Dear Friends and Classmates,
As I mentioned yesterday,
I'm in Edwardsville, Illinois at the moment. Randolph and Brandy flew
the three of us to St. Louis on Friday. (It's good to have a lawyer
for a daughter-in-law!) We'll be here through August 13. There was a big
ol' family reunion at Pere Marquette State Park in IL on Saturday.
(Paul's the oldest of nine children. Eight of the siblings and several
spouses, children, and grandchildren attended.) We went to church in
Edwardsville on the Sunday, four of them are taking a tour of the Missouri
ancestral homelands in Cape Girardeau and Stoddard Counties today, several
of us will be attending the St. Louis LDS Temple on Tuesday (we were
supposed to be going to the Nauvoo Temple, but that plan had to be
abandoned), and then totally goof off for the rest of the trip. We have
six of our seven babies (Dale still has six months to go on his mission),
all three daughters-in-law, and all eight of the grand babies (the ninth
one won't arrive until about September 23) with us. And I am in hog
heaven playing with them all!
As you
might have suspected, there have been many questions which have gone
unanswered for several long weeks now, so in response I'd just like to
say, "Yes"; "Yes"; "Yes"; "No"; "Sometimes"; "Certainly NOT!", and "My
goodness, Sweetie - whatever are you thinking?!?"
Yet
there seems to be a bit more time for some others, so let's see what we can
do:
From Steve
Veazey ('60) of VA - 07/18/05:
Carol B, it was
great finally meeting you at our 45th year reunion. If your hubby
or Dave took any photos, we’d be tickled pink to view them!
Thanks, and
good luck with the web site.
Steve Veazey
Thanks, Steve! That WAS
cool! I had a great time that night, and it was an honor to meet y'all! Yes,
Dave sent me some images, I still have some waiting to view, and I understand
Karen has some to send me as well. I'm looking forward to posting them all!
From Frances
Goodson Wang ('65) of MD - 07/20/05:
Thought you might
enjoy this site. Frances
http://www.hairarchives.com/private/mainnew.htm#3
So cool!
Thanks, Frances!
From Linda Lane
Lane ('64) of VA - 07/21/05 - "Dying UP Here":
Carol,
I can't remember when I've been so hot and not having flashes. Hopefully,
you're staying real cool and getting that computer running. My how I've
missed you. Last weekend I took my daughter and grand kids on a little
journey to the western part of the state. You won't believe who we saw.
Remember Brenda Vanness Grepiotis that graduated in 1965? Her mom
and my mom were best of friends until they moved away 15 years ago.
Brenda and I have been friends since birth. They live in Buchanan, VA and
were very excited to hear about the upcoming reunion. I will get you the
e-mail address of her daughter and her land address and send to you in a
few days. Hope all is well with you.
Linda L. Lane
Hey, Linda! What great news
(not the freaky weather; Brenda!) I have gone not-so-quietly nuts, being
disconnected from my life support systems, as it were, but I remain ever
optimistic. Thanks so much!
From Gail Kiger
Bonsey (Ferguson HS - '73) of OR - 07/26/05:
So Carol? Wuz up? Happy summer...We truly miss your web page.....bad
timing for your computer, huh? Do you think you'll have energy to start
up again? How are you and your sis doing?
Attached is my son,
Collin, showing me now what he can legally do
at 18!
We'll miss him in Sept as he departs for Univ of Oregon.....Oh well, could
be further!
Steve (Kiger - '66 - of VA) is in Santa Fe, NM helping
a friend the next week...He enjoys summers off...
Take care, hope you are healing with all you went through....I am at home
today myself-it's to be 91 here today and 94 tomorrow! I best lie low..
Gail (Kiger) Bonsey FHS '73
Hi,
Gail! Thanks! I'll save Collin's picture for one of the first "real"
Newsletters. Keep reading for updates on Eleanor and me. And hang in there!
From Dee Hodges
Bartram ('66) of VA - 07/26/05:
Hey lady! I have not heard from you in a
while. Please tell me you are doing o.k. I sure miss your newsletters!
Dee Hodges Bartram
Thanks, Dee!
Yes, long time, me quiet. "O.K.", hmmm? Well, let's just say
there are a couple of concerns which should probably be addressed soon.
I'll try to schedule an appointment or two one of these first days. It's
good to be missed, though!
From Fred
Field ('45) of CA - 07/31/05:
Hello
Carol, Sunday, July 31, 05
Are you still set up to read 3-1/2 in. floppy disk? I am trying to get
those submittal stories polished up and in the mail to you.
I can do a CD if I have to - but still more comfortable copying onto a
floppy. Also easier to make afterthought edits.
Getting ready for my trip to NN, leaving here Sept. 2. NNHS Class of 45
reunion plus 3 weeks of old places and old friends.
