New Party Pictures and TWO Classmate updates


Sharon said the pictures of HER were not very good so I dug around and found one I hope she likes better. Also a few more of folks at the party.



Got two notes after the blog was published, one from Mary Beaty McDonald and another from Renger Bierma. I still have pictures of Steve McArthurs new home and a note about their moving, after Christmas I will get it posted.

As always PLEASE send me any news or pictures so we all can see how you guys are doing.

As they say at Kmart...Merry Holidays and Happy Christmas!!
WJ


My wife and I will not be coming in for Xmas and will do only a pass through on New Years.
WE CERTAINLY WISH HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND WISH THE VERY BEST FOR EVERYONE IN THE
NEW YEAR!

LARRY AND DEBBIE CAMPBELL





Dear Walker,
I will be retiring from Shell in two days time. Please continue to send these e-mails to my private e-mail address: rpbierema@aol.com. You can delete the Shell e-mail address which expires. Hope to have a chance to come by some time next year, not sure yet, but hope to come to the US to attend the wedding of Bob Graves' son in Chattanooga.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Renger


Merry Christmas!!! I hope you have another wonderful Christmas and New Year. Think we can stay up til 12 a.m. on New Year's Eve? Maybe we should set the clock!
Okay, I do need a list of who is who in the pictures. It is so sad to have been so far away for all these years. Thanks so much for keeping all of us updated.
We have a big Praise! Our house in Atlanta sold last week. We hope to close on the 29th. Two years of double house payments has been more than hard.
We saw the kids and families for Thanksgiving this year. We all went to Columbia, SC to our daughter Ashley's. We were all able to drive there instead of us paying for plane flights to get them here. Turner and I are looking forward to lounging in our sweats all Christmas day and the 26th also! We have had several people invite us to join them for Christmas dinner and we have graciously declined as we are not going to be on any schedule! The children are all at in-laws and I am not cooking a thing!
We have worked so hard this year getting this business up and running and are very pleased on the progress so far.
Okay, I have run my mouth enough!
Merry Christmas !
mary

W E L C O M E to the first ANNUAL MHS Christmas GATHERING.

Because we had so many folks the blog will only handle two or three pictures per post. No problem, we just posted over and over...SO, please keep scrolling down and checking out who showed and who got talked about!

The first annual MHS class of 1966 Christmas Gathering was outstanding! If you are on this post..please keep moving down to the others to see more pictures. IF you were not there, you were TALKED ABOUT!

Cause this tired BLOG will not handle many pictures per post I am posting and publishing as I go. DO NOT FAIL to scroll down for more of the 2006 MHS Christmas Party Pictures.. GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!

DONT'S STOP HERE, more pictures just below this post!!!

GREAT CHRISTMAS GATHERING

Classmates from WAY back...including the elusive Yvonne Lambert (King) who brought SHRIMP!! Tony (Rabbit) Houston, Gail King, Ettie Howard (Reese) Billy Yarbrough, and a HOST of others!

Here are the pictures and if you wanta know the names just e mail me at wjonair1@aol.com and I will send you a list.

Great fun...still going on when I was told to leave (yea, I know) and a fantastic stepping stone to MORE seasonal meetings.

Thanks to all who came. Also a big thanks to Sharon and Gail for their planning and EVERYONE who brought eats.

LAST of the PICTURES..IF you want a disk of all of them drop me a note with your address and I will burn you one and mail it out.. wjonair1@aol.com

THANKS

Day after Thanksgiving






























Send Sharon an E Mail (address in the next post) if you can come visit on the 19th
of December, details are also in that post. Hope everyone had a great T. Day and can come in for the 19th.

MORE INFO ON THE GATHERINGS


Sharon wants to know if you are coming?
If you wanta bring vitals (a sad try at spelling the food Jed ate after he used the pool sticks to fetch the pots across the fancy eating table) then rock on, but we are bringing at least one Honey Baked Ham and a touch of Lynchburg Holy water.

Call her (her phone is in the last post)
Or E mail her at sharontcady@yahoo.com


Ya know when we gather every 5 or 10 years we always say we should do this more often.
Brothers and sisters after looking around the room at the 40th I agrEE!

So if you are lurking around Murvle on the day after Turkey Day come out to the Hilton bar and lets tell lies.

IF you are coming in for Ho Ho then make a point to meet everyone on the 19th!

If you have just moved back (Mrs. KING!) then come to both of these deals.


Lets make this one the first of many OK?

Any questions e mail me at wjonair1@aol.com

DECEMBER low key PARTY and day after Thanksgiving get 2 gether







Sharon sent the following about a class December party.

