Thursday, December 24, 2009

It's Christmas Eve.

...and I just got back from a long trip to S.A. and hard to jump right into the Christmas mood. Hearing the winter weather reports about the Midwest makes me only slightly nostalgic, but the timing is at least right. Thanks for all the nice thoughts, everyone, about the Christmas season. I still remember all the religious Christmas songs we'd sing in A Capella and boy's choir. Can't get away with that today.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Dec 23, 2009...A note from Claudine

Hi Bob:

I just finished tuning into the blog and so very much appreciated your last items for the blog. Very thoughtful and very much in tune with my thinking.

I too dread growing old, but feel it every day in my balance, strength and memory. I just have to keep reassuring myself that I have had a very wonderful and fun and full life and if it lasts but one more day, I have so very much to be thankful for.

The reunion was a very special event wasn't it? To be able to walk into a room crowded with people you had not seen for lo these many years and just to be able to pick up where you left off. That is the miracle of high school relationships. Never a beat missed. I can call someone and pick up right in the middle of a conversation, I do not have to explain anything about myself or my place on the earth, or why in the world the receiver would know me or care to talk to me. Just " Hi, I am Paseo of '59 "and it was as if it were 50 years ago.

And.I still love the mid-west best of all. When I was in KC for Sally's son's funeral, the CVS near my Mom's old house was having wine tastings on a Friday afternoon. Wine tastings at your local drugstore? Only in the mid-west. Eat you hearts out you snooty Easterners.

And I love the people there. When I go to the grocery they ask me what recipes I might be trying with my purchased ingredients, to say nothing of wanting to help me or just see if there is anything they can do. I was at the Hen House a couple of weeks ago and the clerk came to find me in the ladies room to give me my forgotten receipt. What can I say? Those of us who have been in the East way too long just shake our heads and thank the good Lord that folks like this still exist. And never mind the calls I make to catalogues answered in the mid west wanting to know if I am digging out OK from the 22 inches of snow we had last Saturday. Who cares but someone answering the phone in Wisconsin?

And so, thanks to all of you who contributed to making the reunion a great one.

Thanks to all of you who keep in touch--stay with it, it is important.

I hope we have a reunion event soon, it would be nice to see everyone again.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. If it cannot be happy keep all the warm and good memories close to your hearts.

I think of you all often with fondness.

The beach is my destination for Christmas Day.

Claudine

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

A note from Bob Pflanz to all the youngsters

I was reading one of my blog entries from bobpflanz.blogspot.com and thought of all of you guys and girls from the reunion. You brought back to life some moments from my youth and it was great. If you don't mind I'll share my thought with you:

...Age creeps in

Okay, so I am a bit more cautious than when I was a kid!
And I don't take as many reckless chances as I did when I was a teenager. And I'm a bit slower than I was when I was a young man. But, I still feel and think in my mind that I have never really grown up. I still have moments when I want to whoop and holler, maybe just not so loud.

The years flew by, many without my even noticing them. All the dear friends from my youth have gone their own ways for many years, but I still remember each and every one of them as they were long ago. The world has kept on turning and the old problems have disappeared or changed into new problems. Life goes on and friends and relations pass away or move away and my world becomes just a bit sadder and just a bit lonlier. I still enjoy the sunsets and the mountains and the fresh spring air. I still enjoy the smells and the sounds.

Life can be so sweet at moments, and yet there are times like this when I feel age beginning to creep in on me and I cringe because I really don't want to grow up yet.

…...

Thanks to all of you kids, I didn't have to grow completely up – at least for one weekend. Stay happy and healthy and young.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Merry Christmas from Bob Pflanz

Okay, all you swashbuckling old pirates out there!

I was sitting down to write out my Christmas cards and, of course, I thought of all of you. No way I can send each and every one of you a card this year, even though I am thinking of you and wish I could.

