I have been so busy with my dad's affairs as well as moving to my new home in Austin that I got behind and thought it was about time to do an update or two. I recently wrote JAMES HAYS to inquire about NYDAH ELLET's condition. This is his reply:

"NYDAH has actually dictated two letters or rather notes to me.  The writer on the first one didn't spell her name correctly, so she printed her name correctly, very shakily, but legible, barely.  The second was written by a feminine hand.. She said she enjoyed getting letters and notes from friends, and she is still at the Aurora, Ohio address.  She can dictate letters for someone else to write.  I think her daughter Donna helps her write. Her address is the same:

NYDAH ELLET
Kensington Care Center
Room 11
849 N. Aurora Rd.
Aurora, OH
44202

Saw JERRY PIEL STEEL today.  She has changed very little over the years.

I am still working 30 hours a week, still help out in the State Guard, and I am the County Health Officer (cockroach counter)."

***********

Back in October I inquired about TERRY COTHRAN's son Kelly. This was his reply then:

"Kelly has had two surgeries to correct one of his problems, the first one didn't work for him but the second one seems to be working so far. He is still trying to get The VA to reschedule the surgery on his right ankle. He is at the point now where he has a really tough time walking on that right foot. We are still waiting for the VA and Social Security to come through with some money." (Kelly has been unable to work due to his medical condition.)

 About a month later, TER wrote:

"Kelly is doing better since the last operation to correct (some of) his problems.. He is now functioning fairly normally.. He is still waiting for the VA to come through with the surgery on his ankle. It is very painful for him to walk and he uses a cane. He still has no income."

                         ******************************************************
About a week ago, when the big blizzard hit the east coast, I saw where over 8,000 people on Long Island were without power. I emailed DENNY HILL in hopes he wasn't one of them. This is his reply:

"Actually I am snug as a bug, holed up in my house. For me there was no problem, because on Thursday I bought food for a few days and put my car in the garage. I did not lose power, internet or cable TV. The only mild thing is that the snow drifted up to my *** against my back door, so I had to dig it out just to exit from my house. (I got almost 3 ft of snow in  my back yard.) I am not even going to attempt to dig out my driveway, I'll just leave my car in the garage for a while. (I can take a bus to the university and back on those days when I have to teach..) Probably in a week or so the snow will have melted down to where you don't have to shovel it. I am a lazy dude."

We don't have to rub it in to DENNY the fact that we have had so many days (like today) of temperatures in the 70s and even 80s here in Texas!

I have some really neat photos of DENNY's flat (we call them apartments) he lives in during his summer stay in Poland. I'll try to get them posted before long. Here is the street where he lives while there:

I mistakenly posted the wrong photo of the street where DENNY lives when he is in Poland. He corrected me and sent the following: 

"This is my street. My place is way down at the end on the left, where you can barely see some umbrellas. So the shot is taken about one block from my place, looking down the street. But it is OK, because at least you can see how the buildings, etc. look.

*******************************

Last October PEGGY BRANHAM KRUMLINDE and her husband Guenter took a Mediterranean cruise. One of their stops was Rome, Italy. Here they are at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. She sent me a link to her photos of the whole trip, and it appears they had a wonderful time visiting many interesting places. A trip of a lifetime.

*************************************

Speaking of cruises, I'm sure all of you heard about the recent nightmare Carnival cruise. I kept thinking the ship's name sounded familiar. Sure enough, it was the Triumph! That's the same ship I cruised on with my daughter Carajean and her family in 2006! When I told her about it, her response was "Timing is everything!"

                                         ***********************************

I have a couple of requests before I close. There are two of our classmates that I have been wondering about. One is PAUL MOTA. The other is CHARLES FIKES. PAUL's emails were returned and I just haven't had a joke sent to me by CHARLES in a long while. If anyone of you knows the whereabouts of them lately, as well as BARBARA SHARPES BROOKS, I would like to hear from you.

Until next time...

May all of the "stuff" happening in your life be "good"!

Peace and love,
Marilyn

AND THE RAINS CAME!

What a difference a few days make!! Someone must have been doing rain dances. (Ann Burton?)  NANCY THOMPSON BAKER called a short time ago to tell me how much rain they are getting. The last time she checked they had received 9 inches in the past couple of days. And it's still raining. There's lots of area flooding, but the good news is the lakes are filling up for the first time in years. NANCY said the torrential rains are coming down all over the Concho Valley. She stated that as many as 100 cars had to be "rescued" from flooded streets in Midland. (Nancy has been known to exaggerate. ;-) Maybe you Midland/Odessa residents can verify the conditions there.)

