THIS AND THAT

NOLAN AND ROSALYN (URBANTKE) HOELSCHER

50 Wonderful Years!

Recently ROSALYN and Nolan (BHS Class of '54) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a huge party in San Antonio. ROSALYN told me to tell everyone "we had a large party that was 'my dream party' (lots of family & friends). We served 106 dinners, had LOTS of beer, and had very good music to dance to. We really enjoyed our party." ROSALYN sent several photographs of what I believe to be her beautiful family, and ROSALYN appears as radiant as a new bride in each photo. Congratulations to you both, ROSALYN and Nolan. It sounds like the party was a great way to celebrate the next 50 years!

No one recognized this house as their home during high school. This one is on Fifth Street. I'm not sure this is the best little game to play with our aging memories. Not to mention that things certainly do change after 50 years ~ trees get huge or are cut down (kinda like us!). People remodel or paint the houses. Many may not look anything at all like they did when you lived there.

I got the address wrong on the house that SHEILA GREGORY DANKWORTH lived in. It was 400 Largent, not 401. I ran into SHEILA at the hospital a couple of weeks ago when she visited IRENE PIEL BATTS. I teased her about not recognizing it, but then it certainly wasn't painted green when she lived there! As it turns out, SHEILA said she had not been able to open the blog at all. I assured her she would like some of the stories her former classmates have sent in. She promised to try again to open the site. (Has anyone else had difficulty accessing the blog?)

I took the picture at right along Elm Creek at Ballinger City Park. The bank on this side was mostly rock, but this beautiful blooming shrub caught my eye. I'm not sure what the shrub is or whether it is wild or was planted there by City employees, but it made for a pretty summertime image. To the right of this, overlooking the park and swimming pool is a small area for RVs, complete with picnic tables and barbecue grills. Kinda makes you want to jump right in and take a swim, doesn't it? Sadly, the camera caught only the beauty and not the real murkiness of the water. I sometimes wonder if there are any waterways left in this part of Texas that run clean and clear.

I love this picture of IRENE PIEL BATTS taken at the Class Reunion. She is always such fun to tell a story to! I am happy to say, she has not lost that wonderful spirit, and is so full of optimism. She is at home now, with Home Health nurses and a physical therapist coming frequently to assist with her care. That remarkable daughter of hers and David's, Amy, is ~ as the old folks used to say, "putting stars in her crown" with her devotion and attention to the needs of IRENE as well as David, who has been fighting a health challenge of his own. IRENE will start radiation therapy soon.

Even though IRENE's at home, she is mostly in bed. It would be extremely hard to receive visitors at this time. However, she has no problem getting to her computer now, so if you'd like to send her encouragement via email, please do. And don't forget the prayers!

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JIM COWLISHAW submitted the following for our "Strange Happenings":

"Our first son was born in a small hospital in Hobart, Oklahoma. The recovery room for the newborns was a room not much bigger than an average closet, with a window so that the proud father could view his child. As I was viewing my son, a man came up and said to me, 'Your son?' To which I replied, 'Yes'. He said, 'Do you think that he will give you as much trouble as you gave your dad?'

I turned; no one was there! I have always believed that I had a brush with an angel. And I am glad that I was able to tell my father THANKS while he was still alive.

Never know, do we?" ~ JIM

This is a reminder, JIM, that you promised to take some pictures on your recent trip to Denver and forward them to me for all of us to share in your vacation! I don't know for certain how long you were going to be there, but maybe you caught a few images of some of the politicians there for the DNC?

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I cannot resist putting in this picture of CHARLES FIKES and his adorable little granddaughter Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn's the one who prayed the precious prayer for God to fix her grandmother's CD player. Who could deny this little charmer any request? CHARLES wasn't able to make the class reunion, but I have to say, CHARLES, you do not seem to have aged a bit since I saw you at the 2000 All School Reunion.

I called JERRY DAVIS a few days ago to get a progress report. BILL KING told me that the series of radiation treatments was finished. As I did not reach JERRY, I can only assume that he is well into recovery! When we finally do talk, I will give you an update.

Until next time, keep an eye out for the "good stuff" that happens all around you! And tell us about it!!

