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This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Sandra Fligge (Axtman)

Melody, I was so happy that you were able to hook up with Sheri l went to her wedding and reception   She was married at the church on the corner of 51st and Villard.  My husband and I are sponsors for one of her foster children.  She and Marty lived in Cedarburg and over time we lost contact.  If you could send her address I would love to contact her.  How exciting to know she is alive and smiling 

Jim Cejka

“Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father.”

Linda M. Child, Philothea, A Romance, 1836

Garry Sellers

You know, you'd think that after my posting embarrassing videos of classmates I'd get a rise out of somebody ... threatening emails, evil curses, bags of burning dog do-do on my doorstep ... but no, nothing! (Today is our first 100 degree day here this year so I wouldn't open the door anyway!)  You guys must be closer to the grave than I thought!!!  Or have you just accepted that, "It's Garry's demented mind and we can't expect much better!"

Jim Cejka

So that’s why . . . 

Here’s something for us boys from Custer. Just substitute Milwaukee or Custer and you’ll figure it out. 

https://www.wbez.org/shows/curious-city/baring-it-all-why-boys-swam-naked-in-chicago-high-schools/c9a3a9e2-6ae3-404b-80e5-0c4bf4d5a0be

Melody Jones (Parker)

No Garry, it was not your demented mind I was avoiding.  I'm just not a "boy from Custer"; not a "boy" at all!

Last time I looked I was a "girl from Custer".  So it was your discrimination I was avoiding.  You're forgiven!

Garry Sellers

Mel ... not being from the South I coiuldn't use "all y'alls" so I used the generic and gender neutral term "guys" meaning all y'all people out there.  I'm down right sorry if you took me wrong.  Darn!   Now you've got me talking like you!!!  If you find a burning bag on your porch, I'd advice against stepping on it!

Jim, I'm surprised you didn't find an article about how the Custer girls water ballet team walked in on our boys swim class one time.  Apparently the girls in the front tried to turn around to go back but the girls in the back who didn't know what was going on kept pushing them forward!  I think there were quite a few dives into the water at that point.

William Nelson

Thanks for passing along that interesting article, Jim. I do remember not liking the practice. I was somewhat younger than most of my classmates and overweight, so wasn't very happy with  the rule. Without referring back to the article, it seems like the policy at the school in question ended in 1962; a little too late for us. Guess they figured the instructors were cleaner, because all of them wore swimsuits. They got the part aboutt not protesting correct, but that didn't last much longer  before just about everything was protested regularly.

Jim Cejka

Hey Terri - now that you live down there, have you got your tickets for Jeopardy, or signed up to be a contestant yet?

Ronald Chesnik

Jim Cejka:  Thought you'd find an article on page 1 of the 'fredericknewspost.com' re; Judge O. John

Cejka, Jr. stepping down after 13 years on the bench.

Jim Cejka

Thanks Ron, he's a cousin. Used to get together with him whenever I went to the National Fire Academy. 

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

It's funny you mention that, Jim. We were just talking about getting tickets! I'd love to see it before Alex retires.

Jim Cejka

Garry - back in last year's reunion, I saw the SS Mama Mia's empty lot and was end-of-the-world crushed. Our memorable landmarks (same with Phil Tolken's) disappeared. But, there was a new-ish Mama Mia's about 1 1/2 miles from the reunion place in Brookffield. Couldn't leave WI without that. But, you've been at that CA pizza too long. Thin crust is good. Crust is only supposed to hold all that other, better tasting pizza stuff anyway.

Hurray for the volunteer firefightets and EMTs.

What you're missing in CA - it's 109 outside right now. I'm looking at this iceberg and trying to figure out how to get it into our valley here.

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

We have lower temps today in L.A. - thank goodness - but what I didn't realize when we had 109° was that at that temperature, the sun actually burns up plants! The magnolia tree leaves and some others all burned at the top. It's like fall here now as all those dead leaves are falling. The saddest thing was that my big, beautiful tomatoes  - just ready to ripen - burned, and I had to throw them out. Had to move my sun-loving tomato plants to the shade. :-(  Climate change is affecting what we can grow. We may end up with all-cactus gardens!