Just know that I am so glad that we got together again this last year and that so many of you became such wonderful people after all these years. I truly wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that this next year is good for you. I look forward to the next time I see you or hear from you. You all remind me of those special years that we all shared.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

A note from Sharon (Reeves) Robertson

Hi Bob,
Thanks for your last blog entry - we definitely are a generation that has lots for which to be thankful. One of the discouraging aspects is that we are losing so many of our contemporaries - which brings me to this question. Within the last couple of weeks there was an obituary in the paper for a Norman Mason, age 68 - no other info as far as survivors, etc. Have you heard from anyone as to whether this could be our classmate?? We have info about him on our spreadsheet but I hesitate just to call or email - it very well might not be him. If you want to put this on the blog it is ok with me - maybe someone out there knows for sure. Hope you are having a great holiday season - ours is hectic but also lots of fun. Thanks, Sharon (Reeves) Robertson

Friday, November 27, 2009

Happy Holidays!

Here it is the day after Thanksgiving and the mad rush has begun. Before we get too much involved in our Christmas planning, I just wanted to take a peaceful, calm moment to wish all of you a Happy Holiday Season. It was a real treat for me to see all of you this year - you stirred up many long lost memories and brought my youth back to me. Now that we are becoming the retired generation, many of the younger people think we are out of step with their world. But after being with all of you, I feel much better about my perspective. We all share a common background and similar memories of a world that has changed and of course our views differ from the youth around us on many subjects. It's nice to know that we are right and they are wrong - but I'm not going to tell them (they can find out for themselves like we did). Enjoy the season knowing that there are many of us out there caring for each other and not completely lost in the hubbub and furor. Peace is nice.
Bob Pflanz

Saturday, November 7, 2009

To Rex, Bill & Don from Rodney

Rex, Bill, and Don

Thanks Rex for posting the trip report and photos. I was a great, fun trip and was nice to have a memory jogger. Unfortunately, having gone to Nelson grade school put me at a slight disadvantage at times. Re the issue of crimes against persons, it was only mental anguish that the Stathopouls twins inflicted on me, which wasn't recognized in those days. We did have BB gun fights but the scores were settled on the spot and no eyes were lost (by the way, how many watch "A Christmas Story" every year for a touch of life in the 40's that fit us all so well?).

Keep up the commentary and maybe we'll meet next year on the sophisticated Capitol Hill.,where just today health "reform" might move a giant step forward to save America from itself.

Best,

Rodney

To Rex & Bill from Claudine

To Rex and Bill:

Rex, your description of Depansing as viewed by the Nanny State and Eric Holder gets an A plus. It was so well written and so true. Just insert another "crime" and the story becomes news for the next day. I think Depansing may be on the short list. Nice Job:

Bill, you too were very well expressed, but why do I not believe you?

Rodney says the terrible twins, John and Frank, wreaked worse havoc for a few years on the 4800 block of Charlotte. (Their babysitter lived there). If I remember correctly, much of the bad action involved BB Guns. I think the Stathopoulos brothers deny all this.

Rodney is out of town, When he returns,I will encourage him to respond to the issue of Childhood Bullying and why the statute of limitations should be extended into the years when we cannot remember much at all about what actually happened, but the desire to even the score is still there. The stories and the affronts get better as the years go by?

Claudine

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

'Depansing' Legal Update

The Department of Justice today released this statement to the press:

"As the result of yesterday's announcement (Depansing Declared a Federal Crime), the USDOJ has been besieged with e-mails, phone calls, twitters, and telegrams from former victims of 'depansing' incidents.

'Despite the passage of time, in some cases 50+ years, victims still experience embarrassing memories of these vile and sometimes violent acts. Many sleep poorly, haunted by disturbing dreams; others suffer from life-long loss of esteem.

'As a result, The AG announces that the statute of limitations for this hideous crime will not apply. "I have ordered the creation of a special Justice Department task force to track down the felons involved in these attacks", said AG Eric Holder. "We can not allow the passage of time to frustrate justice for the victims."

'Many of these perpetrators hide behind lame excuses, such as alibis, alleged distance from the events, or as part of a group, the time-honored "I was only following orders". Some have even taken to hiding in remote locations, such as NW New Mexico, like Nazi war criminals fleeing to South America. Others have cultivated overgrown facial hair or extra weight as disguise.

"It won't matter", Holder was quoted as saying. "They can run, but not hide, from the long arm of the Justice Department."

Monday, November 2, 2009

"Depansing" Declared a Federal Crime

Ever vigilant Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that 'depansing' had been added to the Administration's Nanny initiative as a federal crime.

