David Long

Linda,

I am definitely not uncomfortable about my age, I mean I'm the 2nd youngest in my monthly poker group, but I am uncomfortable in my age.  The loss of the left leg, the torn MCL in my right knee, and a badly healed broken foot definitely make being 76 uncomfortable.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  Our whole family is traveling in from Chicago today.  

David Brock

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  Age is something I cannot control, so I don't worry about it.  Every day I get up and put steam on the mirror is a blessing and a new adventure. I can't do some of the things I used to do, but just do the best with what is left.

Marvin Theobald

Anyone who might be aware of the home front weather the past 24 hours will know that our first arctic blast arrived yesterday with a high of 29° and a low of 11°. While there is not much fall beauty here since the leaves have fallen I thought I would share a few photos I took today that proves it is not all dull and drab. These photos are of a Pampas Grass plant in Judy's back yard and of blossoms on a Christmas plant she has had for many years. For me, they help to brighten these cold winter days. Hopefully they will for you as well. Especially if you are in the cold north country.

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

There was an article in today's Pantagraph that The Ozark House is celebrting 50 years this year.   That is where are next mini-reunion will be on December 3rd at 5:00. We met there last year for our mini-reunion Cristmas party, and had alot of people there and I'm hoping to see as many this year.  

Thanks, Marvin, for sharing those pictures.  Judy's flowers are beautiful and do add color to our black and white landscapes we have until Spring. 

 Happy Turkey Day, everybody.

Marvin Theobald

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I hope you are all able to enjoy a feast for your dinner. More importantly, I hope you will be able to celebrate in good health with family or someone close to you. I'll be with 
Judy and her son Mike. My contribution is making a sweet potato casserole and a green bean casserole. I am also donating a bought pumpkin pie. Judy is doing all the rest and I'll be keeping the dishes washed as she finishes with them. It will be a quiet day but a happy and fun time. Wishing all of you the same.

James (Jim) Rookus

Wishing everyone a blessed thanksgiving ... we have so much to be thankful for ...  this past year has been especially one of gratefulness for me having met my birth sister after 37 years of detective work to track down birth family .... now building new relationships with her, 5 nieces and nephews and 9 cousins ... topped off with a 7200 mile road trip to and from Santa Cruz California to our granddaughters wedding visiting 10 national Parks along the way!  Thanks Be To God !!!

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Hmmmmmmmmmm!  I love pies at Thanksgiving.  What is your favorite?

I love, apple, Dutch apple, apple with cranberries, mince meat, pumpkin, sweet potato, cherry, etc.

Have a happy pie eating Thanksgiving!

Love to all, Linda

David Long

Speaking of pies - Dorothy made a beautiful Apple Pie for Thanksgiving (did I mention she won the Miss Betty Crocker Award at one time in her life).  The pie was made a couple weeks before the kids arrived and was frozen.  She took it out of the freezer the night before and left in on the countertop to thaw.  At sometime during the night, our daughter's dog, Frida, a standard poodle, decided that the apples smelled deliscious.  She stood on her hind legs and started eating the pie, then pulled it off the counter.  The crash was heard and the kids came to the rescue, but too late.  The glass pie plate had broken and there was a mess everywhere.

I mad a mad dash to one of the local grocery stores and snagged a 'Danish Apple Pie' to replace the Dutch Apple that was partially consumed and spread on the kitched floor.  It was okay, but not up to Dorothy's standards.

On another note, I hope everyone has a great time at the next mini.  The date doesn't work for us to make the drive to Bloomington for the weekend.  We have the Knights of Columbus Christmas gathering and the Amputee Support Group luncheon ane White Elephant exchange.  I'm thinking of wrapping up one of my old leg sockets as the White Elephant gift.

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Oh David, I laughed when I read about your pie.  I'm sure it wasn't funny when it happened, but I can relate. And it will get funnier as time goes by.  We used to have a pit bull that got into my pumpkin pies once.  I guess a standard poodle is pretty tall, also.  If I still had Cinnamon, the dog that was part coon hound,  I had adopted in the Fall, she would have been tall enough to reach the counter and I've thought a lot about her, this year, when I had pumpkin pies on the counter cooling.

Congratulations to Dorothy for the Betty Crocker award for her pie.  Sounds like it must be really good.  And no pie that you can buy could stand up to hers. 

How is your move to Chicago going?  Wish you and Dorothy could have made it to the mini this weekend.  I missed the mini in August so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

In fact, Merry Christmas to everybody.  Just got my ornaments on my tree this morning, and cards made out this afternoon. 

Linda Bristow (Elias)

David:

Your household sounds fun!

Sandy:  You no longer have your Cinnamon puppy?