"Sorry it took so long to get back to you guys, but the only date Lee has open at his club house where the breakfast was held is December 19 at 6:30pm. Hope everyone can make it. We are just going to have everyone bring somekind of sandwich, cheese ball, dip or dessert and what they want to drink. Very low key so please let me know what you are going to bring and who is going to be there. Walker please post it on blog and I know this is not all addresses so please tell or send anyone I don't have about this. My phone number is 983-5554 or you can email me." Sharon


Also on the day AFTER Thanksgiving any class member who is around town is invited to join us at the Airport Hilton in the bar at 7 pm. Come to both if you can!!!

Walker

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND



I was talking to Jody (Miser) this week and he is headed to Maryville for Thanksgiving.
On Friday we are going to get together at the Airport Hilton (bar) around 7 and if anyone else is coming back or just wants to get out then come join us.


ALSO I sent a note to Emmett Perry telling him that Denise has completed her work for her doctorate (yea I know what in the hell is someone who was automatically placed Sara Fay Schwam's Spanish and learned to make a plastic tail-light cover in the basement of the old gym doing married to a woman that smart?) and he sent me the following report.



"Congrats to Denise!!!!! but also to you for improving yourself so drastically."

"things are going great here. I had the auto stem cell transplant the first part of October and am getting over the side effects of the heavy dose of Chem. The only noticeable change is the Mr. Clean look, not so bad because I don't have to shave right now. We are getting ready for the allo (Donor transplant) the first of the year. After the first 100 days it should get easier. I think I will be at the hospital everyday getting fluids of potassium and other stuff for the 100 days. Instead of getting chemo this time I will get radiation so I should not have the same side effects of the nausea as before. Will keep you posted. Emmet"


Sounds like very GOOD news!

As always if you have any thing to pass on to the class send it to wjonair1@aol.com
or if you have any ideas about Thanksgiving (Jody will be here I think till Sunday) send them to me and we will get them posted.


It would be great to see you guys, so again if you are in for T. Day...Airport Hilton Bar (where we spotted Ann Hunt) around 7 on Friday.

Halloween eve




Last word from Sharon was she was headed to the beach and would come back refreshed and with a date for the gathering. You can still e mail her with your ideas.


I added a new blog that is nothing but pictures for those who have yet to figure out a way to move back here. If you wanta see our fall check it out.. http://southernlooks.blogspot.com/

Have a good Halloween!

Possible December gathering

Sharon is working on a gathering in December and if you are going to be in the area send her an e mail so she can select a time and place.


Our Murvle fall is looking great this year!

Emmett update and a fall report


For those pilgrims who no longer live in God's country I took a run up to the hills Sunday and got some early fall pictures. The foliage is turning around the four thousand foot level or if you are renting a room in the mountains the folks taking reservations are saying it will turn the second you arrive.

Most of the pictures were taken about three miles up from the Y.The guy fishing said he had caught a few but let them go. They always say that. If you can, come home and enjoy the fall!


Here is the latest from Emmett, lets keep remembering him. I got this last month and am sorry that I just now got around to posting it. Also send me stuff!!!
Thanks,
WJ

Just to keep you posted and to let you know that your prayers work, I feel fantastic!!! I did harvest my stem cells 10 days ago and that was a breeze. It was basically laying in a very comfortable bed for 2 hours and watching whatever I wanted. I will go in Monday for a high dose of chemo and then on Wed. I will have my stem cells put back. I will probably be out of commission for about a month, as much because me immune system will be so low. I think it is more of staying out of the public as much as possible. Elizabeth, out California daughter will be here the following week, mainly to give Jennie a break and to try to keep me corralled.
Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts, they are truly felt and we will pull thru this like everything else with a smile on our face for all of our many blessings, and there are many!!! Emmet

NAME THESE FOLKS??





Clue... The swings are at Sam Houston and the date is April, 1959. The group shot is all 8th graders, the boaters are 10th and if you can name the dawg you get bonus points!

A visit to Main






















Sharon and Tip visited Loretta and said it was as pretty as Nebo Mountain in June!

"Tip and I are moving to New England. These are pictures of us while we are with Loretta Cantley. This has to be the most gorgeous place ever."


Daily (OK every week or so) I look in the cyber mail box for some pictures from you guys. Send any and everything and we sure will post it!

Last week UT lost and MHS won


Tomorrow is UT Home Coming if you are coming in the weather is in the low 70s and the leaves are TRYING to turn!

As of tonight .. 9 15 06 Good Old MHS is undefeated and so is the University of Tennessee.
I remeber coming home from Castle Heights one fall weekend back in 1967 and Ray Dunn and Karen fixed me up with a date from Chattanooga to go to a UT game. The following applied then and guess what it still does!