Marilyn





JERRY DAVIS

MORE STRANGE HAPPENINGS

GLENN SMITH submitted the following about his brush with the supernatural.

TIME OF DEATH

“JUNE HASH CURRY and TERRY COTHRAN have recently told stories on the blog of unusual experiences. Theirs reminded me of one that happened in September 1971.

I was living in Ames, Iowa. My dad had slowly become more and more debilitated as a result of Parkinson's disease. He'd had the condition for about ten years. Jerry and Shirley Eoff spent nearly every night for three and a half years helping my mom take care of him. During the final weeks he was in the nursing home in Ballinger.

I got a call from Dr. Chandler telling me that if I wanted to see him alive, I should make travel plans. The quickest flight arrived the next day at DFW around 7 a.m. where I was met by my nephew and his family. Somehow what is now just under a four hour drive took nearly eight that day. We sauntered for hours well under the speed limit, with numerous fuel and restroom stops. My nephew insisted on doing all the driving, despite my repeated offers, and he orchestrated a lengthy lunch break. A little south of Winters he finally heard the last of my three urgent requests to hurry.

We were indicating 80, on the way to a higher number, when I felt tension stop my breathing and pull my body erect. I entered a quiet zone of intense anxiety for maybe three to five minutes. Suddenly my whole body relaxed, as if a switch had been turned off. I exhaled, slumped in the seat, and heard my voice say: ‘You can slow down. It's too late.’

I looked at my watch and noted the exact time. (I was wearing a Bulova Accutron, the world's most accurate watch at the time, given to me by Jerry Eoff. He also wore one and he and I made a point of keeping them set as closely as possible to the atomic clock in Colorado.)

In front of the nursing home, Jerry walked slowly toward the car. He shook his head from side to side nearly imperceptibly. ‘What time?’ I asked. He pointed to the face of his watch at the exact time that I had noted in the car. ‘He thought you were there,’ he added.

I kept silent but almost said, ‘I don't think he thought I was there, but I know he knew I was with him.’ ~ GLENN

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EDITOR: We probably all have a few stories tucked away in our memories of unusual or unexplained occurrences. Some might call one of mine just a coincidence.

When I was living in “The Barn” several years ago, I was going through a particularly tough time financially. I was headed to my little church for an evening class, feeling sorry for myself, and bemoaning my condition. I reached to turn on the radio, a sob catching in my throat as I cried out to God, “What am I to do?” Immediately, the song on the radio came through the speakers, “Get a job now, ta da da da da, Get a job now..” I burst out laughing and couldn’t wait to get to church to share this with my friends in class. We always mused over the different ways we are given spiritual messages. This was the most blatant of messages I received, and I must say I got busy the next day and went to apply for a job (again). God certainly has a sense of humor!

You’ve all heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for”? During those same years in The Barn, I had a lot of lessons to learn. And a lot of “unusual” happenings to help me learn.

At one time I had put up a makeshift “desk” in a corner of the great room that consisted of a couple of small two-drawer filing cabinets painted white, and the top of a blue folding table bridged between them. It made a good temporary desk, but I needed the blue table for other things. Every time I went through that room on my way out the door, I would glance at that corner desk and say to myself, “I wish I had a real desk back there” or “I sure do need a desk.” This went on for weeks. One day my son Matthew called me and asked if I would like a desk. A friend of his worked for a big apartment complex, and people were always skipping out on their rent, leaving all kinds of furniture behind. I was thrilled to hear I would finally get a real desk!

That evening Matthew pulled up in his truck, and I went outside to help unload my “new” desk. My eyes got big and I started laughing like crazy. Matt asked why I was laughing. I said I wish I had asked for an oak desk. You guessed it.. The small desk he pulled out had white drawers on the bottom with a blue Formica top – the same color blue as my temporary desk top! I had “manifested” a new desk by looking at my old one over and over, and stating that I needed a new one. I guess that picture in my mind went out to the Universe.

“What you hold in your thoughts, you create in your world.” This is one of the reasons I try to keep negative thoughts and pictures out of my mind. And why I don’t like to receive negative emails or stories from folks. I was told once, "Your fears are as strong as your prayers."

Am I superstitious? Nahh.. just cautious. And definitely a Believer!