Depansing becomes an crime in the same shameful category as bullying, extorting lunch money and casting mean looks at youthful peers, which were enacted as federal felonies soon after the President's term began.

"I don't know how we missed this one", said Holder. "It is certainly as harmful to the development of children as any of the previous offenses we were alert enough to outlaw. Perhaps we have been preoccupied with government run, er, I mean, health care reform."

Holder made his remarks flanked be several school-aged children, whose faces were covered with Spiderman masks. "Their shame is palpable", said Holder.

As with all nanny laws, the government not only throws its judicial weight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, but pays for psychological therapy for the victims.

"There are hundreds of thousands of former victims of this vicious crime", said Holder. He reminded that the Administration's efforts to extend benefits to former victims, many of them seniors, was hung up in Congress due to opposition from the vast, right wing conspiracy.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

a note from Bill Koste

Bob: please insert this in the blog under, Cakewalk Comments or Rex Weddle Claim.


I felt it imperative to respond to Rex's scurrilos attack upon my good name in regard to his alleged "depantsing." I present the facts as I recall them.

1. Rex walked home in a northerly direction, and I walked home in the opposite direction; therefore it would have been difficult for me to be involved in this spurious activity. In fact I should remind Rex that he had to travel thru the northern depantsing zone administered by the "big kids";and, if this event really took place they (not I) were the perpetrators.

2. I had no gang as Rex claims; the nearest thing to a gang was when Billy Armstrong, George Howard, and myself called ourselves the "The Three Musketeers" and we skipped out of school a lunch time to get a hotdog at the bowling alley on Prospect.

3. As I recall;however,there was a rumor of a "self-depantsing" taking place and a smallish boy running home "sans trou"' if this was true and Rex was that individual it truly was a call for help, perhaps as a result of losing one to many times in the highly competative, and pressure packed Francis Willard CAKEWALK!!

4.If memory serves me right, Rex always had interesting and somewhat unbelivable tales to tell in the morning "sharing" we all experienced, whether it be in Miss Lorings second grade or Miss Hendricsons third grade, perhaps Rex's blog comment was his way of getting us all into sharing our memories.

Iwould like to thank Bob Pflanz for posting this responce for me. I also would like to thank Bob, Don Kuntz, Dougie Marker, and Don Zurovsky for the great team effort on Miss Lowes "Train Project" ( I still think I would have been the best engineer.)

Bill Koste

Friday, October 30, 2009

A note from Claudine

Hi Bob:

When you completed and distributed the video from the reunion I was proud owner of a DVD, VHS, and "other media" maybe system that was as old as the invention of DVD and really did not play other formats -- never mind what was advertised.

Consequently I had to watch the video on my computer. Great fun, but not quite the same as it would have been on the big screen. I have now sprung for a new piece of equipment and watched the Video on my large TV screen. What great fun. It was as if the party were yesterday.

Just wanted to say again what a wonderful production this was, what fun memories all captured for viewing all the years on the way to and in The Home when the time comes. We can show the other old folks what a great time we had in our younger years and especially at the reunion. By that time we will all think we looked pretty good too!

Thanks again for all your hard work.

Hello Rex:

Since you guys are still good friends, I bet you somehow exacted revenge during the next 60 or so years.

Forgiveness does not appear to be part of the persona Weddle.

Claudine

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Cakewalks

Oh, Claudine, if you inferred from anything I said that I always won a cake, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, never winning just fed my already deep-seated inferiority complex, which had been made worse by Koste and his gang 'depantsing' me one day on the way home from school.

Monday, October 26, 2009

a note from Claudine

Hello Rex:

Let me see if I have this straight.

You and other Francis Willard Cakewalk winners if you won did so on "merit" or as some would say, the luck of the draw. I, on the other hand, won as part of a distribution of prizes by a "progressive" school structured such that no one would be hurt and "equality" would reign.

Please be apprised that Horace Mann was the most down and dirty, blue collar, non sensitive feeder school to Paseo. We were insensitive to any child's challenges be they spelling, arithmetic, sports, geography, music, or art. It was every man for themselves, no quarter given or expected.

The best I can figure is my Dad may have slipped a few bucks to the PTA President or gaming chief. That was sort of his way. As for why you won consistently, I cannot figure out, but it was probably something over and above your good luck or winning ways.

