointing to the problem that made the BMW quit almost in the middle of of nowhere.

What do you do when the car has quit on you? You kick it to the curb! (oh, yeah, we were already there)

On the way back from the mountain top, we stopped to see the hazards at the gold course. Hey, Golfers, how would you like to play through this?

Judi Adams Morris sometimes forgets she is photographing a wild animal.

It is all in the family. This is during rutting season so it was great to see and hear the elk bugleing. Golfers, let us see you go pick up your ball on the green.

P.S. I like the "Small-Medium-Large" joke.

09/18/19 07:11 PM

#278

The pictures were great Jim. Aren’t the elk gorgeous?! Not ever seen them on a golf course however. Glad you and Kathy are out meeting classmates. Sorry you have had engine trouble. Hope by now it is fixed.

Enjoyed the joke Butch.

09/19/19 06:37 AM

#279

Diana M. Codling (Reed)

Bill---

British Motor Works? But I'm sure you have something more entertaining to call it!

09/19/19 03:17 PM

#280

Mardi Gonyea (Nicklin)

Hi again Bill, I am glad you are back with us. The backgrounds are always so welcome.

Hi Judi and Elizabeth and hubbies. You all always look like you are having so much fun. I would love to be there to join and make us the crazy triplets!! I know Kathy fills the triple part very well.

Even though my gorgeous hill country (Kerrville, Texas) is reaching the Fall season, which is my favorite season, our temps. are in the upper 90's. The 97 degrees in San Antonio broke the record that was set in 2011, I think. I am keeping our East Texas and East coast classmates in prayer as they are taking a beating with the storm season that has come with a vengence.

Jim, I am glad you and Kathy got the needed help to get you back on the road. I h toave traveled those desolate KS roads/highways many a time when all I could see outside my window was miles and miles of wheat fields. I have traveled all seasons of those Colorado highwaysoti where you were as well

For those who keep up with the RHS 65 class and know Bill Clem, he has been reporting to classmates regarding Charles Clark Charlie suffered a stroke and has been in intensive care. Bill reported that he is improving and is eating now which was such good news. He is in the hospital in Dallas, TX.

Herkey, I hope you and your wife had a great time at your reunion here in Kerrville last week-end. I was not able to make the connection with you, and I apologize for that, as I had a friend that lost her husband. I spent time with her and her family.

I am sending my Luv N Hugs

Mardi

09/19/19 09:02 PM

#281

Bill,

BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, or, translated into English, Bavarian Motor Works. If you're a little rusty on world geography, Bavaria is a southern state in Germany where BMW originally started making airplane engines around 1917.Sep 1, 2016

Debbie

09/20/19 05:35 AM

#282

Rita Eudy

Bill - you do great work for this site. Glad you are "Back at Work!!!"

09/27/19 07:31 PM

#283

Robin E. Lostetter

I try to respect the neutrality of this site and not be argumentative. But I've just been referred to as both a Chicken Little & a fool.

Yes, most of the predictions above are pretty laughable. But some, especially this one, are awfully close to being accurate, give or take a year or two:

"2008: Arctic will Be Ice Free by 2018"

As a pastor, I agree with the anonymous post, that God has a lot to do with creation & our lives. But in Genesis, we are called & given a task - to till the soil and be stewards of the earth, in a God-like manner (likeness of God).

However, when humans have not done what God has asked of them, God sent prophets (spreaders of doom & gloom) to point this out. My ministry, and that of a huge number of my colleagues, is in the tradition of a "prophetic" ministry regarding the desecration of earth, its resources, & its inhabitants.

But the two posts above are missing the point. We're not just pointing out the damage humans have done, and continue to do, to God's good creation -- we are asking/calling people back to the proper care & stewardship of this home we've been given.

Like the Psalms of lament, we somehow come around to a word of hope. But it is like the parent who says things will be better, but you must take responsibility for your own actions in order to move forward. I will always love you and walk with you, but I won't clean up your messes.

Btw, that 12 year warning isn't that the earth "will disappear" or be unlivable in 12 years. It's a scientific ESTIMATE of how long we have to set in motion major changes, in order to avoid condemning our great-grandchildren to serious hardship.

God bless us all, as opinionated as we may be!

09/28/19 01:52 AM

#284

To all,

I have been watching what has been going on environmentally and the people who are not paying attention to what is happening. Perhaps it will give you an idea what you can't see where you live,

Every time we get high tides that have a swell that pushes it a little more, the ocean comes up into one of the industrial areas on Oahu. This has not happened until the last 2 years. Last winter we had almost continuous high surf that made it impossible for people going to the beach.( Believe me that is serious- when you live on an island you don't have much to do.)

