Diane Harris (Moore)

Gary, that's BY FAR the cutest picture you have posted in a very long time! She is a little doll! Oh, and the text codes are hilarious, absolutely.

Connie, speaking of little dolls, I am certain that little Miss Eden also fills that role beautifully. I know you are missing them, but you probably feel the way I will in about 10 days.

Donald, I sure hope Liz is better. No one wants/ needs to be sick over Christmas. Or anytime, for that matter.

I write this from Topeka, Kansas tonight. Dick and I, in a moment of insanity, decided to drive to Colorado instead of fly. Actually, we needed to take some large items, so the car was needed. I love road trips! Dick? Not so much. I notice every snow covered river bank and pretty cloud, while Dick ascribes awful traits to poor fellow drivers that he has never met.  But we drove 11 hours today, and should be in CO Springs in about 9 hrs. tomorrow. Can't wait. I drank coffee all the way across 4 states today, so guess who's not sleepy? BO-ING!!!

This will be my last entry, probably, before Christmas. I want to wish everyone special blessings of Christmas. I hope your stockings will be filled with the things that bring you greatest joy. In saying that, I know that those aren't "things" at all, but are health, the love of family and friends, and the certainty that no matter what life may throw at us, Christ is able to sustain us.

Class of '68, love to you all.

Gary Grice

Oh, Diane!  That trip across Kansas can be a killer - nothing but miles and miles of miles and miles.  At least when the tumble weeds are rolling, you can occupy your mind dodging them.  We took five days on our initial journey from Virginia Beach to Colorado Springs.  It was well planned so we had some place exciting to see each day - till we left Topeka.  After seeing the World Famous Topeka Zoo everything else pales (note sarcasm) as well as not much else to see but rolling prairie til you get to Colorado - then the view of the mountains makes the whole journey worthwhile!!!  I pray you have a good and safe trip - as well as all of our other classmates that will be traveling over Christmas.  It will be a GOOD time to get some pictures and update your profile.  I know we've had several additions, grandkids and in-laws that haven't gotten posted.  THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING PROUD OF YOUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS!!!!!  I'm living proof - the Lord still blesses me.  As you each check in - MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Please make it a New Year's resoultion to let us know how you are doing.  Have a GREAT week.  Later.

Donald Chandler

Liz has pneumonia, and we would be grateful for your prayers.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you.  Be safe out there if you are out on the roads.

Gary Grice

Don I will pray for Liz's speedy recovery and for your strength as you nurse her back to health.  Should be a quiet day around here today.  My next few days will be filled with grandkids and cleaning! As I checked the obits this morning I see that Mrs. Paradise passed away.  I know we will all want to keep her family in our prayers.  May you all have a very BLESSED and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Later.

Jimmy Willis

I WISH EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND

A VERY HAPPY BLESSED NEW YEAR!

AS FOR US ALL'S QUIET IN THE BRIARPATCH. 

LATER GUYS!!!

Donald Chandler

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS... JUST LIKE THE ONES I USED TO (never) KNOW... 

(Bing Crosby, 1954)

Connie Morgan (White)

Gary,  Lyla is beautiful!

I just want to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas, and a New Year that is healthy and happy.

God bless you all.

love you,

connie

Gary Grice

Well its almost here!  We had a Birthday Parties (3) for Brenna, Addison and Jackson yesterday.  Yep, all born in December between 21st and 30th.  I just made a run to Jittery Joe's for special coffee for tomorrow and to Panera Bread - the girls all wanted bagels.  Its really starting to feel like Christmas.  Sherron is preparing to sing tonight at the church's Christmas Eve service.  She wasn't going to sing this year but had too many requests for O'Holy Night so she gave in.  She always does a beautiful job and people are really touched by her singing.  Thank you Connie for the compliment - yeah she is kinda cute even if she is mine.  Her Auntie Em (Emily) made the hat.  I guess I had better go get dressed for church as well but just wanted to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas, and to quote that great philosopher, Tiny Tim, "God Bless Us, Everyone". Later.

