What a Birthday Gift!!!

You have to feel really loved and special and almost happy to hit the magic age of 70 if your birthday is announced as follows:



I don't know about the rest of you, but my 70th didn't even come close to this ............

Many thanks to Carol Mackenzie Weber for the following:


THE CLASS REUNION


> Every five years, as summertime nears,
> An announcement arrives in the mail,
> A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
> Make plans to attend without fail.

> I'll never forget the first time we met;
> We tried so hard to impress.
> We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
> And wore our most elegant dress.

> It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.
> It was held at a fancy hotel
> We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined,
> And everyone thought it was swell.

> The men all conversed about who had been first
> To achieve great fortune and fame.
> Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
> And how beautiful their children became.

> The homecoming prom queen, who once had been lean,
> Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
> The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
> And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.

> No one had heard about the class nerd
> Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
> Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
> She married a shipping tycoon.

> The boy we'd decreed 'most apt to succeed'
> Was serving ten years in the pen,
> While the one voted 'least' now was a priest;
> Just shows you can be wrong now and then.

> They awarded a prize to one of the guys
> Who seemed to have aged the least..
> Another was given to the grad who had driven
> The farthest to attend the feast.
>

> They took a class picture, a curious mixture
> Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
> Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
> You never saw so many thighs.

> At our next get-together, no one cared whether
> They impressed their classmates or not.
> The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
> By this time we'd all gone to pot.

> It was held out-of-doors, at the lake shores;
> We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans.
> Then most of us lay around in the shade,
> In our comfortable T-shirts and jeans.

> By the fiftieth year, it was abundantly clear,
> We were definitely over the hill.
> Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed,
> And be home in time for their pill.

> And now I can't wait; they've set the date;Our sixtieth is coming,
> I'm told.
> It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
> At the Shady Rest Home for the old.

> Repairs have been made on my hearing aid;
> My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
> My wheelchair is oiled, and my teeth have been boiled;
> And I've bought a new wig and glass eye.

> I'm feeling quite hearty, and I'm ready to party
> I'm gonna dance 'til dawn's early light.
> It'll be lots of fun; But I just hope that there's one
> Other person who can make it that night

Jim Sommer Passes Away

Thanks to the efforts of Norma Deardorff Plummer and John Spencer, we've learned of the passing of Jim Sommer, another of our classmates. Jim passed on October 28th in Darien, IL. It goes without saying our deepest sympathy goes out to Jim's family and friends. Losing a classmate is getting more difficult with each loss. We seem to have lost so many since the reunion, and each loss carries with it special memories of the fallen classmate. May each of them rest in peace.

Save the Poles

A recent e-mail from Judy Dian Larsen has introduced us to the website of her son, Eric, who is on a 365-day adventure to reach the South Pole, the North Pole, and the summit of Mt. Everest (that's at the top of my Bucket List). Eric is currently in Antarctica, making his way to the pole. You'll be linked to Eric's web page thru the title of this blog entry; in the website, you can keep abreast of his travels and adventures. Judy also advised Eric has a fan club on Facebook, and MSNBC.com has occasional updates on his progress. What an extraordinary life to lead --- you must be very proud (and worried to death).

Lass Grandsons Soar Like Eagles

I received the following from Betty Staub Lass:

"My twin grandsons age 16 received their Eagle scout ranking in an Eagle scout ceremony on October 24. The master of ceremony was their older brother, who
received his Eagle scout badge last year. It takes a lot of work and many years to achieve the highest ranking in scouting. I'm very proud of their accomplishment."



Our congratulations go out to these fine boys, too. This is indeed a great accomplishment!