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Dear Friends and Schoolmates,

Ah - back to the celebrity birthday celebrations! And Carmen is one of my very favorite operas, so I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

BONUS #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHphaS4aPX0 - "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen - Muppet Style - Beaker and the Swedish Chef have a go at Carmen's famous aria ...with a little help from Animal.

Free sheet music

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:
Happy Birthday today to Kitty Taylor Hanrahan ('57) AND Carol Wornom Sorenson ('57) AND Bobby Turpin ('58) of VA!

Happy Birthday tomorrow to Terry Hunsucker ('65) of KY AND Randy Tate ('66) of DE!

Happy Birthday this week to:

27 - Carolyn Simpson Knight ('56) of VA AND Kermit Whiteside ('57) AND

Dimples Dinwiddie Prichard ('58) of NC;

Dear friends and family,

I am writing all of you to ask a big favor for me....My son, Matt, is turning the big 40..on Nov. 1st..and I would love for him to just get a big ole pile of cards for his special day...I did this four years ago for his sister, Amy, and it was a great success....since Matt is my only other child, I won't be bothering my friends and family for something like this again...so please, if you can, mail him a birthday card around the 30th of October.. and he should get them on time!! I hope he gets a lot and that he is blown away!!

I really appreciate each one of you who will take part in this for me...if you really don't know Matt, then just write inside the card that his Mom told you it was his birthday!! I think it will be a lot of fun, and thanks so much ...I will REALLY APPRECIATE this gesture on your part helping me to make his day a little more special....

Lots of love, Rosalee

Matt's address is: Matt Souder

3706 Ascot Lane

Houston, Texas 77092

Oh, such FUN! What a thoughtful mama you are, Rosalee!

Okay, Sweetie-Pies, "Keep those cards and letters coming!"

3. A lesser number of photographs of those two events from

my sister, Eleanor Buckley Nowitzky ('59) of NC;

4. More Birthday Party pictures from

Dimples Dinwiddie Prichard ('58) of NC;

5. A HUGE number of images from various sources from the 45-Year Reunion of the Class of 1963!

Mark (Friedman - '65 - of VA) sent this my way and it is truly amazing; have a look!

It amazes me how someone can actually carve and sculpture like this and not kill (girdle) the tree!

Well, guys, I thought this was absolutely phenomenal!

Just now as I was posting the images, I began to wonder how many people had worked on the carvings, and how they could possibly have known in advance the effect the growth of the tree would have on their work (not to mention what the tree must have been thinking as it was being mutilated - however beautifully), and in its vulnerable condition, what would keep it from being subject to diseases which would topple and destroy it, and so on and so on.

So I ran it through snopes.com. I had no match with "African tree", so I tried "carved tree". There I found that it was usually purported in emails to be a tree in India, but in fact, is neither. In fact, it isn't a live tree at all, nor is it located abroad.

It's in Orlando, Florida in the Discovery Island portion of the Animal Kingdom Park. Known as the Tree of Life, it is the 14-story, 50 foot wide centerpiece of the park - as well it should be! There are 325 animal carvings created by more than a dozen artisans. The story of its creation is as fascinating to read as the pictures are to see, so be sure to read the full account on snopes.com, then check here for more images:

I am so happy to forward this one. WE can all use a break from the political and depressing emails.

Preacher's Son

An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men his age, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it.

One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects.

1. A Bible.

2. A silver dollar.

3. A bottle of whisky.

4. A Playboy magazine.

"I'll just hide behind the door," the old preacher said to himself. "When he comes home from school today, I'll see which object he picks up. If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he's going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer."

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot- steps. As he entered the house whistling and headed for his room. The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month's centerfold.

"Lord, have mercy," the old preacher disgustedly whispered. "He's gonna run for Congress."

From Tom Norris (Hampton HS - '73) of VA - 09/25/08 - "He's Back.. ENJOY! (#22 in a Series of 26):

- Libretto by Henri Meilhac (21 Feb 1831 - 6 July 1897) and Ludovic Halévy (1 Jan 1834 -8 May 1908)

Based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée, 1845, which was influenced by the Russian narrative poem "The Gypsies" by Pushkin, 1824

Animated Tiny Birthday Cake clip art courtesy of Sarah Puckett Kressaty ('65) of VA - 08/31/05
Thanks, Sarah Sugah!

But, look at 'this' as you get closer! Wow! Whatever you can imagine...some artist can carve.



	Here're some close-up pics.

		Carol ... more pics for the newsletter. Amazing artwork! Tom Thanks, Babe! These are amazing!