These photos are from the Ballinger online newspaper. Go to http://ballingernews.com/, click on Front Page, and you can read about the rain and view 42 photos taken in the area. The Indian Friend statue by Hugh Campbell looks a lot different than it did a week ago, doesn't it?

Elm Creek picnic area at City Park

Elm Creek at Ballinger City Park

So many parts of Texas have been suffering severe drought conditions that, even with the flooding, the rains are most welcome and the answer to many prayers. We here in the Hill Country have also suffered from the drought. We have been having steady, gentle rain off and on again since yesterday. I'm not sure how much has fallen so far, but the Highland Lakes are in desperate need of water. Our water supply for Burnet has been Buchanan Lake until recent months, when the City had to resort to well water (which is extremely hard water) due to the low lake level. This area has been prone to severe flooding in years past. I hope we aren't due for that to happen again soon! 

I feel like Goldilocks. I don't want the lack of rain, but then again I don't want the floods. I want the rainfall to be "just right"!

Replenishing critical water supplies is what I have to say is really good stuff happening!

Peace and love,

Marilyn

UPDATE AT 5:15PM

NANCY just reported that the Elm Creek Dam in City Park has burst. Authorities have ordered evacuation of the part of Ballinger called "the flats", south of the highway ..

http://www.weather.com/weather/alerts/localalerts/USTX0070?phenomena=FL&significance=W&areaid=TXC399&office=KSJT&etn=0002

SECOND UPDATE FROM NANCY AT 6:15PM

"Okay, dam did not break..evacuation cancelled as river crested, so people told to go home (from Community Center)."

Flood waters fill the streets of San Angelo as seen on Oakes Street from the Post Office during flood of 1936.

Article on Glenn Smith, PhD

Those of you who live in Ballinger have probably seen this in this week's edition of the Ballinger Ledger. Those of you who haven't may be surprised to read that that shy Glenn Smith, lurking in the back row of the recent reunion class photo is a prolific author! Here is the article:

"Local man announces third novel to be released soon through Amazon.com. The title is Ultimate Thirst.  Authored by Glenn Smith, a Runnels County native who graduated from Ballinger High School in 1957, the book features a retired American Airlines pilot who travels the world if he must to help a friend in trouble.

The first novel in this series, titled Erotic Resolution, appeared in 2010. The second, called Texas Tango, came out in 2012. A third book featuring Flint Rock will be issued through the Kindle book store and also will be available in print format from Amazon’s Create Space division. They are easy to find on Amazon.com and are inexpensive. The Carnegie public library in Ballinger has the books as well.

Smith spent 40 years teaching at five universities, including Iowa State in Ames, the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and the University of Houston in Clear Lake City. He retired in 2003 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb after having chaired for 10 years the largest of 46 departments in the university. Marquis’ Who’s Who in the World listed him in 2004.

What led Dr. Smith to start writing novels? When the Ledger asked, he said, “I had written nonfiction for St. Martin’s in New York and Allyn and Bacon in Boston. Living in Georgia after retiring, I had time to try something challenging. I wanted to draw on my west Texas roots. I had skipped lunch in high school to (secretly) take flying lessons and ended up owning four airplanes. And I’d travelled in 33 countries and lived in Latin America. I invented a character named Flint Rock—in honor of the Comanche arrow points I found on Elm Creek where I grew up north of Ballinger.”

“Flint was a rifle expert in the U. S. Marines, owns his own plane, and wears cowboy boots made by Mike Jass at a boot shop on Hutchins Avenue in Ballinger,” Smith said. “Flint Rock has attitudes with which I identify,” he added, “because Flint grew up in West Texas.”

The Ledger asked Smith what brought him back to Ballinger after an absence of 50 years. His reply: “I was living on Mansa Beach in Punta del Este, a resort town in Uruguay. Got an email reminder from Marilyn Moragne that the Class of ‘57 was having its 50th reunion. I flew back for that and decided to stay.

I’d seen a lot of nice places in Latin America and the south Pacific, but there’s no place like home. I bought a 63 year-old house on the bluff overlooking the park. In winter, with leaves gone from trees, I can see from my back deck Hugh Campbell’s beautiful statue celebrating Native Americans. In summer I hear kids splashing in the pool as Waylon Jennings sings from someone’s portable radio. Turns out I traveled a lot of miles and saw a bunch of great spots but none better to live in than Ballinger.”