Fraternal best, Fred
Hi, Fred! Yes, my oldest
computer can indeed accommodate a 3-1/2" floppy disk - and I can then scoot
the data
to the other one - thanks so much!
Have a great time at your
reunion! I'll try to have some free advertising for you soon!
From Jean
Lankes Toth
(Hampton HS - '72) - 08/01/05:
Hi Carol,
I'm sure you've been bombarded with this question lately..... but is
your website going to resume? I sure miss it! Hope you
are doing well.
Jean Lankes Toth
HHS '72
The website is still
there; I've just been in limbo! But yes, stay tuned! Thanks,
Jean!
From
Gloria Woolard Price (Hampton HS - '65) of FL - 08/01/05:
Carol, how are you? It's been quite
awhile since you wrote about your computer problems. I hope that's
the only reason you haven't done a newsletter. If you can, will be
send me an email......all you have to write is "I'm okay" and I'll be
relieved.
GLORIA PRICE
Hi, Gloria! Actually, I
was so frustrated at not being able to work on the site, I was being a
brat, and staying pretty much offline. (I did a massive amount of
scrapbooking of memorabilia in preparation for the Reunion, however!)
And "okay" is a relative term...... but thanks for your concern! I do
appreciate it!
From Chuck
Jones ('66) of Northern VA - 08/02/05:
Carol,
I have not gotten an email from you in a while. Is everything all right?
Chuck Jones
Hey,
Chuck! It was great speaking with you! Thanks so much for calling!
Well,
aside from my obvious mental derangement and those other issues, wal, yeah, I
suppose so. And I've every hope that the regular Newsletters and the web site
updates will resume shortly as well.
From Pam Smith
Arnold ('65) of VA - 08/02/05:
...
Ron (Smith - '65 - of VA) had
lots of ideas about how to advertise the event ('65's 40th Reunion in
October). With the class of '65 website down, we are afraid we will drop out
of people's radar....
Hi, Cousin Pam! Actually, the
site itself isn't really down. All the pages are still available to see, and
the chief advertising still headlines the opening of the site. I simply can't
send out "normal" Newsletters, nor update fun stuff within the site. While
site hits are down, they have by no means stopped, and new people still find
us regularly.
Nevertheless, I am as anxious as everyone else to have things back as they
were. Thanks, Cousin Pam!
From
Cheryl Mays Howard ('66) of VA - 08/07/05:
Hi Carol, it has been such a
hectic summer and I am checking to see if the newsletter is up and running.
I have not gotten a letter in a long time..did just get the 2 deaths you
sadly reported. I miss hearing!
Peace & Blessing,
Cheryl Mays Howard
And I miss telling!!! Hang in
there - and thanks, Cheryl!
From Glenda
Stewart Faires ('66) of GA - 08/05/07:
Carol,
Just wanted to say "Hi" and hope that you are
doing well!! I can't seem to get any newsletters past May 10th and was
wondering if I am doing something wrong. I enjoy your news sooo much and
look forward to hearing all of your recent tales!!
Thank you again for all of your hard work!
Glenda Faires
Ja, dat is ven
everyting vent bad...... Yours was one of the legion of email
addys which was scrambled in the chaos. I now have them all back, but I
have not reassembled them yet. Make sense? No, I didn't think so.....
Thanks for checking in with
us, Glenda!
From Gail Kiger Bonsey
(Ferguson HS - '73) of OR - 08/08/05:
Is
the NNHS web pg site still active? It looks as though no posting since May,
although I did get your e mail today.....how's your sister doing? you? gail
Active? YES! There has been
a great deal of activity on the site - lots of visits, lots of Guest Book
signings. I simply cannot update it at the moment. If nothing at all were
wrong with it, I would not be able to work on it from afar. But everything
has now been repaired but the FTP. I can weite all sorts of things now; I
just cannot yet upload them. My #5 son, Nathaniel (on whose computer I am
typing right now) has promised to give me a tutorial on the new FTP system
he installed so that won't be a problem upon my return.
The original problem
was a worm in my
NNHS65@nc.rr.com email on
04/21/05. It spread to my
cluckmeat@nc.rr.com account. That
is why I begged (not always successfully) everyone to switch to using
any of my Yahho accounts (I have about seven). Ultimately, all information
received in those two accounts prior to that date was lost - forever.
SOB!
We have spent the last three months starting over,
making upgrades, and spending large sums of money, and pulling large chunks
of our hair, and stressing out, and going quite mad. But we have not
been idle.
Thanks, Gail! Oh - and like any incredibly heroic new
widow, my sister has been a remarkable source of inspiration ro rhose around
her. She's okay, but she's not okay. And if she were completely okay, the
only possible conclusion would be that she did not love Miles. But she
did. She loved him very deeply, and misses him very much. But she goes on,
and she copes, and she smiles, and she cries. Eleanor is the greatest.
So y'all keep the faith, take care of each
other, and I'll be back soon.
Love to all, Carol