Melody Jones (Parker)

Terri-When I lived in Peoria, AZ, even lawns would burn up...so, they don't plant grass.  They use colored stones to cover their yards, and yes, there were so many cacti!  Actually, there were many palm trees, also; so I guess palm trees don't burn up.  The palms were smaller than the usual tall Miami, FL variety.  They were called "Mexican palm trres" so I guess it was a hardier variety.  Here is a picture of our front yard, with my brother Terry. (2 years younger, who went to Marshall High)

Jim Cejka

Makes your day when it's 110 outside and the Bill Carlson on our TV says it's going to be warmer tomorrow. Whole different concept to taking a cold shower. 

Mitchell Heinrichs

Good morning  from Door County Wis. I can sympathize with you all but as usual we were trying to keep up with watering and then yesturday the temp was 49 in the woods but rapidly reachedd up to 78 by noon, but dry hang in ther. Mitch 

Jim Cejka

CA fire update - putting things in perspective:

Ferguson Fire (Yosemite) = 150sq miles = 1.5 times the area of the City of Milwaukee.

Mendecino Fire - 509 sq miles = 5 times the area of the City of Milwaukee.

Carr Fire - 291 sq miles = 3 times the area of the City of Milwaukee.

And, they don't expect containment on any of those until NEXT MONTH.

And, there's about 15 more fires going somewhere else around the state. 

Maybe we need an earthquake to open us up and swallow those fires. 

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim-"be careful what you wish for!!!"...

Jim Cejka

Melody - We no longer have a fire season here, it's year round now. There's over 1000 houses gone in the last month or so. We're a hundred miles or more away from all that stuff, but we get the smoke and "unhealthful air quality." A lot of folks I think would be open to any solution. The pundents are saying CA is overdue for a big one. We're far enough away from any of the faults, so we may get some shaking and could maybe end up with ocean front property. Save me the pain of moving to a coast.

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim, I guess I left right on time.  With my breathing problems, I would not be doing very good in that environment.  And if you do have the "big one", I'd be glad to miss it, too.  I just found out North Carolina has 250 waterfalls within our borders - I love waterfalls!  I'm planning some day trips to see a few.

Stay Cool!

Jim Cejka

Melody - Staying cool is only a dream, unless I put on some sunglasses and pretend to be Joe Cool Snoopy. 

My cousin recently moved from Southern California to South Carolina (to open a B&B if you get down that way). She texted me yesterday that, believe it or not, they have rivers there that actually have water in them, and that sometimes water even falls from the sky. She sent a picture of green things. You guys are now into quite a different mindset from CA. Enjoy. 

Kenneth Pallaske

I am saddened to hear of the passing  of Meribeth. My condolences to the Hodges and Engelfried families.

We are "chillin'" here in Michigan, although it is very humid.

Jim Cejka

Remember when we had channels 4, 6, and 12, and there was always something on at least one of them that we wanted to watch?  (I actually remember when channel 3 switched to become channel 4.)

Now, with a zillion channels, there’s little to watch, but I find that, at least, there’s almost always some kind of golf tournament going on somewhere. Not that I’m a big golf fan, (sorry Garry) but it’s one of the few things on any channel that’s not inane, and where people actually talk respectfully and quietly with each other.

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim-we get water from the sky here almost everyday, in the evening, for about 45 minutes.  Last night there was rolling thunder and flashes of lightening with our rain; for 45 minutes.  The grass is so green here and so high in the backyard that my grandson has to mow it again tomorrow.  Speaking of rain, Hawaii sure dodged a bullet today.  From a catagory 5 hurricane, to a cat 3 tropical storm. Our TV gets a sports channel that is showing the Green Bay Packer game against Raiders in California.  Of course they are my number one team!  But, I have a number two team; the Carolina Panthers.  I just watched them beat the New England Patriots, yeah!!  They were looking really good out there on the field.  But, I am glad they don't play each other this year.  Cam is a good QB; but no one holds a candle to Aaron Rogers!  I'm fixin' to go to bed, so y'all have a good night!

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

 Melody, I envy your beautiful daily rain. Love that after-the-rain smell. However, my heart goes out to our Milwaukee and vicinity classmates who have been deluged. It's "feast or familne" as my mom often said. I repeat my wish that some bright engineers could devise a way to divert the overflow into a water pipeline that flows to California. Nobody would even need to worry about spills! I have lost my ability to say I'm "fixin'" to do something, almost 30 years away from GA. But I still find myself throwin' out a y'all now and then. When we get "hurricanes" in L.A., it has always been just a huge inflow of humidity coming up from Baja.