Old Friendships

I got some favorable feedback on the poem in my last blog post. However, I did not wish to leave you with sad feelings. Therefore, I thought I would publish one of my favorite old poems on a sweeter note. When I was very young and at an extremely low point in my life, one of my two best friends at the time, IRENE PIEL (BATTS), gave me a beautiful book called "Leaves of Gold", a compilation of lovely poetry, quotes, and inspirational pieces. The pages are yellowing now, and there are many marks on them indicating my favorites, and also yellowed newspaper clippings and other written memorabilia collected through the years, saved amid the pages. This poem struck a chord with me, even at a young age. Now it holds much more meaning, as I think it might with you.

"Old Friendships"

by Eunice Tietjens

Beautiful and rich is an old friendship,

Grateful to the touch as ancient ivory,

Smooth as aged wine, or sheen of tapestry

Where light has lingered, intimate and long.

Full of tears and warm is an old friendship

That asks no longer deeds of gallantry,

Or any deed at all -- save that the friend shall be

Alive and breathing somewhere, like a song.

I love the line, "That asks no longer deeds of gallantry", and only wish that IRENE were "Alive and breathing somewhere, like a song." I know there are times she definitely is with us in spirit.

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JIM COWLISHAW (I still call him Jimmy) sent me the following after reading the last post:

"Thanks for sharing the poem. As I read it, I inserted several of our friend's names. I may not have been able to make contact with them except through a prayer for their memories of the past. Yours was a special prayer of thanks. 

Betty and I spent the day Saturday in Waco. Our grandson graduated from Baylor with a degree in philosophy, with plans of continuing in a Baptist school at Ft Worth. I told him that finally someone in my family has a little knowledge. His sister is still at Baylor. Her junior year is coming up. 

A note on MIKE FOY'S brother. He and Billy Brown had a great amount of influence on my studies of wood products. Perhaps that is why I enjoy my work." (I remember JIMMY telling me that he was making the beautiful wooden ball point pens that you see for sale at craft fairs.)

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PAUL MOTA wrote (about the last post) "That was a very sweet poem, and so true. I have several brothers and sisters here in San Angelo, and I forgot where they live. I suppose that is a very easy thing to do."

PAUL went on to tell me that he had a rough start to 2015. "You can say that Paul has hit a few bumps, but nothing major."

He told me that he had surgery on his shoulder, and as he was recovering from that and going to physical therapy he suffered a herniated disc. Ouch! It has caused him to miss the walking he had been doing. I think maybe some good thoughts and prayers are due to be sent his way. I feel PAUL would never ask for such, but he is so kind and deserving, send them anyway.

I suggested he check out acupuncture for pain, which can be debilitating at any age. (My son Craig would call that a "woo woo" suggestion, but it works!)

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June and her four living children, Kevin, Martha, Chris, and Scott

JUNE HASH CURRY and I communicate frequently, and share information regarding some of the events in our children's and grandchildren's lives. Some of these I have shared with you previously. I have a few notes to add that I gathered from her recently. She was fortunate to have her whole family, including her late sister and her husband, share her 75th birthday with her. They flew in from all over the country. Then, this past Mother's Day, she had most of her children and grandchildren there to honor her once again. We had terrible weather that weekend - both here in Austin, and in Oklahoma, which resulted in her family arriving at odd times. Somehow they never got around to group photos again, so I am sharing these she sent from her birthday. 

June and all of her grandchildren!

JUNE also has many adorable great-grandchildren whose photos I have shared in previous blog posts. Notice how her son Chris looks so much like his father, the late Grady Curry (BHS Class of '56), and how so many of her grandchildren favor her! I am envious of her beautiful silver hair. And I'm also jealous of her taking water aerobics recently. That is supposed to be one of the most efficient exercises, and virtually pain-free.

Speaking of beautiful hair, this gorgeous redhead is Morgan Curry, the daughter of JUNE'S son Scott. She recently graduated from high school in Edmond, and I was tickled to hear she will attend Oklahoma State University in the fall. My granddaughter Ashlyn will be there for her second year, and my "surrogate" (for lack of a better word) granddaughter Annie will attend for her first year. JUNE and I are going to conspire to get them together.

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I love this Li'l Abner figure, but can't remember his name. NEIL BROUSSARD uses it on his email account. He and I recently shared weather information when I saw on the news that Wimberley, Texas was issued a tornado warning. They had spotted circular conditions that could lead to an actual tornado on the ground. I remembered NEIL and his wife had moved there, but couldn't remember if they were in a real house or still having fun in their RV. I emailed him and kept my fingers crossed. Sure 'nuff, they are in a real house, and the tornado never materialized. Whew! I thought this cartoon character was á propos his weather conditions that night!

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GLENN SMITH answered my request for updates with the following: "I am working on Flint Rock novel number 4. Also I still do hypnosis sessions for free for Ballinger folks and for a few in Mexico. I sometimes have morning coffee at Beefmaster and often see several people from our class."

I thought that "Ultimate Thirst" was number 4, but perhaps his busy social life in Ballinger has slowed down his progress. I am so in awe of the fact that I know several of my friends are writing novels.

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Please don't forget the serious health challenges our former classmates, NYDAH ELLET and PEGGY BRANHAM KRUMLINDE are faced with. PEGGY'S cousin, June Harris Koch (BHS Class of '56) recently told me that although PEG had to return to the hospital briefly, as she had fluid on her lungs, she is now back home. The doctor told her that she has at a minimum 6 months to a year of recovery time. 

Please, continue to send warm, fuzzy thoughts of healing and prayers their way. Encouraging cards and letters might be in order as well.

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My thanks to all of you who have responded, and to those of you who haven't, how about letting us in on your current life? The All-School Reunion is coming up this fall. For those of us who can't make it, why not share the things in your life that have occurred since our 50th Reunion? Still working? Any new hobbies - or old ones? New love in your life? New grandchildren? Photos? How do you spend your time now? Hey.. I will if you will. Here is one of the recent photos of me as I was caught unaware by one of my grandchildren last summer. And, yeah, that's my natural hair color and length. I think this comes from my Cherokee heritage. (Seems to be a lot about hair in this post.) I'm much too thrifty to pay a hairdresser to cut my hair. Usually do this or a braid! Not very glamorous, but at our age??

I have recently discovered that MARTHA NORTHINGTON has moved back to Austin. She and I plan to have lunch before long and catch up. She reminded me that catching up would be for the last 58 years!! I will share any of her newsy news as well as others in our next blog. Until then, may your life be filled with all good stuff.

Peace and love,

Marilyn