lucky you - your browser doesnt play annoying midis

Provide free mammograms!
12/09/08 - NNHS Newsletter
Welcome Christmas

“Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else
in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children
is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive.”

-  Robert Staughton Lynd
(1892-1970)

Dear Friends and Schoolmates, 

   This light-hearted Newsletter theme is also new to us this year.

BONUS - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_GwSN_tNN0 - Welcome Christmas - How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 1966

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:

     Happy Birthday today to Shirley Smith Langston ('57)!

     Happy Birthday tomorrow to     John Murden ('60) of VA AND   Glen Davenport ('63) of VA!

   Happy Birthday this week to:

12 -   Mary Massey Lyle ('61) of NJ AND      Marcus C. Higgins ('65) of AZ AND       Tom Norris (Hampton HS - '73) AND   My #2 Daughter-in-Law, Bethany Winona Harty (Siuslaw HS, OR - '94) of OR;

13 - Kay Davis Smith ('57);

14 - Elizabeth Mitchell Hedgepeth ('57) AND   Kathie Avant Taylor ('64) of GA;

15 - Jewell Hamner Crowe ('57) AND        Buster Vest ('63) of VA;

16 -   Betty Brockwell McClure ('58) of VA!

   Many Happy Returns to You All!

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/Happy-Birthday.html

    From Jean Poole Burton ('64) of RI - 12/08/08:

.....Well, we have our tree up and lights on, other decorations around the house as well...I did not get much done on the tree today but will try to make up for lost time tomorrow.  I have my Christmas letter in the computer and almost ready to print, envelopes yet to address, photo card ready to go.  A teeny bit of shopping...I have nothing yet for the men in my life...I loved the gift ideas for men...I told my husband I was going to give him some rope and duct tape!!!  He said that would be just fine...actually I am going to get him a six pack of olives for his martinis and a dress shirt because he is definitely clothing challenged. My son is in transition driving to the east coast and will be flying out to the Gulf to be aboard the USS Roosevelt so he said just wait and send him some goodies and treats when he was on the ship. This will make the second Christmas without him.  Our daughter is going to a wedding in New Orleans and so we won't have her with us this year either.  Oh well...what is a mama to do?  Make the best of it, I guess.  

We will be going down to the sacred soil on the 21st to be with our Mamas and the Burtons.  I will be cooking so I take "everything but the kitchen sink" with me...recipes, bowls, food processor, mixer, etc.!)  I try to bake the cookies here before we leave....

Love, Jeanb

   Let's see how our lives parallel each other's this year, Jean!  (You didn't mention the music and choirs, but I'm sure you're as involved with all that as I am.)

   During the course of the year, we were given a couple of larger "previously owned" pieces of furniture for our living room, which on a day-to-day basis work much better for us.  I wondered as we were moving them in how and where our huge artificial tree would ever fit in there as well.  It became patently obvious around Halloween that it simply would not. 

    We were able to find a 4' white tree that would sit atop a table by the sofa, so we brought it home in mid-November and had a little Thanksgiving tree.

  
Saturday, December 22, 2007
 

    On 11/28,         Adrienne (Harty - Hillsboro HS, IL / American School, IL - of NC) and I turned on a steady stream of Christmas carols, and began decorating in earnest for Christmas.  By forcing our minds to focus on something else besides Margaret's passing, we were able to avoid falling into heavy weeping and grieving and accomplish something at the same time. 

http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/11-29-08-NNHS-Margaret-Buckley.html

     The tiny tree looks surprisingly charming decked out in ice blue and silver, and it stars the beautiful pierced foil ornament that     Linda Mae Bond Crayton ('66) of VA so thoughtfully crafted for me in remembrance of Margaret.

   Thanks, Linda Mae!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
 

   I hung all the outside wreaths on the doors and under the windows, and we adorned the living room, dining room, and even the bathroom in lots of reds and some ice blue, with different areas and surfaces dedicated to angels, snowmen, candy canes, or Santa Clauses.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
 

   The outside is usually spectacular at night with tiny white lights abounding.  It will regrettably have to stay "Scroogily neckid" this year, as that stoo-pid germ refuses to actually leave us completely, and we certainly don't want to risk relapsing into something even worse than we already are by being out in the cold (although it's "posta" hit 71 degrees tomorrow !?!) for a prolonged time.  As we're leaving on the 18th, it hardly seems worth all the effort anyway. 