This reminds me of ..I was just thinking that it says in the Bible that man was given the Earth and we are supposed to be custodians of the world. I think we haven't been doing a very good job.

But there is a bright side..... if the water keeps rising , I'll have water front property. (That was to lighten the mood) Seriously, it is very obvious that things are changing rapidly every time you turn around, some report from a Federal Office tells us about whales beached or turtles disappeared. Let's just do as much as we can and hope things get better.

Debbie

09/28/19 09:23 AM

#285

Diana M. Codling (Reed)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

While it is nice to see what everyone's doing, I do enjoy some thought-provoking postings. Need to keep those grey-matter cells moving! Since we are about the same age, we should have realized by now that we do not all think the same. Our histories are all different; our life experiences are different. This means our "filters" are different ---- how we see the same set of data. [Remember the game "communication" (or telephone)? Even repeating the same set of words around a circle of people does not give the same words.]

If all we hear is from people who think in lock-step with us, how can we learn anything new? I left the old website because new thoughts were not tolerated. I don't have to agree with everyone, but I respect their right to hold different ideas. Of course that means I expect the same respect for my right. And while I might say I disagree, I won't do so in an abusive manner. If something actually makes me angry, I will go away, cool off, then come back and probably ignore that posting. I don't need to respond to all postings.

That being said, I wouldn't want this to become a total political rant. I also would not want it to be a total "look at my new grandbaby" or "look at my vacation pictures". Let's keep an interesting mix! So thanks for posting your thoughts and stirring the brain cells!

09/28/19 04:13 PM

#286

Robin E. Lostetter

Debbie Pike, my heart breaks for the loss of beach in the paradise that is Hawaii. (Have never gotten there, still hope that I might.) I know that with every hurricane, New Jersey's beaches suffer. Houses on stilts in other areas aren't always enough to withstand the changes. Some of us are fortunate to have experienced the unspoiled beaches along our coasts and in the Caribbean. Great memories. Hang in there for that beachfront property! ;)

09/29/19 04:01 AM

#287

I have to say, the area we grew up in gave us a love for the beauty of nature. I think maybe it was because we learned that what we had was just fine as it was. What has happened here is that a few people have moved in and built huge houses. Then the rich guys from all over the world come here and buy houses that are totally overpriced and then , when they get tired of it, they just walk away and stop making payments. The banks get stuck, the houses are empty, and people who live here are homeless because the cost for housing is unbelievable. Add the rising water level and this is screwed up. Living on an island is not as glamorous as it seems. I can't wait to come home.

Debbie

09/29/19 08:14 AM

#288

Diana M. Codling (Reed)

The Big Island is adding land!!

09/30/19 03:07 AM

#289

Diana,

Good point. I figure that whatever is going to happen, it will eventually turn out for the best. I think we all feel that things in our past were greatest because we enjoyed them so much. The kids we see now will probably think that their time was the best. I 'm for having more reunions, parties, and fun and enjoy what we have. Any one for a get together next summer?????

Debbie

10/02/19 08:21 PM

#290

As a former co-worker at Super Burger (seeT-Bone's profile), I am so fortunate to have a friend who came to see me in Seattle, spent time with (several of us) at Cliff Sanders' last outing in Las Vegas (and attended his funeral), take Kathy and me to CowTown Fort Worth, and always attend the D/FW mini-reunions. Our outings, our discussions topics, our friendship with you, Birthday Boy, have been the greatest! Love this 50-Year Reunion photo. (you know, but others may not recognize you with Lynn Harris and Elizabeth Gwartney Lowney). All three look a little under the weather. :-)

Happy Birthday, Terry Boone (alias T-Bone).

10/03/19 10:57 AM

#291

Happy Birthday to Terry! Many happy returns of the day. Every birthday celebrated after age 70 is a very special one I’m inclined to say! Anyway, I think everyone in the picture Jim posted looks great and like they were having a good time. Here’s to more of the same in the future!

10/03/19 01:24 PM

#292

Mardi Gonyea (Nicklin)

Hi Everyone....

I hope this post finds you all thriving in this beautiful Fall Season. I have noticed one very divided country.....weather-wise divided, that is! Holy cow, the Northern's are getting much cooler weather AND even snow. The Southern's, us, are still living in the 9o's!! Next week, however, it promices to be our first cool-down in over 90 days! I have to laugh, however, we look so forward to the cooler weather, but when we get into th we real cold, we are hoping the hot weather will rescue us!!