I am about as "progressive" as the Jesuits during the Inquisition. My elementary school background is greatly responsible for this reactionary view of the world.

Let's have a cake walk (read a bottle of wine) at the next reunion. Everyone has to do "The Slide" to get to the number.

Yours.

Claudine

A note from Joleeta (Wentz) Bishop

Hi! Bobby Pflanz and Billy Koste (your Frances Willard names) Rex and Don Kuntz,

I went to Frances Willard for 6th and 7th grade. It seemed like we were all just so happy and carefree. I remember the carnivals and every wonderful minute of my two years there. It all seemed so normal then, but now I have a hard time explaining to my granddaughters why we would ever wear a dog collar around our necks or ankles, (one meant you were available, one meant you were taken---hey,we were 12!) and certainly why would we starch our skirts and petticoats so stiff they would actually break! I still have a plastic bracelet from my time in shop, my autograph book, as well as some Valentines. My favorite things were the dance lessons that all of the 7th graders took at a studio on Prospect and the double features on Friday night.
Before the reunion I drove by the school and it looks the same except for the boards over the windows. Do you remember the doors of each classroom that opened to the outside? The stairs in front of Miss Watson's room? The lower playground? The outside is still beautiful. I remember playing baseball on the playground with Dick Kenworthy. And what happened to Bette Dunavant, Jack Pitzer, Linda Levine, Beth Ferro and Sandy Damon? Wanda Melching sent me pictures of us posing in our bathing suits on my front lawn. Those will not be posted. I remember that was the year Eisenhower ran against Stevenson. How could any of us forget Sherrill Sixta and her obsession with IKE.
I also went to Bancroft K-5. Although it was only 10 years older than FW, it was a wonderful example of 1900's architecture. About 7 years ago I had the chance to go through the building while it was still in use as some kind of learning center. I really thought I would stroke out! It was exactly the same. Does anyone remember the painting of the Pioneer Woman hanging in the auditorium? She was still there in her beautiful blue dress with the belt and the gold buckle and her arms extended to the children around her (Not Miss Hegland obviously) The lady taking me around the building said many people have tried to buy the painting. She took me in the classrooms and the glass leaded bookcase doors were still in tact as well as the blackboards that flipped and opened into a cloak room. The hardware on the windows and doors as well as the 14" baseboards always fascinated me as they were very elaborate. The gym was the unchanged with the same poles, ropes, and wooden ladders on the walls. Even the cafeteria and the bathrooms were the same. The double doors that opened into the kindergarten room still seemed big to me. But the not so great part of school was trudging up the hill from Paseo with cans of bacon grease and tied bundles of newspapers. Also, sliding down the hill from Tracy to the Paseo on 42nd street. I drove by the school in June of this year and it was boarded up and is for sale. I tried to find out more so if anyone knows anymore I would love to hear about it. It would be fun to buy the Pioneer Woman and some of the hardware. I'll pass on the ropes and poles.
Oh yes! I must digress, or however you spell it. (Writing to this blog is a little daunting given all of the English teachers our class produced. Miss Lana, I remember some paragraphs you wrote for me at PHS. Thanks again!) In the bio's we wrote for the reunion book I forgot to mention a famous person who crossed my path, or in this case lit up my sky. In the very late 80's I had lunch with Robert Redford and two other people, one of which I may have been married to. It was an afternoon I will never forget. A friend of ours was a ski buddy of his and invited us to have lunch with them.
Rex, thanks for your notes about Frances Willard. A magical time for all of us. But why did you send those pictures of all of those old guys?

Joleeta Wentz Bishop

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Cake Walks

Claudine, you undoubtedly went to one of those progressive schools; you know, they didn't allow you to keep score after tagging up for kickball because some poor loser would feel bad. It must ust have followed the same philosophy for cake giveaways.

Frances Williard had a real cold war attitude about such stuff. If you lost at kickball, the next game you could no longer asked how the ball was rolled to you: 'fast and smooth or slow and bouncy'? It was the pitcher's choice.

And how could you control the cake walk so everyone won? As I recall, you walked around a circle of numbered spots to the accompaniment of music and when it stopped, you won if you were on the magic number, which, only then was pulled from a bag.