   We have sent out a handful of cards, and plan to send more before too long, but I haven't had the heart to write a Christmas letter for the third or fourth year in a row.  Maybe next year.....  When we arrive in Illinois, we'll see sons #1, 3, 4, and 5 and their families (plus a number of other relatives as well).  We'll go to Georgia to see our #2 son and his wife the first in January, but I think they won't have their five children with them.  They spent the last two Christmases here with us in North Carolina, which was delightful.

   That just leaves our #6 son and his wife and baby boy up in Massachusetts whom we'll not see at all.  That sweet little baby will be six months old on Sunday, and we've met him only through pictures, videos, web cams, and telephones - which is way better than nothing, but not nearly as much as we'd all prefer. 

   And I might - might - cook and bake a few things when we arrive in Illinois, but Jean, there is no way - NO WAY - I'd ever pack along all the tools of the trade!  Our "twin-ship" ends there, Lady!

   Thanks, Jean!

      From Me ('65) of NC - 12/08/08 - "And speaking of food...":

   This is a family favorite I might make while I'm there:

   
 
 

  From My Friend, Emily Adams Bangerter (West HS, UT - '93) of NC - 12/07/08:

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
 
2 Tbsp chicken broth
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar 		1 Tbsp. orange juice concentrate
1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
       (or additional cider vinegar)
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

   Mix together.
                             

   Thanks so much, Emily! This salad dressing was so yummy on your salad Friday night!

    From Joe Madagan ('57) of FL - 12/08/08 - "        Brent Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL - '90) of GA":

Hi, Carol:
 
Thank you so much for forwarding to me the update from Brent. He thought that he had sent this to me, and discovered he had not when I asked if he has selected his Branch.
 
Now I have the "Rest of the Story"...and would let him know that some of the best instruction about how to become a superior Officer will come from a crusty old First Sergeant who will show him the ropes when he gets to his first duty assignment.

Timing is everything, and I am sure sorry about the timing of #10 during the Graduation.

I will sure miss being there.

Mizpah,
Joe Madagan

   Thanks, Adonis! We will surely miss you, but I know that a least part of you will be there in spirit! Babies seem to arrive on their own timetable, heedless of the world about them or what anyone predicts. Enjoy that precious time with your family!

  From the President of the 1963 Student Body, Bill Shaw ('63) of VA - 12/08/08:

Hi Carol,

Just to let you know that my e-mail has changed to: ________________.

Thank you for your info on NNHS!

Bill Shaw

   I have you all switched now, Bill - thanks for letting me know!

      From Gloria Woolard Price (Hampton HS - '65) of FL - 12/08/08 - "Lucky to be an American":

Carol,
This was sent to me by     Richard Dawes (NNHS / HHS - '62 - of VA).

I've said many times after seeing the horrible conditions elsewhere in the world, "There but by the grace of God go I." I've always felt so blessed to have been born here. This is worth seeing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0rQzUVQjd8  - So Lucky to be an American - Baxter Black

   This is a very nice reminder of our multitudinous blessings - thanks, Gloria - and Dicky!

From http://www.selfgrowthtest.com - 12/08/08 - "Stop Asking Why":

Attitude - The Tyranny of "Why?"
By Gregory Anne Cox, Dec. 3, 2008
 

Judging. Defensive. Tyrannical. These are the shadow characteristics of Why as a means of getting information. Who knew Why had a shadow side? Generally people ask why when they are upset about something and they are looking for someone to blame. Sometimes they just want to be recognized as right, thereby making another wrong. Tyrannical.

Yes there are those times when we simply wonder why something is so, but it seems that the dark side of Why is more prevalent.

Exhibit A " Why did you do it this way?" The subtle message here is, "my way would have been better."

Exhibit B "Why did you say that?" The not so subtle message here is "I'm not looking for answers I simply don't like what you said."