The Ledger’s reporter asked Dr. Smith about another of his interests, namely hypnotism. He said he initially learned (in 1957) how to hypnotize people from Dr. J. Dexter Eoff, a Ballinger dentist who used it in lieu of anesthesia for patients who feared needles. We pushed for more information and learned that Smith graduated in 2003 from the National Guild of Hypnotists certification training and that he sees clients for individual or group appointments on a limited basis. He uses hypnosis only therapeutically, not for entertainment, and does not charge because insurance rarely covers it.

“I used hypnosis in the story told in Texas Tango, the second Flint Rock story,” he told us. “In that plot, a character, a psychiatrist, hypnotizes a woman to foil a diabolical plan and thereby saves a lot of lives.”

The Ledger reporter asked if a fourth novel is in the works to follow Ultimate Thirst.

“Yes,” he replied. “The fourth story is called Stolen Gold. A shipment of valuable bullion disappears in Ballinger, and Flint gets involved in sorting out rumors of a cave (or a network of caves) said to lie underneath the town with an entrance on the bluff above the park. After twists and surprises, including lies, ambushes, gunfire, and a Satanic plot, Flint and friends solve the mystery. In the end, Flint sells his house in San Marcos and moves to Ballinger. Because of the people there and because he likes to listen to the bells of St. Mary’s church as he walks down Crosson Avenue for a morning stroll in the park.”

When will Stolen Gold be available from Amazon?

'Some time before 2013,' Smith replied, then added, 'unless Flint Rock can’t find his way out of the cave under Ballinger.'"

Everyone can now go online to Amazon and purchase his books! This is really good stuff happening, just like the recent 55th Class Reunion!

Peace,

Marilyn

Class of '57 Reunion 2012

BHS Class of '57, Spouses & Friends - 55th Reunion 2012

Wow! What a nice turnout for the 55th Class Reunion. Classmates in attendance (with spouses) were James Hays, Rodney Flanagan, Jerry Eoff, Glenn Smith, Neil Broussard, Bob Burton, Don Simmons, Terry Cothran, Mack (and Ruth Ann Henniger) Wood, Don and Doris Stokes White, Patsy Berry Bomar, Virginia Harral Egan, Pati Cockrell Pritchard, Nancy Thompson Baker, Janette Amarine Bradshaw and Janice Amarine, Peggy Virden Sharp, Ann Keele Ellis.  (Not in that order.) Our late classmate Irene Piel Batts was represented by her husband David (front row right) and daughter Amy (back row second from left).

Indian Statue by Hugh Campbell in City Park

Class Brick on Pathway to Indian

The Indian statue "A Friend" pictured above is a reproduction of one that many of you who lived in Ballinger as children must remember. An effort by one of the elementary school classes to have it duplicated after it was removed resulted in this beautiful rendition by Hugh Campbell, Class of 1958. You may read about it on the Ballinger News website. The Class of '57 donated the brick located on the pathway shown above. Someone said they could not find it. The brick right above it says "Thorpe". That might help. As I wasn't there, I can give no more information on its location.

Nancy Baker informed me that the class held a short meeting and decided to meet again at the All-School Reunion in 2015. Anyone willing to help with that project please let Nancy or James Hays know. It's easy to let those with computers know the plans, but many in our class depend upon letters or telephone calls advising them of events being planned. That entails a lot of envelopes to be addressed, stamped and mailed. If any of you receiving this email need to update your addresses or phone numbers - or know of anyone who has moved or left this earth, please let me know, as I have the complete list as current as I have been informed.

Also, I heard what sounded like sad news involving Leland Ohlhausen. If anyone can verify the condition of his health, please let me know. Also, if anyone has a new address for Barbara Sharpes Brooks, I would love to have that as well. The last we heard, she was moving to Atlanta to live with her daughter after her beloved Tom died.

My thanks to Pati Cockrell Pritchard for the photos of the reunion she so graciously sent to me. She also sent the picture below of her and her husband Gene, which was taken in Colorado last year. Such a beautiful photo of not only the scenery, but of the two of them, that I wish to share it with you.

If anyone else has photos of some of the events of the reunion they wish to share, forward them to me via email.  Until next time. Let the "good stuff" happen.