And we had 500 or so people at these carnivals, but only 50 cakes.

But I agree about the economics: it was a heck of a lot of trouble to make a few hundred bucks, but lots of fun for the kids.

A note from Claudine

A Rely to Rex about School Fairs, And Other Miscellaneous Matters.

CAKEWALKS

I never understood the economics behind this school carnival money maker. Every child won a cake and usually received as a prize one much less tasty than the one they had a couple of hours earlier delivered to be part of the contest. Yes, every child won, and you had to buy only about three tickets to do so.. That is my recollection from seven years of participating in this contest. Tickets cost 5 cents?

My Mom and countless other Moms made these cakes at not much cost for ingredients, but a whole lot of time in that there were no box mixes in these early years. My Mom worked 11:00 to 7:00AM many many years supervising a floor at Research Hospital and then would come home and bake these cakes among her many other community contributions. She was President or past president or Chair of one thing or another for everything--PTA, Campfire Girls, Grade School Class Mother, Eastern Star, Church related activities and on and on it went. How did they do it all?

But, back to the cakes. If everyone won a cake for a maximum of 15 cents contribution, then the only profit was many Moms slaving over many cakes to sell them for 15 cents or thereabouts each. How much could the school have made? Am I missing something here?

But, I agree with Rex. It was my favorite game probably because you could not be a loser.

BILL KOSTE'S MEMORY

On June 6th on the Marriott patio I was sitting on the veranda having my breakfast with Bob Pflanz ,when Koste joined us bringing with him a load of scrapbooks and other Francis Willard and some 8th grade Paseo memorabilia. Photo by photo, grade by grade, party by party interspersed with some sports or similar grade school activities he grilled Bob about every subject in every photo at every age. Bob did very well but was not quite the match for Koste. I, a Horace Mann girl, excused myself to attend to some business returning some several minutes later passing by the table to see Koste and Bob still going at it. I would say the Bob's eyes had glazed over, but what did I know? (Koste, I love you, you crazy old man).

THE JERSEY BOYS

Run, don't walk to any showing of this you can find on it's current nationwide tour. It is the most fun musical I have ever attended. The audience --all our age--was clapping and swaying and a few singing throughout the entire performance. It will not be coming to KC, , but will be in both Des Moines and Saint Louis. Spend a little of your childrens' inheritance and travel to one of it's venues. It will make your heart sing. Jersey Boys Nationwide Tour.Com gives you the cities and dates.

Keep Moving

Claudine

PS:
Whoops, Jersey Boys has already been to St. Louis. Your closest venue is Des Moines in July of 2010.

Read the chart wrong, sorry.

Claudine

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Frances Williard Carnivals

Somehow in all our memory-sharing recently at Koste's, someone remembered the yearly carnivals held at our grade school. They were money gathering events for the PTA or something, held some weeknight during the school year. Everyone would turn out, parents included.

The cafeteria served food, the auditorium hosted a talent show and the school rooms were turned into venues for games of chance and contests with prizes.

Talent? Lots of accordions and harmonicas.

Games? There was the cake walk (my favorite!), the fishing pond, a wheel of fortune.

Can't recall the others, but it was always a big event for the school.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A note from Rex Weddle (with pictures)

Bill Koste was kind enough to invite me, Rodney Weiher and Don Kunz for a visit in Farmington, NM. We had such little time at the reunion for any real bull session that this seemed a good opportunity.

Don flew to Vegas from Bend, OR and he and I drove down to Farmington on Monday, 10/12, while Rodney flew in from Washington.

From Tuesday-Thursday we were hosted by Bill, whose wife Pat fed us in exceptional fashion. Bill arranged an interesting three days of tours throughout the Four Corner area, including Chaco National Park with its fascinating pueblo ruins.

Durango and Delores CO were interesting stops.

Don, who studies with the native Indian flute, played several of his own compositions at the various Native American sites we visited. He made several dollars from other tourists after Bill set up a collection jar.

Bill has an inexhaustible memory for names. Bill, Don and I all attended Frances Willard from kindergarten on. Not only could Bill remember all his teachers' names, he could remember ours and all our neighbors. A name came up, he remembered exactly where their houses were.