Have any similar stories you wish to share with us? Let me hear them!

'Til next time, keep making "good stuff" happen ~ you have more power than you think!

Marilyn

A MEMORABLE HAPPENING

The following story submitted by JUNE HASH CURRY is guaranteed to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as well as give you goose bumps!

"During a period when I was still in Tulsa, about two years ago, I had an experience I will probably never forget. It involved my little toy poodle, Muffin, and my Tulsa newspaper delivery man. Although it will seem to the reader to be a work of fiction, every word of this story is true and can be verified in the archives of the Tulsa World and by my family.

My youngest son, Chris, who moved back to live with me after his divorce, and I were still living in Tulsa where I took a daily newspaper and very much looked forward to reading it with my morning coffee. I had an absolutely dependable newspaper delivery man who never missed leaving my morning paper no matter what the weather conditions or whatever holiday was present. He was as dependable as the morning sunrise. He had sent a note in my newspaper saying that if I ever failed to receive my paper I was to call him directly at the telephone number given—not the newspaper—and he would immediately see that I received my copy. I filed that number in a safe place, never expecting to need it by his faithful delivery performance.

One Sunday morning while preparing for church I went out to get my paper and found it missing. I simply couldn’t believe it, and spent some time looking high and low for it; but no paper was present. I went inside immediately and called my paper carrier. He seemed absolutely distressed by my call and said he would be right over with my newspaper. Very shortly he drove up to my townhouse and came to my front door with the paper in hand. I had the inner door open and saw him through the storm door which happened to be latched. Just as I got to the door to open it and reach out for my paper my little poodle, Muffin, exploded in front of me. She went absolutely ballistic at the man standing in front of my storm door and totally refused to let me get between her and the door. I was astounded at her behavior. I had raised this little dog from a 10-week old puppy, and she had always loved every single person she had ever been around, man, woman or child. She is normally so affectionate that she’s a total pest just making her loving presence known to any visitors. On this occasion, she convinced me that if I had opened that door she would have taken the man’s leg off; so of course I did not unlock or open the door. I just shouted for him to leave the newspaper on the step and my thanks for his trouble. He looked very unhappy but got in his car and left. I spent the next few minutes scolding my little dog and puzzling over such behavior from her.

About three weeks later I was absentmindedly watching the evening news on television when a few words captured my attention about an arrest made on that day. It concerned a Tulsa World newscarrier and showed a picture of the man arrested. I couldn’t believe my eyes and called Chris in to ask him who he thought the man on TV was. He immediately identified our newspaper carrier. This man had been arrested after being identified by the granddaughter of a woman living a few blocks away from us. She had walked into her grandmother’s house and saw a man strangling her in the floor before he saw the granddaughter and quickly fled. Her grandmother was still alive, and they immediately called the police and identified the woman’s paper carrier. After this man was arrested he couldn’t wait to confess to all his crimes, which included two other elderly women in our neighborhood who had been murdered and burglarized, but whose deaths had been pronounced by their doctors as simply death by illness because of their ages and diseases. He said he always asked them to call him if they missed their newspaper, and then on the days he targeted them, he simply didn’t deliver their newspapers. After they called him, he went over with their papers, forced himself in the doors and attacked them before taking anything valuable in their homes he could find.

All these confessions were later confirmed after one of the women’s bodies was exhumed and examined by the medical examiner, although the second woman had been cremated. It seems he had also killed a woman in Arkansas and one in California, and he confessed to these as well. The woman who survived testified against him in court and he was quickly convicted and imprisoned.

I have always believed in guardian angels, and never more strongly than I do today. I know my angel was on duty on that Sunday morning when this deranged individual came to my house and was sidetracked by my normally quiet and loving little dog to keep me from harm. She had never behaved in that manner before and has not done so since that day. My angel used that precious little pet to assure my safety. I thank God for His loving care in whatever form it comes." ~ JUNE

(toypoodles.com)

Having had many loving pets through the years, and one little dog named Fancy who lived to be almost twenty years of age, this story does not stretch my imagination. I agree with JUNE that our guardian angels come in many disguises. They don't have to be very big either!

Thanks for sharing such "good stuff", JUNE. How about the rest of you?

Marilyn