But often we need to know, don't we? When and why? When a significant other comes home later than expected someone might be met at the door with "Why were you late?" To my ear that immediately puts said other on the defensive. Change a few words, "Did you hit traffic on the way home?" or "Did the boss grab you on your way out the door this evening?" and the whole dynamic is different. There is now an opening for conversation rather than a corner with a person stuck in it.

Much of how we interact is based on what we learned growing up. If the blame game--"who spilled the jelly beans and why?" was a common approach in your formative years then it's no wonder that "why did you leave your plate on the counter?" rolls off the tongue so easily. Do you really care why the person left the plate there?

Often the person on the other end of the interrogation, and it can just as easily be us, didn't really "do" anything to negatively affect you. Those with Y chromosomes for instance, are almost incapable of getting dishes from the counter top to the dishwasher, clothing into the hamper vs. left on top of it, or the condiment back into the refer vs. leaving it out on the counter. Why? Who cares, it's just the way it is.

Fact finding is fine and helpful to our need to understand the world around us. "Can you please put the dishes in the dishwasher?" sounds a lot more useful than "Why do you always leave your dishes in the sink?" The latter will probably get you the result you want too.

Sometimes things just are, what it is, crap happens. When a person we know, love or work with is involved however the mommy in us rises to the surface. We want answers!

Why? We know it's possible to get different behavior by asking a different question than the one that puts us on the defensive. Is it possible to give it a try?

What if we were to just accept that most people are not out to make our lives miserable. They are very busy doing what works for them and sometimes--quell horror--just don't think about us and our needs. Damn them.

Next time you are tempted to demand answers beginning with the word Why, pause, breathe, and see if you can't find other words to get you what you need to know. Most of the time what we need to know is that we are smart, right, not being taken advantage of, respected, etc. and has nothing to do with the other. If we can approach the people and situations that arise day to day with that in mind we might not only get the results we are looking for but we'd discover that what we need to know says more about who we are being than what's been done.


Author's Bio

Gregory Anne Cox is a certified life coach who has been dishing up all-you-can-eat servings of women's health and nutrition information for years. Her Lifestyle Tune-Up course is a 28 day wonder seminar for women looking for the missing mid-life manual. You can find out more at Live Better Coach, send her an email, or call her at (631) 728-2456. This article is copyrighted and you may feel free to use it as long as you include this paragraph when publishing it.

From Norris Perry (Warwick HS - '59) of VA - 12/08/08 - "APHORISMS":

14 is a GOOOOOOOD one............
 
 
APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE EXPRESSING A WISE, CLEVER OBSERVATION; A GENERAL TRUTH OR ADAGE
 
1. The nicest thing about the future is it always starts tomorrow.
2. Money will buy a fine dog but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all.
4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is before you put your foot in it!
6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
7. Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
8. Why is it that, at class reunions, you feel younger than everyone else looks?
9. Scratch a dog and you'll find a permanent job. 
10. No one has more driving ambition than the boy who anxiously awaits his 16th birthday.
11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4AM: It could be a right number.
13. No one ever says 'It's only a game' when their team's winning. 
14. I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.
15. Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it. 
16. The trouble with bucket seats is not everybody has the same size bucket.
17. Do you realize in about 40 years we'll have millions of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
18. Money can't buy happiness - but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than in a Kia. 
19. After 70 if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

   GIGGLES!  Thanks, Norris!

  From Joyce Lawrence Cahoon ('65) of VA - 12/08/08 - "Weeweechu":

  It's a romantic full moon, when Pedro said, "Hey, Mamacita, let's do Weeweechu."

Oh no, not now, let's look at the moon!" said Rosita.

Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I do Weeweechu. I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged.

"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." replied Rosita.

Please, Corazoncito, just once, do Weeweechu with me."

Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll do Weeweechu."
 
 

Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang.....

"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

     Thanks, Joyce!

        From David Whitley ('67) of VA - 12/03/08 (but not discovered until 12/08/08) - "All these pictures are made from FOOD" (#2 in a Series of 7):

This is really cool, look closely at each picture; most everything is a kind of food.

Lots of detail & tons more imagination than I have...
 

   Thanks, Gorgeous! These are really incredible!