Gary Grice

For any who may not have heard, Connie's aunt passed away on Christmas Day.  Connie, our prayers go out to you. 

Gary Grice

I think I now understand why we haven't heard anything from Jim about the great trophies he shot during deer season.  Looks like the rules might have changed a bit.  This weather should improve his ability to see the deer anyway.  Happy hunting there Jim.  Later.

Donald Chandler

I suppose that's why they call it "SNAIL MAIL":

Right after my physical in November, my doctor who is about 15 minutes from me here in Marietta, put a copy of my blood tests results in the U. S. POSTAL SERVICE to me postmarked on November 8th. It arrived at my home yesterday, December 27th... 49 DAYS LATER! And this is the same U. S. Government that wants to control your health care and mine.

Gary Grice

Anticipation - Reflection - Projection.  The anticipation of presents and people has passed and I trust you all had a great Christmas.  As I looked at the pile of trash at the end of my driveway, I can't understand why it is so much larger than the pile of presents under the tree.  I hope you all received the desires of your heart and were blessed by much celebration and fellowship over the last few days and weeks.  As I reflect on the year and days passed, my reflection looks at least 10 pounds heavier.      It has been a tough year for many of us as we lost loved ones and struggled with health issues and dare I say it ..... the consequences of getting older.  Now is the time to project into the coming year what we would like to see happen.  But like that 20 pounds I was going to loose last year that somehow became a 10 pound gain, our resolutions somehow slip away.  But I will resolve, again, to loose those excess pounds that go on a lot easier than they come off.  I hope and pray that you will each be blessed beyond measure in the coming new year.  Knowing that many will be popping in over the next few days, I just wanted to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!   

Gary Grice

Don, I too share your concerns about our nationalized health care.  Here is a story from one of those outstanding socalized medicine countries.  Go ahead and wince!

Penis Amputation

Later.

Connie Morgan (White)

Thanks for mentioning my aunt Mildred Bradford.  She was a dear lady!   I know of her love for the Lord, so I am able to celebrate that she is now with Him.

I'm staying busy with work and trips to Canton to help with the new baby (mom had a C-section, and there is a 4 1/2 year old brother)   Canton is just over 90 miles from my house.  Fun times, but also tiring.  Gary, you have mentioned this "age" thing several times.   It DOES make a difference.

I sure hope that all of you had a blessed, happy Christmas, and I hope you have a wonderful New Year.  I'm not making resolutions since it now takes me longer to make the resolutions than the amount of time I manage to keep them.  I do hope to see all of you at least once or twice in 2011!!

with love to you,

connie

Jimmy Willis

NOW I KNOW I'M HEADED TO THE WOODS GARY!

I HOPE EACH OF YOU HAVE A SAFE VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

GO DAWGS!

LATER

Diane Harris (Moore)

 Just a very quick drive-by posting to say "Happy New Year" to my most favorite group of baby boomers. Here's sincerely wishing each of you a truly good year. Who of us knows what 2011 holds, but surely some tears, and surely lots of laughter. My prayer for you is the same one that Dick and I say for ourselves--that we end the next year wiser, kinder, more encouraging people.

Whoop, whoop! Love to all.

Gary Grice

Hope everyone is surviving the new year and hasn't had to rewrite 2010 too many times.  I've been busy answering phones.  Seems the ladies around our office have had a hard time getting into the swing of the new year.  Any who, can't complain - I've got a job!  Thought I'd drop in and provide a lighter moment for any that appreciate such humor - I know Dick will like it so I hope he drops by.  Hope everyone has a blessed week.  Later.

Some poor friars decided they needed to make some repairs to their monastery, so they opened a small florist shop to raise the necessary funds. Since everyone felt good about buying flowers from the men of God, the rival florist across town was fast losing business, and believed the competition to be unfair.