I remember in about 2014 I went to visit my sister who still lives in Roswell. I was so homesick I went with the idea of potentially moving back home. About the 4th day of heat, and it was in October, my feet were swollen like elephant feet. My clothes were so darn uncomfortable I was miserable. My sister said, "I want you to sit out here on my patio in the shade." I set out there with a cool drink for all of 10 minutes. I was sweating. I was wishing I had gotten a stronger drink...ha. Then, I looked out over her back fence. I saw solid brown dust. I thought, "what the heck....ha, only not heck!" I went inside and asked her, "What's with that brown wall of dust?" She said, Oh that, that's a habub." Like it was a common thing I should have recognized. Are you kidding me, I don't remember ever seeing anything like that when I lived here. Oh, how soon we forget. The visit ended with my telling her she was going to have to move to Texas because as much as I missed my heart-love, Roswell I was going to stay here in my "Camelot."

On another note. I am really happy to see classmates engaging in different conversations. In the world which has been thriving in social media, it really does prompt folks to write on many different subjects. I joined Facebook with great reluctance. I learned, however, that I had been missing out on a lot of family events and pictures galore. So, that part I really did enjoy. I, who thinks I have seen a whole lot in my life time, learned there were a whole lot who used it as a platform for a host of subjects which included politics, religion, and some pretty racy stuff. I learned quickly that all the stuff I was seeing needed for me to hit the scroll down button. Some of the stuff like my own sister-in-law and a couple of Nieces tempted me to launch some pretty strong rebuttal's. Some of them were so strong, I found myself calling them on the phone and having one on one conversation's about their posting's onto my site. So, this is what I am prompted to say about our postings of late. I love it that the participation has increased. I hope it will continue. Out of such a large group of classmates we are bound to have some that will drop out from time to time. If it happens that we start losing classmates due to the postings, we will let you know. Presently, we have about 35 classmates whose emails are not responding. There are so many reasons that could make that the way it is.

10/03/19 06:35 PM

#293

Dear Mardi,

I am always excited when you post. Your experiences are so well told that I find myself laughing out loud. Should have been a writer.

About habubs, I had not seen one before I was in Phoenix at my parent'.s house. We had gone out to dinner and we were just leaving to go home. We just got in the car when the dirt attacked. We didn't start home til it cleared a little and it started to rain Mud Balls. How exciting! I could do without seeing one again. After we got home we sat in the kitchen and watched the storm. Then a loud bang and a flash of light (No it wasn't the Lone Ranger) a microburst hit the house next to ours and a chunck of the roof exploded as we watched. Yikes!!!!! Scared the s##tout of me.

Life can be scary!

Debbie

10/03/19 09:49 PM

#294

Linda Lee Henry (Crowder)

LONG: Allow me to tell you a classmate friendship story, and maybe a couple other class related items at the end. As you know, BOYCE McFARLAND and I have been friends since high school. Good enough friends, in fact, that Kathy and I are on a luxury 5th-Wheel, nationwide travel trip made possible by Boyce and his wife, Barbara, giving us their 38' Montana with 4-slideouts. As you may remember, Barbara passed away a year ago from cancer. Boyce was a devoted husband who took absolute care of Barbara for over a year in the home. They had been married well over 30-years and have traveled over the world. Yes, Boyce, served our country in military intelligence with the USAF so they went all over.

After Barbara's death, Boyce could not stay in the home. It brought too much sadness after a year of bedside care so Boyce went to stay with his daughter in NC for a few months. This daughter was from his first marriage to a Swedish blond, Annie, he met in England.

It turns out that Annie was a widow from her 2nd husband and, as she went to visit her daughter, Boyce and Annie had discussions. There were two other actions at work (my words, not his). First, the strength of a young love and all the remembrances. Second, while our kids see the end of their life clear across the country, we see the end of our life at the county line, maybe even the city limits. Whatever happend 40 years ago is forgotten.

So, Mr. Military Intelligence was doing some calculations in his head about our similarities and he determined while Kathy and I were having "Too Much Fun" (yes, his words) that we had gone 38,000 miles (41 states) in 18-months and he had gone 24,000 miles in 6-months .... yes, trip to Sweden where former family members and friends were enthralled to see him again, to the Calgary Stampede, to Colorado and New Mexico, and back to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina where he just purchased a very sweet two-story log home. Boyce message me and asked what we were doing?

We were having a glass wine at the Wines of the San Juan at the moment. What was Boyce and Annie doing at the time? You guessed it. They were also having wine on the deck of their new home.

Boyce's calculations were correct. So this is a story about classmate friendship and a rare 2nd chance at love. I am so lucky to be considered a friend by Boyce McFarland, and I am so thrilled with how is life is turning out after his horrific loss. Continued blessings to you, Boyce.