  
 
 
 

HOLIDAY REUNION NEWS:

The NNHS Class of 1958 Gathering and Dinner will be held Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 6:00 PM at Al Fresco Ristorante, 11710 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23606.  CONTACT: Joe Drewry (jwdvt@aol.com, 757-244-4443, ext 4)

DATES TO REMEMBER:

1. Thursday, January 1, 2009, 11:00 AM - Class of 1955 Lunch Bunch - Steve & John's Steak House on Jefferson Avenue just above Denbigh Boulevard in Newport News, VA  - OPEN TO ALL WITH FRIENDS IN CLASS OF 1955

2. April 23, 24, & 25, 2009 - Class of 1954 will hold their 55th-Year Reunion. For details contact Dr. Harry Simpson at 804-694-0346 or email him at hdsdds@aol.com - CLASS OF 1954

PRAYER ROLL:
 http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com/requests-prayers.html - updated 12/08/08		 NNHS BLOG:
 http://nnhs.wordpress.com/ - updated 12/08/08

   Y'all take care of each other!  TYPHOONS FOREVER!  We'll Always Have Buckroe!

                                  Love to all, Carol

==============================================

NNHS CLASS OF '65 WEB SITE: http://www.nnhs65.00freehost.com

PERSONAL WEB SITE: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/cluckmeat

==============================================
Carol Buckley Harty
219 Four Ply Lane
Fayetteville, NC 29311-9305  
910-488-9408		      
Official PayPal Seal		     To donate, click on the gold seal on the left, 
             or just mail it to my home. Thanks!

Welcome Christmas

Words by Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, 1957
(02 Mar 1904 - 24 Sept 1991)

Music by Albert Hague
(13 Oct 1920 - 12 Nov 2001)


Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas, come this way!
Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day!

Welcome, welcome! Fah who rahmus!
Welcome, welcome! Dah who dahmus!
Christmas Day is in our grasp!
So long as we have hands to clasp!

Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas! Bring your cheer!
Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome all who's far and near!

Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas, come this way!
Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas, Christmas Day!

Welcome, Christmas! Fah who rahmus!
Welcome, Christmas! Dah who dahmus!
Christmas Day will always be!
Just as long as we have we!

Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome Christmas! Bring your cheer!
Fah who foraze! Dah who doraze!
Welcome all who's far and near!

 

And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
That the Grinch's small heart
Grew three sizes that day!

Welcome Christmas! Bring your cheer!
Cheer to all who's far and near!
Christmas Day is in our grasp!
So long as we have hands to clasp!
Christmas Day will always be!
Just as long as we have we!

"Welcome Christmas" midi, lyrics, and clip art of the Grinch courtesy of http://yule_rejoice.tripod.com/c-lyrics/home.html - 12/09/09

Animated Christmas Lights Divider Line clip art courtesy of http://www.hellasmultimedia.com/webimages/christ-htm/lines-christ10.htm - 12/09/08

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

Air Force Seal clip art courtesy of http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/celebrate/milsongs.htm - 07/07/06

Hampton High School's Crab clip art courtesy of http://www.geocities.com/agent99bm/ - 10/02/05

Siuslaw High School's Viking Logo clip art courtesy of http://www.answers.com/topic/minnesotavikings-1000-png - 12/27/07

Coast Guard Seal clip art courtesy of http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/SealsEmblems/USCG.htm - 10/03/07

West High School's Panther Logo courtesy of http://west.slc.k12.ut.us/ - 12/08/08

Marine Corps Seal clip art courtesy of the late Herbert Hice of MI - one of my Famous Marines who served in the South Pacific during WWII.
Thanks again, Herbie!

Army Seal clip art courtesy of Al Farber ('64) of GA - 05/24/06
Thanks, Al!

Animated Rolling on the Floor Laughing Boy courtesy of http://www.animationfactory.com - 04/06/05

Animated Ringing Christmas Bell clip art (designed by Art Holden) courtesy of http://www.animationfactory.com - 12/08/05

Animated "NEW" clip art courtesy of http://gifsnow.com/ - 03/07/06

Back to NNHS Newsletters - 2008

Return to NNHS Class of 1965