Gene and Pati Cockrell Pritchard - 2011

Peace and love,

Marilyn

NOW THIS IS THE WAY TO LIVE OUR "GOLDEN YEARS"

I promised to share some "good stuff" after the sadness we've all shared in recent blog posts. I received this email from DENNY HILL back in May, before I got busy trying to assist my ailing dad. DENNY sent a beautiful series of photographs taken of his summer home in Warsaw. I've requested he send me some in a format that I can reproduce on this blog. Unfortunately, he didn't send a picture of his latest acquisition, so I did a little surfing myself to get a facsimile. Here is his email:

"There is a 7-hour difference between us, so it must be about 5:15 pm your time. Here it is 12:15 midnight, and I am multi-tasking, listening to Polish TV (hoping that some of it will sink in), while checking email and surfing the web on my little mini-laptop. 

Today I did a crazy and totally impractical thing. For $1,000 I bought a bicycle which looks like a replica of a custom motorcycle. It has a fat tire in back and an elongated front end, with a low, easy rider seat and high handlebars. It is imported from L.A., made by Schwinn, and more appropriate for riding on the beach. I tried it out, and found it is quite unstable at low speed, but rides fine a little faster. Of course, you have to pedal, and the mother is so heavy I could hardly get it up the one flight of stairs to my flat (Editor: apartment to us). But I can be sure that there is no other such in Warsaw. Thankfully, here it is quite flat, because it has no gears. But on the other hand, they have bike lanes along the sidewalks on most of the streets. It is my new toy."

From unicycles to chopper bicycles... that's our Denny! One thing for certain, he does not lead a boring life! He didn't send a photo of his latest "toy", however, this one seems to look like his description, except for the gears it appears to have..

************************************

Another classmate who seems to know how to enjoy life is DOTTIE BISHOP ROGERS.

Her most recent email first told me how sad the news of some of our classmates' health and family problems made her. She sends her heartfelt prayers to one and all. She went on to say the following:

"I think this is good news....I am returning to teaching.

I retired 8 years ago, but a need arose in a high school where my daughter and son-in-law teach, and they hired me. I will prepare sophomore students for the AIMS test. They must pass it before they graduate high school. I am kind of excited. Of course, Larry is gloomy gus, and my friends all feel my head to make sure I don't have a fever, but it will be fine. I have been very candid with them that I am not a 'long-term' teacher. One or two good years then I will be back to glorious retirement. I also told them up front that I will be gone a week in October as Larry is taking me to Hawaii." 

Dottie added a humorous description of some of the vacation attire she purchased for that trip, but it may be a little risque for some of our readers! 

**********************

One more note before I close. Our Class President, JAMES HAYS wants to know if any are interested in having a (scaled down) 55th class reunion at BHS Homecoming this year. Anyone interested, please let James know personally. And those of you who live near someone without an email address, please try to let them know about this. His email address is, as always: 

                    jbkhays@centex.net

I will probably be returning to Mineral Wells to help with my dad, and have only infrequent access to a computer. If something very important arises, please know I will do my best to let everyone know.

Until then... enjoy these years. We never know how many more we will be blessed with.

Peace and love,

Marilyn

MORE PRAYER REQUESTS

Prayers and support are needed for one of our classmates' son. Ter Cothran's son was in a horrific accident aboard an aircraft carrier many years ago. A landing jet actually ran over him. It was a miracle he survived. In the intervening years he has suffered medical problems and recently had two surgeries, with another one scheduled this month. Ter said, ".. he is not in any danger of (dying) at this point. Sometimes there are things that are just about as bad as dying. All I am asking is that you include him in your prayers and help to give him the faith he needs to see him through this difficult time." 

Please keep this confidential as well, as his son is a very private person. 

***************************

James Hays sent an information update on Nydah Ellet. Her daughter Donna has had her transferred to a rehabilitation center near her home. She continues to show slow improvement from the myriad injuries she suffered -- one of which was a severe brain concussion. Please hold her in your thoughts and prayers. 

***************************

I know all of you remember the Brunson family. Most of us have fond memories associated with them. I was saddened to learn today that the matriarch of their loving brood, Azelle Brunson, died last night in a San Angelo hospital. I do not know any details of a funeral, but if you wish to find out, you might check the Ballinger online news site I have listed to the bottom left of this blog. It has an obituary column that will give information as soon as it is available.

