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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.
 

Jim Cejka

Nancy,

I originally found that phone in our attic on 35th St, and I have carried it with me ever since. In the last 40 some years, we have moved a lot. It still has all its insides and weighs a ton, because there's a big heavy magnet in there. It's almost a ritual that the first thing that goes up in our new house is that phone.

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

I love it! Truly cool....

Happy Thanksgiving.

Kenneth Pallaske

Luanne and I contracted covid-19 a couple of months ago. Fortunately, it was mild for both  us.

Jim, I love your virtual Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

Jim Cejka

Garry Sellers

Hope some of you are enjoying the Christmas videos.  I'm wondering how the pandemic is affecting your Christmas plans.  We had rented one of the small theaters (only $125) and the whole family could watch a movie together and exchange gifts safely.  But in California, everything is shut down ... and I mean everything.  We're afraid to hold a gathering at anybody's house, espeically since we have a college student driving home for the Holidays ... and we would never exclude her.  So we're still searching for solutions ... and it's not Zoom!  What's happening in your family?

Nancy Davison (Boerger)

Small gatherings; small groups. Older daughter and partner drove from Minneapolis for Thanksgiving - quarantined and tested before and drove straight through. Planning to do the same for Christmas. Boulder daughter and grand daughter will stay there.

We just finished a nice visit with another couple, friends from across the lake, with whom we shared mulled cider and cookies on the deck next to the chimenea, all bundled up. As the Scandinavians say, "there's no bad weather, just bad clothing". We'll just fire up the chimenea whenever the precipitation and wind let us out, and visit with anyone we can. 

Melody Jones (Parker)

Really no different for us this year.  We have been very blessed; all three adults working.  Grandkids at their essential jobs and son from home office.  All 4 of us decorated the tree.  Christmas Eve service at church with masks and social distancing.  Christmad ham dinner as usual.  North Carolina govenor made new rules effective tomorrow, setting a curfew for 10 P.M. and no alchol sales after 9 P.M., until Jan 7th.  Spoils New Year's Eve for some but will have no effect on us.  We stay home and watch the ball drop on TV.

Jim Cejka

Through a number of jobs, and the military, I managed to spend a number of Christmases away or without family. At first it was difficult, but it grows on you and you learn to accept it. Today, or if it were a day without covid, stores, restaurants, the gas station on the corner, and about everyplace would open on Christmas, and there are lots of people who would have an interrupted family Christmas anyway. Here too, our daughter, who lives with us, will be at work on Christmas and Christmas Eve. She manages the kennels at a veterinary clinic, so she’s taking care of everyones pets so the owners can have their Christmases. 

Christmas with us is more of a mood than just an event, and my whole, and scattered, family, have come to appreciate that. When the decorations in the neighborhood, including ours, go up and the Christmas music starts on the radio stations, the excitement and feelings begin. From my kids scattered around the country, to the son in Norway, we have that “It’s a Wonderful Life” Christmas feeling, and share our togetherness, no matter how far we are apart. We’re family, were still together.

So, Christmas will be with my wife and, at some time, daughter. A little special breakfast (somehow a Kringle always manages to show up), walk the dogs, watch the grand girls Christmas program at church on whatever computer magic they use, and see what Santa might have brought (I’m not sure which of his lists I’m on, so I don’t get my hopes up.) Maybe a toast to Christmases and family and friends past, and, of course, “A Christmas Carol.”

We’ll still get to see the kids and grandkids now with Skype or Zoom or Go or whatever, and see their happy faces, and share their happy time. Never dreamed part of Christmas meant that we’d have our 3 and 6-year old granddaughters understanding that grandpa and grandma still love them, but that covid thing says we can’t be there. 

The nasty bug can alter the celebration, but not the spirit.

Karsten Boerger

Gary

I fell old enough as it is, do not make me older.

I must be the oldest of the gratuating class since I wasted so much time in South America without going to school.

But oh, I had a lot of fun

Karsten

Jim Cejka

Garry, cool vids on the home page. One is the 1967 Bob Hope Christmas tour. Here's one from the 1966 tour in DaNang. As you can tell, I had one of the "Uecker" seats. Someone must have liked us, the monsoon stopped for about an hour and we got to see the girls without their raingear.

William Nelson

Jim,

It appears we wound up in the same area as you were to see the Bob Hope show. We were there in '67. It's fun to see the show highlights from a much closer vantage point. Raquel Welch looks better from that improved position. It was one of the nicest surprises we ever had in the Army. Right up there with a week of R&R in Sydney, Australia and getting out of RVN two weeks earlier than anticipated in May, 1968. 

Jim Cejka

Oh sure Bill, you got Raquel Welch - we got Phyllis Diller.

Garry Sellers

Jim- This one's for you!  1966 with Phyllis Diller!  I think I saw you in the crowd!!!  You were the guy sitting in the tree naked, right?

Jim Cejka

Tree? What tree? C'mon Garry, I had my caduceus on so they could tell I was a corpsman.

Lauren Dieterich

Jim, I don't remember if I mentioned this before; but, my oldest daughter is a corpsman. CPO Rebecca 'Doc' ( FMF) Dieterich.

Jim Cejka

Yeah Lauren, I think you said she was at Pendleton then. Good for her. Pendleton is on its third hospital since I was there. 

Jim Cejka

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I will be having a quiet family Christmas here in Los Angeles, fortunate to be with my son, daughter-in-law and 10-mo. old grandson, who is having his first Christmas. He is already loving the tree, the ornaments, the lights - just squeals with delight at the sight! His grandma is spending WAY too much time playing with the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar. We're having typical California winter weather: gets up to the high 60s or even 70s for about 2 hours midday, then drops like a stone into the mid 40s or high 30s at night. But still glad not to be holing up with a blizzard outside that has to be cleaned up the next day. Without the travel restrictions we probably would have gone north to the Bay Area to celebrate with my 40-some relatives; however, some of them have planned a Zoom Christmas party on the 25th. I don't think I've been at a Zoom meeting with that many people - will be interesting. The worst thing about this year is having to do all the shopping online. I miss the store decorations, music and just cheerful holiday atmosphere. The best is that none of us has caught the virus, and I am so, so extremely thankful for that!

Melody Jones (Parker)

  This speaks for itself, I need not add to it!

Jim Cejka

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastme."

Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Melody Jones (Parker)

I know, New Jersey daughter responsible for this one;  Could not resist

     MERRY CHRISTMAS-All Y'ALL!!!

Sandy Wachs (Oldham)

Gordon "Allen" Mitchell

Jane Bednarz (Holdridge)

Glad to see that someone is enjoying Florida this year!!   SW Florida is having a cold and rainy spell for the Holidays.   And we are all wearing our masks and staying home or in Small groups to celebrate.   Can't wait to escape and for the Sun to shine again.

Best wishes to all for a great Virus Free 2021!!

Jim Cejka

And, in Florida when it gets cold, you have to watch out for falling iguanas.