As you might imagine, a memory like that for detail and events help fuel our own recall. We spent four days without repeating ourselves. I did have to call Kenworthy once to confirm one wild story from Rod.

Bill also had never thrown away any piece of paper associated with his life: grade school pics, 3&2 baseball league yearbooks, you name it. These all helped jog our poor memories.

We felt a bit sorry for Don, who found himself continually on the defensive from three others with conservative political views. However, we tried to keep such topics at a minimum, mainly because he's a hell of a debater.



..................Three guys with hair, one without


..................Don, communing with the spirits


" These pueblo guys used linear programming models and statistical decision theories..." (Rod and Bill talking)


"No, it's YOUR turn to drive." (Rod, Bill and Don in front of a car)


.................."How did these people fit thru such small doors?"


This train doesn't stop here any more. (in front of Durango station)


.................."Don, turn your back when you do that."

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A PS from Sally

I might add this PS to my earlier message.

My daughter and I plan to visit the wineries around Herman Mo in the spring. I know they are very popular, probably more so than Augusta.

If anyone has any thoughts about the best wineries to visit or places
to stay we would love their input.

thanks

sally

Thursday, October 15, 2009

A note from Sally - Missouri Wine Country

A Visit to the Missouri Wine Country.

Hi Bob:

Claudine suggested to me that my visit to the wine country of Missouri would be a good item for the Paseo Blog in that classmates may be interested in how it all compares to other wine country trips, and also in possibly planning such a trip for themselves. My short report follows:

My daughter Roxanne and I undertook a trip to a few of the Missouri wineries September 22 through September 24. It was a wonderful trip, full of good scenery, good food ,good wines ,and ,was almost perfectly timed. (see below).

We traveled to Augusta, Mo, which is about 40 miles west of St. Louis and visited several wineries in the vicinity--Augusta Winery, Yellow Farmhouse Vineyard, Mount Pleasant Winery, Chandler Hill Vineyards, Louis P. Balducci Vineyards, Sugar Creek Vineyards Winery and our favorite the Montelle Winery. Unlike many of the wineries in Napa Valley, most of the Missouri wineries offered free samples as well as the ability to purchase a glass of wine to enjoy on their grounds

Most of these wineries had decks overlooking the best of Missouri scenery and sipping and viewing became our pleasurable daily routine. The leaves had not yet turned so you may want to plan your trip a couple of weeks later in the years, but on the plus side It was beautifully sunny all three days we were there ,and since it was the middle of the week there were no crowds (I hear the weekends are quite crowded) and , finally, the vines were still holding onto their grapes although not for long as they were about to be harvested.

Our favorite stay in and around Augusta was at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast called Stoneridge Vineyard Farm & Inn in Augusta. It is in the heart of the wine country and offers one of the most magnificent scenic views located along the Lewis & Clark Trail

After purchasing a couple of cases of what I believe to be very nice wine, we moved on to the town of Washington, Mo., about 20 miles from Augusta and on the banks of the Missouri River ,and enjoyed some great restaurants and some nice shopping.

My daughter and I have visited Napa Valley, but we both would give this Missouri Wine experience a higher grade.

Plan a trip if you can. The grass indeed is many times greener here.

Keep moving if you can,

Sally

Friday, October 9, 2009

A note from Charles Fisher

Hi Robert! Thank you for everything you are doing to help keep our class informed. I have an updated address and other information to share. I hope you are well and holding fond memories of the '59 Paseo Class. So, here is the updated information for you to pass along:

Charles A. (Chuck) Fisher
2121 S. Kentucky Ave.
Joplin, MO 64804
Ph. 417-623-8500

E-mail: Charles@CharlesFisher.net

www.CharlesFisher.net

Thursday, October 8, 2009

A conversation between Bob Pflanz & Claudine Weiher

Hi Claudine:

I did get home this last weekend and have been trying to get caught up with paperwork, bills, emails, etc.
As you can see, I posted your pictures of the raft trip - they were great. I also posted some pictures of the Rockies.
As you suggested, I sent the blog address to everyone and also my email if they had any comments they wished me to post.
It's been pretty quiet all summer from our fellow pirates, but maybe with the advent of fall we will get more communication.
I'm glad you got your mother's house sold - it's a tough market right now. I'm sorry that you won't have any excuse to come back to Kansas City for a while. I suppose we will all drift back to our former lives and the resumed friendships and contacts we revived will pass away, but it was nice for a while to see everyone from our youth. I hope your future is as interesting and enjoyable as your past and that you will remain in contact once in a while.