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You folks know I love live music. This past weekend I got to be the host (and security) at the Winery for AUSTIN GIORGIO (#2 in 2018 'The Voice') and his guitarist, JON DRETTO. These young men are not only incredible musicians and vocalists, but great guys with their heads screwed on right. I think this is a classic photo of them - Jon is on the left.

JUDI ADAMS MORRIS and ELIZABETH GWARTNEY LOWNEY, you were both missed.

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CHIP KING is home after his surgery on his foot and was doing very well the last I heard.

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In yesterday's birthday comment about TERRY BOONE'S loyal friendship to CLIFF SANDERS and me, I failed to say the same about JIM BROWN. Jim B was also with us in Las Vegas at Cliff Sanders last hurrah, and also attended Cliff's funeral along with BOYCE McFARLAND.

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An unknown classmate stopped by the Winery sometime back and mention he no longer receives his correspondence from the class or me. My sister-in-law failed to get the name. The only person I know that connects the Winery to me is DANNY DANIEL but I am certain he is still in contact. Anyone else?

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MARDI GONYEA NICKLIN has a YouTube or something coming out entitled "Bloom Where You Were Planted." I think that would apply to all of us and I am looking forward to seeing her posts.

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I will try to find out if JERRY ROBBINS has a music gig in Albquerque within the next couple of weeks and if so, I will announce.

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Everyone, please participate. Let us know if anyone is sick or needs prayers. Let us know if any classmate has passed and need to be put on the memorial page. Write and let us know what is going on in your life, even if you think it is not fun ... we still care. Help us hunt for lost classmates. View the 50-Year reunion video on this website and get up and dance!!!!

10/04/19 10:48 AM

#295

Hi Jim! Thank you for posting all of the interesting stories about our classmates! It is great to hear how everyone is doing! I am so glad Boyce is happy again!...All of the pictures and stories you and Kathy have put on your Facebook site are wonderful! I feel like I need to go see several of the places! So many look very interesting! ...Right now, I am in Ohio visiting my children and grandchildren. Feels so good to be here with them! Well, take care and safe travels, my dear friends! Linda Henry Crowder

10/04/19 11:55 AM

#296

What great stories everyone has shared. So Mardi, what is Jim referring to... a book, a blog or YouTube video? Inquiring minds want to know! (And where can we find it?) Yes, I have my own stories regarding “haboobs” in Phoenix. When I married my second husband in 1974, he was in the Air Force and his first duty station was in Phoenix at Luke AFB. We didn’t call the dust storms Haboobs back then. I worked on the 18th floor of one of three skyscrapers in Phoenix for a company called Cudahy (pork packing company). I was the benefit analyst for retirees of the company. During monsoon season in the summer, we would gather in the corner of the building on the 18th floor and watch the dust storm blow across the valley; an amazing sight to see. (We did not call these storms haboobs then.) (If you are traveling to a desert area during the summer, you will want to know about haboobs, haboob frequency and what to do if you find yourself in one of these summer dust storms. Haboobs can be scary to watch and dangerous to be in). Fast forward to 2009 and we were deciding where we wanted to retire after traveling the world for 35 years. Our daughter and family had moved to Prescott AZ three years earlier so it seemed logical to start looking in AZ. My husband’s former boss had already retired to the Phoenix area and raved about the area being a great retirement Mecca. I vaguely remembered the huge dust storms and heat so hot it melted your windshield wipers. But, we ignored those little nudges and pressed on. Soon we were ensconced in the Del Webb retirement lifestyle until the day the monsoon season arrived and with it our first experience of a “haboob”! This time I wasn’t on the 18th floor of a high rise watching the storm advance across the valley but experiencing it blow over the top of me! You cannot drive, walk or see in them. You must stop if you are in a car and it’s even better if you are in a building. Fast forward three more years. Daughter and family got new jobs and moved to Florida. They continue to extoll the virtues of the Florida lifestyle. We succumb to the slow moving pace of Florida living after visiting several times and experiencing a few more “haboobs!” We never looked back and I enjoyed ten more glorious retirement years with my wonderful lifelong friend and companion my husband Paul. The Lord took him home this last winter. After a reconciliation of forgiveness of past hurts, the Lord took my daughter’s biological father and my first husband home this summer. My only uncle went home to be with the Lord on my birthday this year February 14. After a season of loss, I am looking forward to a new season for 2020. It may not contain a new love, but it will contain a new connection to serving others in whatever way the Lord guides me. One thing that happens when you age past 70...you don’t judge others as harshly as you once did. You want to make a difference in someone else’s life even if it’s only for a short time. I am happy for those people who have found love a second, third, fourth time. Whatever. Love IS what makes the world go round and it’s how I’m defining my life. I can only wish the best for all of you. Here’s to a better and healthy 2020!

10/04/19 12:00 PM

#297