***************************

My dad, who is 93, is in a nursing home in Mineral Wells. He has multiple health problems that seem to have come upon him suddenly. Send some loving prayers his way as well.

I really do have good news to share from time to time. I hope to have a more positive blog post soon. If you have something good to add to it, please send it on. 

Peace, love, and prayers,

Marilyn

NYDAH UPDATE

"Nydah is back at the Arbors for a resumption of therapy after an episode of bleeding, apparently from diverticulae of the colon.  Had 4 "pints" of packed blood cells to replace what she lost .  Same address as before.  Hopefully now she can make some progress."...  James




I think this is the address:
Nydah Ellet
29 N. Adams St. Rm 103

Akron OH 44309

Peace, love, and prayers for Nydah,

Marilyn

GOING HOME FOR A VISIT

Peggy Branham Krumlinde

"Marilyn ~ I so appreciate you and your keeping all of us informed.  It is so neat to hear about our old friends.  My prayers are with those in sadness, illness and trials.

 

I am going back to Ballinger (first time in over 3 years) on the 14th (of May) to visit with my cousin, June Harris Koch.  Our cousin from Sugar Land, Mary Helen Horn, is 3 years younger than June and I.  I wanted to take her to Ballinger to visit with June. I will fly to Houston, spend a couple of days with my friend, Marie, and she and Mary Helen and I will drive to Ballinger on the 14th.  I love going back - there are so many wonderful memories for me there.

 Thanks again, Marilyn."  Peg

Editor:  I thought you all would like to know this so perhaps you can arrange a small (or large) get-together while Peg is there. When I still lived in Ballinger, we had a wonderful visit with Peggy. If you get the chance, ask her about her experiences living in Colorado and having to hike through the snow with her groceries, keeping an eye out for the coyotes trailing her hoping to get a snack! Some of us think we had it rough!

***********************************************

More from James:

"Nydah is in an acute rehab facility now.  The address is:

Nydah Ellet

29 N. Adams St. Rm 103

Akron OH 44309

Phone 330 572-7780 for the facility. But she can't use the phone adequately yet due to her condition. She could use encouragement with cards and prayers."

Peace,

Marilyn

GOOD STUFF STILL HAPPENS

After the last blog post, I received an email from Dottie Rogers. She said, "Marilyn, dear friend, sometimes I hesitate to open our blog-so much illness and misfortune. I have adopted the mantra of "Too blessed to be stressed". I wish for all to have the comforts and health and happiness I now experience. God is good." I wrote back and asked her to share her blessings with us, as we all love to hear about the good stuff in each other's lives. This is what she wrote:

Dorothy Bishop Rogers and Her Children

“Ah, so much! My children built a HUGE patio onto my house, added 300 sq. feet of flagstone (seating & tables for 20) with wrought iron fencing around it. Then they all showed up to spread beautiful red rock around the rest of the yard to enhance the cactus garden (Arizona landscaping, of course.) We all meet here about once a month and barbecue and enjoy the hot tub. 

Tomorrow my oldest son, Greg, and his wife are treating me and his mother-in-law to a day of gambling at the Casino Del Sol with a huge seafood buffet. (Oh, how I love these kids of mine!) My son, Mark, who is disabled, has taken to gardening with his neighbor. It sounds like enough to feed half of San Angelo. He has also acquired a part-time job so he has things to do. I thank the Lord for that and all things. Bad news for me - one of my bathrooms had a leak so my grandson who is a building contractor is having to replace the whole thing because of evidence of black mold.

Dottie and Larry at Hearst Castle 2011

Yes, yes, yes! I am still with Larry and we are more devoted to one another than ever. He is going to take me to Hawaii in October. We had planned a golf trip to Texas in the motor home, but both of us have spent so much money on our houses this spring, we decided to postpone that. I still play golf two or three times a week, work as a volunteer in the pro shop, and deliver golf carts on Fridays for the players. Our little golf course is run completely by volunteers, and we struggle, but it is worth it. Once or twice a month we have a "Guest Chef" night and people come in with wonderful catered food and we dance the night away. What a life! My new dog, Katy, whom I adopted last October, has stolen everyone's heart and is such company. 

Oh, how I wish I could see some of you. How about some vacation time in Southern Arizona? What better way to enjoy life than visiting Tombstone (23 miles away), Chirachau National Monument, Cochise Stronghold, Apple Annie's Orchard, and so much more. My house is open and I am a fair-to-middling cook. 

Love you, 

Dottie