Your friend,
Bob
-----------------

Hi Bob:

I sure hope they do not pass away, and the blog will help. In any case we and a few others will be in touch.

Is anything happening as far as planning an annual reunion event of some sort for next summer? When I tried to find someone to take over the planning of the 50th ,right after Dave Pennington resigned, I received a firm "no" from every Committee member hence my stepping in even though I believed someone located in KC should be in charge. So we will see. I would definitely attend any such event hoping all the while that it will not be a picnic, but I am not confident that it will get planned.

Did you hear any news from the October 4th all Paseo classes picnic? Maybe something will get started from that gathering.

If nothing else is planned we will just plan a big dinner/lunch for those who have stayed in touch. KC is lovely in June.

Your friend,

Claudine

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A note from Carolyn (Behn) Ryan

I've camped at Cottonwood Pass. What a beautiful place!
I just spent Friday with Janet (Engler) Klass in Ames, Iowa. We caught up on the last 50 years. Thanks to the reunion book I was able to locate her.
Reminiscing about the past, I grew up at 38th and Olive St. I should have gone to Central, but my brother was already at Paseo, so I was able to transfer in also. I attended Immanuel Lutheran grade school on 42nd and Tracy. It was a long walk home from there, but it got me in shape for the walk home from Paseo.I usually walked home with Sharleen Thompkins. Most of you were at Paseo for 8th grade, an advantage I think. I remember my first English class with Miss Kramer...I really felt behind. We certainly had some great teachers and after reading through the reunion book, it looks like everyone became mature, caring adults! Hats off the to class of '59!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

A conversation between Jeanne Boyer and Bob Pflanz

I finally got on the blog and added it to my favorites, but now what? How does one go about adding one's two cents? I'm so timid about trying things on the computer?

Jeanne

Great, I'm glad you can now easily visit the site and read the comments. You can add comments (right under the slides of the reunion - at the top of the blog). Or you can send any comments you want to add to the blog through me. I have been copying and pasting anybody's notes straight from gmail to the blog (see notes from Claudine or from Harriet). Some people have figured out how to directly post comments (Rex and Doug Carlander) but most everyone else just sends it to me to post. You can send comments or pictures and I will add them to the blog. Don't be timid - you are among friends and we are all supportive of each other and really want to share.

Bob

Monday, September 28, 2009

Colorado by Bob Pflanz




















When I first stated camping in the Rockies, I was taking a minimum of items and sleeping in a pup tent on the ground with a bed roll all of which I could pack in my Jeep and wander about in the high rockies without coming down to civilization for days on end. As the years passed on, I still kept the Jeep but hauled a popup tent which kept me camping in federal campgrounds or on BLM land near some kind of road. Later, I upgraded to a small trailer which actually had a stove and a cooler and a bed of sorts. Now that the years have passed, I find myself “camping” in an Airstream 24' trailer with a heater and a refrigerator and lights. It's not the same, but my body now isn't as nimble as it was when I used to hike and ski and it appreciates the comforts.

I just returned from the central Rockies (the Collegiate Peaks) where I camped with my sisters, their husbands and my daughter from New Mexico. It was a civilized camping trip but we did get back in the woods and over some of the passes and into the high country. We camped at 8,000 feet but wandered over county roads and jeep trails up to elevations of 12,000 feet and saw some beautiful country. With the advent of digital photography, it's hard to not take pictures at will with accumulations of hundreds of photos. I will share a few of the better ones to give you an idea of how beautiful it is. So far, the central part of Colorado has not gotten carried away with development but it has changed some in the past 40 years. I miss the remoteness that once existed. You could feel that it was just you and the mountains and the sky with nobody for miles. Now homes are being added to the most remote places. Luckily much of the land is still public and no development can intrude.

It was nice, but it was cold and breathtaking. It's nice to be back home with fond memories.

Sunday, September 27, 2009