The rival florist asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close their shop...they ignored him. Finally, he asked his mother to plead with the friars to close their very popular florist shop. The good friars ignored her as well.

At his wit's end, the rival florist finally hired Hugh MacTaggard, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to "persuade" them to close. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving...

Are you ready for this?

That Hugh, and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars!

Diane Harris (Moore)

 Well, it sure has been a quiet week here on the old message board. Gary, not even your efforts have nudged any comments. Guess the winter doldrums have set in. It's always hard getting back into the routine of normalcy after all the Christmas goings on.

I have no news to report. I have had no surgeries, and have not been arrested, so all is well. Dick arrived home from Philadelphia tonight, very tired, and is sleeping like a noisy baby. Hopefully we will have one of those rare weekends when we just might get to merely "hang out". 

Wish I could think of a good joke to tell, but I am a lousy joke teller anyway. I have always been better at BEING the joke than telling it.

Uh, I sure hope everyone is OK. I know there are new babies, and Don, I know Liz was not well for a while. I really, really hope she is better. Jimmy, I suppose you are keeping all of Eatonton insured, which is good. 

No news. It's cold, has started to snow a little, and I hear the wind blowing. Guess it's time to count my blessings and head to bed.

Oh, we did go see "True Grit" on New Year's day, and we liked it very much. That takes care of our annual pilgrimage to the move theater.

Gary Grice

Good morning Diane.  You are right, it sure is quiet around here!  You are incorrect about being the joke though.  You are the most "real" person I have ever met and I appreciate that rare characteristic.  Hope you and Dick can enjoy some down time this weekend.  For a while there it seemed we were going 8 days a week.  Not good on the body or soul.  The Lord knew what he was doing when He created the sabbath.  Too bad we haven't learned to properly celebrate it.  Sherron and I have made several attempts but seems life just gets in the way.  We are expecting some wintery weather here starting late Sunday.  Maybe we will get snowed in and be able to have a down day Monday.  As I say that, I guess Teresa and Kathy may still be snow bound from the Christmas snow.  Maybe they will check in and give us a weather report or post some snow pictures.  Yeah I've tried to stir up some discussion here but without much success.  Diane, if you haven't noticed, the jokes I post are pasted from another source.  I check out several sights each day looking for a little chuckle to help me make it through the day.  There seems to be less and less to laugh about.  Just have to laugh to keep from crying.  Anyone out there have any experience with Forex?  No not Four-X; Forex!  Foreign Currency Exchange.  I would be interested in hearing about your experiences.  I've read about it from time to time and my son-in-law has gotten the bug.  We've had some great discussions and I think I'm beginning to understand how it works.  Always looking for experiences to add to my knowledge base.  Well I've got a meeting in a few and then off for the afternoon.  I've got a pile of tree trimmings awaiting their conversion into mulch.  Recycle, recycle, recycle.  Hope everyone has a safe and blessed weekend.  Later.

Connie Morgan (White)

Just checking in to catch up and to say hello.

I have to add to those of you who have said "no news here"...   which can be a good thing!    I hope you are all well, and having a good 2011 so far.

I am thankful that I've been well and also to have a job!  Since I can not retire, a job is a blessing that I do not take for granted.               Stay well - we had an e-mail @ work this week that Georgia is one of the top 5 states with flu outbreaks.     Both hospitals in Athens have been full this week with NO available beds.   Patients being held in the ERs.      

Donald Chandler

Good Morning, Class of ’68… and Happy New Year!

We are snowbound here in Marietta.  Liz and I woke up this morning to 4.5 inches of “global warming” in our yard.  I saw a report that Clarke County had 7.5 inches.  Maybe some of you can send us a report from your neck of the snowy woods.  I ventured into the back yard only long enough to feed our backyard bird friends in search of breakfast.  Be safe out there, mates… unless you absolutely have to get out, stay home and enjoy God’s Handiwork.

