Hi Harriet:
Enjoyed very much reading your summary of your summer, travels and accompanying events. Sorry about the death of one of your canine best buddies.
Rodney and I had two Golden Retrievers (one at at time) each of whom lived 13 years. They had a devoted owner, walker, and care giver--(that would be Rodney) and I heard him on the phone shortly after the first Golden's death--Gus-- "But Mom, you do not understand, I have lost my best friend."" Guess that about says it all. Bert, the second then broke his heart by going to dog heaven at age 13 and no more pets. It is too hard to lose them.
Loved reading of your travel adventures. I believe you keep moving or you sit down and there you stay.
Sorry about your knee. It it the age group. Most everyoneof our age has had on or both fixed or replaced, or is putting it off (me).
We had an ex Stanford basketball player on the rafting trip. A gentle and graceful giant who could play one heck of a hand of hearts. She beat everyone.
As for 1959, it probably was indeed a watershed never mind as Bob pointed out the author missed a lot of what made the year.
Please stay in touch and let us hear of your further travels.
Good healing
Claudine
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A note from Claudine - Pictures to follow later
September 13, 2009
Hi Bob:
Here is a short report and a few photos from the Grand Canyon rafting trip I took the first week in September.
The rafting trip was six days and 187 miles down the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry in Marble Canyon to the Whitmore Helipad right below Lava Falls at mile 187. The helicopter pad was about the size of a king size bed and the helicopter was tiny, holding only 5 passengers at a time. But at that point I would have hung from a rope ladder out to find my way to a flush toilet.
The rafting and rapids were unforgettable. The Canyon scenery was beautiful, wondrous and awe inspiring. The rapids were thrilling, exciting and sometimes scary. The rapids are rated from one to 10. We went through several 10’s and 8’s. Two of the tens, Lava Falls and Tanner rapids had drops of 14’ and 20’ respectively. An awesome adventure as the teenagers would say. The overnight/camping arrangements were very basic, but, unfortunately, part and parcel of the adventure.
Our outfitter was the Arizona River Runners. We were 21 passengers in two motorized rafts. The rafts normally hold 17 but because of the bad tourist year were had only 10 and 11 per raft for our trip. We followed one another taking the rapids one raft at a time, and seldom saw other rafts in that the Park Service allows only four commercial and three private launchings each day.
John and I and two other passengers were the oldest by about 10 years. Most passengers were in their early to late 50’s with two couples in their 40’s. Those 10 years really make a difference. If any of you have thoughts about going on one of these trips do it now. The trip is strenuous in parts and requires a good deal of strength and a lot of balance. I have lost a great deal of both in the last few years and so just managed to struggle through, awkwardly most of the time. (It is back to the Gym for me).
I can live without Camping period, but camping was the only way to experience this river and the Canyon. The camping was bare bones. Passengers loaded and unloaded the rafts, we slept under the stars without tents on difficult to assemble cots, and in very close quarters as there is very little flat space at the bottom of the Canyon. We were awakened at 5:30 AM for coffee and were underway by 7:00 AM whereupon the two male Scots began their second breakfast of Budweiser having allotted themselves 10 per day. But, they certainly held their liquor well and could bounce around the rafts like youngsters.
Skimmed over ever so slightly in the brochure were the toilet arrangements. For the ladies it was a real challenge and one became preoccupied with finding an appropriate place to take a whiz. The Park Service rules forbid urinating on sand (wet or otherwise) or any shrubbery etc. One must be IN the water which is 50 degrees. And one desires a shrub of some sort for privacy from the rafts and the gentlemen and shrubs are few, and one needed a path of sorts through the boulders to reach the water, a place where the water is not too swift etc. etc. So, each time we stopped, the hunt for an appropriate river latrine began in earnest. We became less and less modest as the trip went on, but nothing as bad as the men who got to the point they would whip it out no matter right by where the rafts were moored never mind who was standing by. Nighttime was treacherous as the boulders between the cots and the river were often sharp and the footholds very slippery. I took some big chunks of skin out of my arm one night trying to abide by the Park Service rules.
Solid waste was taken care of by a milk can of sorts placed in the woods. There are photographs attached.