Oh, I am still hanging like a leaf in the wind for Robert to send me his reunion pictures, when he does we will all see ourselves at the gathering.

WJ



Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different than up North. For those who are planning a football trip to the South, here are some helpful hints.

Women's Accessories:

NORTH: ChapStick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary - that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:

NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:

NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.
SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:

NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:

NORTH: Also a physics major.
SOUTH: Also Miss America.

Heroes:

NORTH: Rudy Guliani.
SOUTH: Bear Bryant, Archie, Eli and Peyton Manning, Hershel Walker, Bo Jackson.

Getting Tickets:

NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and purchase tickets.
SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and put name on waiting list for tickets.

Monday Classes After a Saturday Game:

NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game because they have to prepare for classes on Monday.
SOUTH: Teachers cancel Monday classes because they don't want to see the few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:

NORTH: An hour before game time the University opens the campus for game parking.
SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

Game Day:

NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never broadcast from their campus.

Tailgating:

NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.
SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance by "Dave Matthews' Band," who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:

NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it becomes the state's third largest city.

Concessions:

NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup filled to the top with soda.
SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than half way with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:

NORTH: Stands are less than half full, and less than half the fans stand up.
SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:

NORTH: Nothing changes.
SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Announcers:

NORTH: Neutral and paid.
SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:

NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker, while somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, and planning begins for next
week's game.

Nothing else in the universe comes even halfway close to the glories of Southern football!

GOOD NEWS!!!!









Dear Family and Friends,
I have very good news to report. Yesterday, Friday 9-1, Emmet, Collier
(Emmet's brother) and I spent the day at MD Anderson. Going into the day,
we anticipated learning specifics on the treatments Emmet would need, and
have somewhat of a schedule. Please keep in mind as you read this that I
can report this stuff only as I understand it. It is over simplified but
for the purpose of this email, and my scope, it's the best I have.

The protocol that Emmet is on (which is still in research stage)consist of
3 rounds of chemo. He has just finished this part. The next step is a
very high dose of chemo given in one day followed immediately by a Stem
Cell transplant in which he is the donor. This purpose of this transplant
is to provide new cells to help recover from the strong effects of the
high-dose chemo. A second transplant is given
3-4 months later with the strong possibility and preference of a donor
transplant. Radiation is also given at the time of the second transplant.
The only
acceptable donor for this would be a sibling. The theory here being that
these new cells would destroy any diseased cells that may be left in
Emmet. We all had lots of
questions, particularly about the donor transplant. The current thinking
is that this complete protocol is the best program for long term health.
Ontologist never like to use the word 'cure'.

Now for what we learned:
1.) Emmet is in remission. After just three rounds of treatments, the
blood and urine indicators are not even showing up on the reports. All at
MD Anderson were thrilled with this. As are we.
2.) Emmet will have a transplant, and he will be the donor. In
preparation
for this, and much to his delight, he gets to immediately stop all of his
current treatments, (chemo, Thalidimide, steroids and a number of other
pills) In
mid September he will take medication to increase his blood counts so that
his own stem cells can be 'harvested' and and then frozen. The first
of October he will have the high dose chemo and transplant. All of this
is hopefully done on an outpatient basis. But daily visits to Anderson
are somewhat expected for the first 30 days or so after the transplant.
3.) Since Emmet has responded so well and is in such good shape, the
second transplant might not be necessary. We considered this really great
news. There are a number of health risks and a much longer recovery time
associated with the donor transplant. This debate will happen in Dec. or
Jan.
4. If the donor transplant is necessary, Art, the California brother, is
a perfect match. Both Collier and Art had submitted blood samples. There
are 10 elements that are identified. For transplants at least 6 need to
match, 8 would be best. Well Art and Emmet match on all 10, WOW. The
only way
it could be any better is if they were identical twins.

It took a total of 5 hours at Anderson yesterday to learn all this. It's
exhausting, at least for me. Emotions swing wide along with the efforts
to understand all this stuff and ask good questions, not to mention the
waiting. It really does take
all three of us to get through.

Our blessings are many. We had a celebratory evening and know that as we
move forward we are certainly in God's hands. Once again I give thanks and
praise for all of your prayers and support. This journey is far from over
but we move forward in the comfort and security of God's love.
From the bottom of our hearts we thank all of you also. I'll keep you
posted
Love, Jennie

PS: Jennie had her CAT scan on Friday so we will get her results back on Tuesday so I will keep ypu posted. Thanks again for all the prayers and concern, I can tell you that they are truely all felt. Emmet