Hope you are all having a great New Year so far.  My only resolution… to learn to twirl a pen in my hand the way the guy does it on those VW commercials.  Just kidding.  Actually Liz and I both have decided to read through the Bible “cover to cover” this year.  Do any of you have this checked off your bucket list?  I have done it three times through the years, a different version each time, but it has been a few years since the last time.  The New International Version is my favorite.  I must admit that some of the Old Testament is tough to get through… a real challenge.  When most people attempt to do this, they usually bog down in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.  And if you make it to Revelation… that’s a tough one too.

As Gary has mentioned… things have slowed down here on the forum.  And that includes me too I guess.  I plead guilty.  I have tried to stir up a little give and take on this forum and on the User Forums too, but our participation numbers have really dwindled… and even our regulars are a little more “irregular” if you know what I mean.  :-)   I have no great jokes to share and not many are interested in my sports reports, and most are bored with politics I think… but here I go anyway…  I am who I am.

Some of you know that from time to time I have written letters to some of our elected officials to let my voice be known on the issues of the day.  If you remember, I wrote letters back in March to several members of Congress to let them know of my opposition to the Health Care Reform Bill.  One of those letters happened to be sent to Gabrielle “Gabby” Giffords… the Arizona Congresswoman who was critically wounded in that massacre a few days ago.  My letter was apparently not enough to convince her to vote against Obamacare, and she was re-elected to office in November.  I believe in letting my voice be heard, but not with violence.  I send my prayers to Congresswoman Giffords for a full and speedy recovery.  May God touch her with His Healing Hand.

For you who are bored with sports, you can tune this out.  But I have to congratulate our Georgia Bulldogs Basketball team on a great victory over the Mighty Kentucky Wildcats Saturday evening!  Wow, what a game.  I was pulling for Georgia and Liz was pulling for Kentucky.  Those Bluegrass Roots are pretty deep.  :-)   This is a good Bulldog team that Coach Fox has put together (11-2 so far I think), so maybe our Hoops Dawgs can make us proud this year, even if our Gridiron Dawgs let us down.  That Liberty Bowl game was pathetic!  Just my opinion… I welcome yours.  And by the way… the Atlanta Falcons are looking good!  They have a very important NFL Playoff Game this Saturday Night against the Green Bay Packers.  Call me crazy, but I’m still dreaming of a Super Bowl!  And I may tune in the BCS National Championship game tonight, Auburn vs Oregon.  It should be a real shootout... lots of scoring.  I guess I'll pull for Auburn, but without much enthusiam.

The subject of “movies” is another topic that gets little attention here, but I do see that Diane posted a comment that she and Dick saw the new “True Grit”.  I’ve heard that it is good and Liz and I plan to see it too sometimes soon.  We go out to see movies frequently, but it is usually when they make it to the “second run” theaters.  The old version of “True Grit” with the “Duke” was on cable TV the other night.  We did go to see “Secretariat” a couple of weeks ago… GREAT movie!  Have any of you seen that one?  Very inspiring and well worth the time!

Liz is feeling better.  Thanks for asking, Diane.  And I will second Connie's message for all to stay well out there and avoid the flu if you can.  And BTW Gary... no experience with Forex.  And Gary, I found a new TV show I like... "Auction Kings", produced here in Atlanta.  Have you seen it yet?

Well, I’ll hush for now and check back in down the road.  Have a great week folks and be safe out there.  Reporting live from Cobb County… and snowbound in Marietta… this is Don.  

PS:  A friend of mine offered up this New Year's prayer:  "Dear God... my prayer for 2011 is for a fat bank account and a thin body.  Please don't mix these up like you did last year.  Amen."    