I have only one photo of our raft going through rapids. One of the Scots on the other raft took it with my throwaway camera I had given him at the AM camp departure. You cannot take photographs of the rapids because you are holding on for dear life with both hands lest you pivot and tear out an arm socket. I do have a photo taken a few weeks previous to our trip by an Arizona River Runner passenger and made available to us. This is exactly how it looked and felt.
So, if you have ever considered going on one of these trips, do it next spring and you ladies do some strength and balance training in the meantime so that you can walk gracefully off the raft carrying your own belongings rather than half crawling and reaching for a hand to step off as I frequently had to.
But, do go. It is the adventure of a lifetime.
Your Classmate.
Claudine
Hi Bob:
Here is a short report and a few photos from the Grand Canyon rafting trip I took the first week in September.
The rafting trip was six days and 187 miles down the Colorado River from Lee’s Ferry in Marble Canyon to the Whitmore Helipad right below Lava Falls at mile 187. The helicopter pad was about the size of a king size bed and the helicopter was tiny, holding only 5 passengers at a time. But at that point I would have hung from a rope ladder out to find my way to a flush toilet.
The rafting and rapids were unforgettable. The Canyon scenery was beautiful, wondrous and awe inspiring. The rapids were thrilling, exciting and sometimes scary. The rapids are rated from one to 10. We went through several 10’s and 8’s. Two of the tens, Lava Falls and Tanner rapids had drops of 14’ and 20’ respectively. An awesome adventure as the teenagers would say. The overnight/camping arrangements were very basic, but, unfortunately, part and parcel of the adventure.
Our outfitter was the Arizona River Runners. We were 21 passengers in two motorized rafts. The rafts normally hold 17 but because of the bad tourist year were had only 10 and 11 per raft for our trip. We followed one another taking the rapids one raft at a time, and seldom saw other rafts in that the Park Service allows only four commercial and three private launchings each day.
John and I and two other passengers were the oldest by about 10 years. Most passengers were in their early to late 50’s with two couples in their 40’s. Those 10 years really make a difference. If any of you have thoughts about going on one of these trips do it now. The trip is strenuous in parts and requires a good deal of strength and a lot of balance. I have lost a great deal of both in the last few years and so just managed to struggle through, awkwardly most of the time. (It is back to the Gym for me).
I can live without Camping period, but camping was the only way to experience this river and the Canyon. The camping was bare bones. Passengers loaded and unloaded the rafts, we slept under the stars without tents on difficult to assemble cots, and in very close quarters as there is very little flat space at the bottom of the Canyon. We were awakened at 5:30 AM for coffee and were underway by 7:00 AM whereupon the two male Scots began their second breakfast of Budweiser having allotted themselves 10 per day. But, they certainly held their liquor well and could bounce around the rafts like youngsters.
Skimmed over ever so slightly in the brochure were the toilet arrangements. For the ladies it was a real challenge and one became preoccupied with finding an appropriate place to take a whiz. The Park Service rules forbid urinating on sand (wet or otherwise) or any shrubbery etc. One must be IN the water which is 50 degrees. And one desires a shrub of some sort for privacy from the rafts and the gentlemen and shrubs are few, and one needed a path of sorts through the boulders to reach the water, a place where the water is not too swift etc. etc. So, each time we stopped, the hunt for an appropriate river latrine began in earnest. We became less and less modest as the trip went on, but nothing as bad as the men who got to the point they would whip it out no matter right by where the rafts were moored never mind who was standing by. Nighttime was treacherous as the boulders between the cots and the river were often sharp and the footholds very slippery. I took some big chunks of skin out of my arm one night trying to abide by the Park Service rules.
Solid waste was taken care of by a milk can of sorts placed in the woods. There are photographs attached.
I have only one photo of our raft going through rapids. One of the Scots on the other raft took it with my throwaway camera I had given him at the AM camp departure. You cannot take photographs of the rapids because you are holding on for dear life with both hands lest you pivot and tear out an arm socket. I do have a photo taken a few weeks previous to our trip by an Arizona River Runner passenger and made available to us. This is exactly how it looked and felt.
So, if you have ever considered going on one of these trips, do it next spring and you ladies do some strength and balance training in the meantime so that you can walk gracefully off the raft carrying your own belongings rather than half crawling and reaching for a hand to step off as I frequently had to.
But, do go. It is the adventure of a lifetime.
Your Classmate.