Linda

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Linda,

I kept Cinnamon for about 3 weeks and had to return her to the rescue.  She was just being a puppy, but she had more energy than I did.  When I took her for more puppy shots, my Vet said, her energy level was at a 12 and mine was at a 1.  ha-ha   He said he could put her on calming pills, but I didn't think that was fair to her.  She was smart and in those three weeks, I had taught her to sit, and down, and to give me five.  She was learning what "no" meant and she only had about three accidents in the house.  Otherwise she went outside and knew what "outside" meant and she would go to the door, when I asked her if she had to go.  But she wasn't telling me when she had to go.  It was just she that needed someone younger that could keep up with her.  She loved to run and even though I have a fenced in area, it wasn't enough.   Like my Son said, even though she would improve with age, as she got older so am I, so we never would have been on the same energy level.   My Vet thought I was doing the right thing, but it was a very hard decision.  In less than two weeks she was adopted by a very nice looking young girl.

Marvin Theobald

 OK CLASS OF '64 

Ozark House 

Tomorrow at 5:00

come and celebrate the holiday season with your old friends 

Santa may not be there but a lot of jolly old folks will

Marvin Theobald

As many of you know, I often see something that makes me grab a camera to try to get a memorable photo. Once in a while one seems special. I took this one from inside my car yesterday morning. The frost on the windshield was so beautiful I almost decided to just sit and admire it rather that start the car but at least I captured this shot before killing it with the defroster.

Sandra Jeakins (Singletary Sizemore)

Marvin,

Wow!   Looks like Jack Frost is an artist in his own right.  He did a beautiful job on your windshield.   Thanks for sharing.

Marvin Theobald

Our annual holiday mini-reunion was attended by 22 of our classmates and 12 significant others. It was a grand display of friendship and conversation that lasted nearly four hours. Sadly, many that planned to attend had lastminute issues that prevented them from joining us. Five came down with flu or COVID and five others ended up with conflicting events that kept them from attending. Four more were unable to join us due to rather significant physical ailments or injuries: Pat Lehr, Madelon Henderson, Dave Nafziger and Ed Stanfield. Most of those unable to be there have been regulars at our mini-reunions and were very much missed. Below are photos of those that joined in the fun.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

GREAT PICTURES MARV, BUT YOU FORGOT ONE PERSON.  THAT'S RIGHT YOU!!!
 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

EVERYONE!!  🎄🎄
 

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Marvin:

Thank you so much for the wonderful photos!  Hello to everyone who attended the mini-reunion.  You are all just beautiful to me!  Have a healthy, happy, safe, warm, and delightfully Merry Christmas!

Love to all-

Linda

Allida Frisch (Altemus)

Had a great time at the reunion. Great catching up with our classmates. Annie had me laughing all night. Love the pictures Marv. I do feel bad for the classmates that were planning on coming and couldn’t because of illness or injuries. Hope everyone is back to feeling good very soon. Everyone have a great Christmas and New Year.

Jack Keefe

I will be signing copies of my book, Echoes of Purple and Gold, this saturday morning (December 10) at Ryburn Place at 305 Pine Street in Normal. My hours there are 10am till noon. This will be my first book signing, and while it'll be nice to sell copies, I'll also gladly sign a copy you already own. 

Ryburn Place is a unique shop with lots of Route 66-theme merchandise. Be sure to look around while you're in there. Owner Terri Ryburn has been helpful to me in getting my book out to the reading public.

David Long

I have a friend in Kansas that normally floods my email with a lot of Right-Wing political stuff, some of it very funny, some not so much.  As an independent, I trash most of it as a lot of the stuff is edited to be unfair in its portrayal of many aspects of our life in the US.  Today was a totally different day in his posts and I thought I'd share some amazing pictures that he sent.  I hope you enjoy them and are as amazed as I, in the beauty created in nature. 

Dave

Julie Hart

wow, david, those are gorgeous!  thanks for sharing them.  hope everyone is doing well this cold december.  i traveled to bulgaria, macedonia, kosovo, albania, and corfu, greece in sept. and just got back from sudan last wednesday.  gonna be home til the end of january resting my old bones. 

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Thank you David. 

The majesty and awe of nature never let's us down.  Yet, humans cannot produce anything that can match nature's magnificence.  Still, humans are left to be stewards of all creation.

The American Indians have seen their place in life to protect nature.  With them, are many indiginous people around the world holding the same concepts of protection.  Wouldn't it be nice if others could simply see that they could help in protecting our world?

Linda

Jack Keefe

Incredible images. Someone has a great eye for nature photography. Thanks, Dave.

Marvin Theobald

Dave - The photos are incredible. The life forms and colors in nature are amazing. These photos capture some of the best nature has to offer. Thanks for sharing.

David Brock

David Long--The photos are outstanding.  My experience the secret to great pictures is being in the right place at the right time.  That certainly isevident here.  Thanks for sharing.