Gary Grice

Oh Me!  Well here I am on my second vacation day - not by choice but certainly isn't worth the risk of trying to drive in this stuff.  Don, we had 6" officially but I measured nine in my backyard (check Classmate Photos- I created a new Gallery for snow pictures).  Got out yesterday just to check on my neighbor.   Up early this morning (before it got too hot) to remove what snow I could.  I didn't clear anything except a small walk to the street yesterday.  This morning everything was covered in a half inch of ice.  Once I lifted it off the cars, I swept the 6"s of snow off - not that I'm going anywhere. The roads are really icy - I've watched a couple of near accidents already this morning.  Over the weekend I heard a news story listing things that children being born in 2010 will never experience, like going to a store and renting a movie, a printed book, or a long lost friend.  Just two years ago, I remember reading and can probably find the article, where it was stated that the ice caps were melting, and we should expect more and bigger hurricanes and NO SNOW as we faced a Global Warming crisis!  Sometimes I think God just does things to tweek the noses of those that think they are bigger than him.

Haven't heard from Jim for a while.  Must be out hunting one of those camo-deer!  If anyone happens upon a big lump of snow and ice near Eatonton, kick it and yell, "GO INDIANS"!  It might be him.

Yeah Don, I watched Auction Kings for the first time the other night.  There's getting to be too many of the same kinds of shows. I enjoy learning about items uncovered but there's getting to be a lot of replication.  It comes down to finding the personalities you like I guess.  What concerns me about so many of these shows is the response it will generate from the poor dreamers out there.  Every abandoned storage locker does not contain gold bullion; every piece of pottery is not a million dollar find; everyone who goes to Alaska does not strike it rich; and every lottery ticket isn't a winner.  Nothing wrong with dreaming but too many allow their dreams to rob them of the reality that can be so much better.  As Paul said, be content.

To paraphrase a familiar saying, I'm just a "boring and lazy guy"!  I don't really have any long term interests.  Too much of a dreamer I guess.   While in the Navy, I never spent more than a week in any port before heading off to a new adventure and really enjoyed the frequent change.  Played golf, fished, ran 5k's, collected coins, rode motorcycles, went to auctions, took pictures, remodeled, traded stocks, etc. and enjoyed all for a while.  Now I'm a grandpa and enjoying it for all its worth, but I know that that too will pass as all those babies grow up.  I guess you could say my hobby is collecting t-shirts that say, "been there, done that".  I'm just a "Cliff Clavin", a guy full of crap that no one cares about but if I wasn't here, who would warm the stool?  Now I've got to go generate some carbon emissions to melt this snow.  Hope all who drop by will have a very blessed week! Later.

Donald Chandler

9 inches?...  now you're braggin', Gary.  Actually, I've only seen that much snow once in my life, and that was during the Blizzard of '93 when I measured 9" in our front yard here in Marietta.

Enjoyed your photos, Gary.  I was going to post a few on the Classmate Photos file, but had problems, so I'll just post a couple of photos here of our little corner of the frozen universe.

Stay safe and warm, mates.

Connie Morgan (White)

Glad to hear from a couple of you guys that you are o.k.   Diane and Dick, I know this is nothing to y'all -  but this snow and ice has really put a halt to things around here.   I measured 5" on my driveway, with some drifts much deeper than that.  I enjoyed the pictures that were posted.

I walked to the p.o. today.   Probably not the smartest thing I've done.  I ran into many very slippery ice areas.   I sure don't want to fall and hurt something.  I have found that I don't "bounce" nearly as good as I used to...  Now I just lay there and moan and hope nothing is broken.   It was nice to run into Lamar and Sheryl Burgess Bridges while I was out.

I watched the Auburn vs. Oregon game.  I'm not an Auburn fan, but wanted the SEC team to win.  It was a good, close game.    I sure have hopes that next season our UGA Bulldogs will have a better season.    By the way, have you heard that the mascot, UGA has cancer?   He is being treated.

Gary, I know that a lot of folks (including me) don't write regularly, but it is always so good to read what those of you who do, write.

Gary Grice

OOOOOOOOOh! BRAIN FREEZE, BRAIN FREEZE! I hate, love snow ice cream!