Claudine
Thursday, September 10, 2009
1959 The Year Everything Changed
Spare yourself the agony of reading this alleged analysis of 1959 as a year of monumental change. If it was a boring as Fred Caplan makes it seem, then all of us would be brain-dead. Kaplan, who is really an arts and leisure writer, is hopefully adrift as any kind of historian, cultural or otherwise.
His artistic prejudice is evident from the time he spends on literature, art and music. He is preoccupied with the beat generation literature, jazz and Motown, the latter of which was really a 60's phenom.
Sports? No mention of any of that. Wasn't arguably the greatest NFL game ever played in 1959 in Baltimore?
We think of 1959 as the apex of Rock and Roll? Kaplan gives rock only two one line mentions. One of those is a passing reference to Buddy Holly, who was killed in 1959 and whose death was a watershed event that Kaplan treats with all the interest of a passing landscape.
Kaplan betrays his politics with a fawning, two paragraph tribute to our current leader - though, of course, Obama was not born until 1961. What the hell he's got to do with 1959 is anyone's guess. He managed to wait until page 5 of the book for this piece of indulgence.
But, in the final analysis, the book is a lazy attempt whose only spark is its title. And then, Kaplan struggles to keep that thread connected with an undiscilplined journey through the subjects that only interest him.
His artistic prejudice is evident from the time he spends on literature, art and music. He is preoccupied with the beat generation literature, jazz and Motown, the latter of which was really a 60's phenom.
Sports? No mention of any of that. Wasn't arguably the greatest NFL game ever played in 1959 in Baltimore?
We think of 1959 as the apex of Rock and Roll? Kaplan gives rock only two one line mentions. One of those is a passing reference to Buddy Holly, who was killed in 1959 and whose death was a watershed event that Kaplan treats with all the interest of a passing landscape.
Kaplan betrays his politics with a fawning, two paragraph tribute to our current leader - though, of course, Obama was not born until 1961. What the hell he's got to do with 1959 is anyone's guess. He managed to wait until page 5 of the book for this piece of indulgence.
But, in the final analysis, the book is a lazy attempt whose only spark is its title. And then, Kaplan struggles to keep that thread connected with an undiscilplined journey through the subjects that only interest him.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Season's Greetings from Harriet Benson
September 3, 2009
Season’s Greetings!
Which “season” you might ask. It’s meniscus season!
Here I sit recuperating from a knee operation. Immobility suggests I should write everyone now, during my recovery.
My father died three years ago (at a ripe old age—I hope I have his genes!). The years before that, I had focused several vacations on enjoying his company. Somewhat at a loss for a vacation destination, but with a desire to do something different in 2007, I went to Laramie, WY where I worked in the University of Wyoming Geology Dept for three months. I loved it! Geology, the people I met, and living in Wyoming during the summer.
Summer of 2008 I returned to that area—spending a week
in Laramie—and enjoying Riverton’s balloon festival, traveling over the Bighorns where my grandfather had hunted many years ago, visiting friends in Bozeman, and finally staying in Kalispell where I could see Glacier/Waterton National Park again.
A lovely trip in all but one respect. As most of you know, when I travel by car, I take my dogs. Orthopedically challenged Barry and beloved Ben, who had been my soul mate over several bumps in life’s road over the past 11 years, began the trip with me. Ben, however, died unexpectedly from an idiosyncratic liver problem during the trip, which meant that my sightseeing included the offices of six veterinarians along the way.
As 2008 came to a close, I realized I wanted a new puppy to celebrate the holidays with me. And Bandit, another long-haired, black/tan doxie, came into Barry’s and my lives. Bandit is an adorable, joyful boy, and a great addition to my family.
My passion for Stanford women’s basketball continues undiminished.
I was flattered to be the subject of an article in Women’s Basketball magazine in 2008 entitled “Super Fan”. Stanford played in the Final Four in Tampa in 2008 and again in St. Louis in 2009. Such excitement! I love to support these talented student athletes by attending as many games as possible, whether at home or away, and especially Final Fours. I’ve also been fortunate to continue friendships with a few of the graduated players. I’ll be vacationing with one of them this November; another has lived with me off and on over the last five years, now as a medical student.
The other college-age woman in my life is goddaughter Elena,
who is now a sophomore at UC San Diego, planning to be involved in the environmental sciences. I enjoyed visiting her, my cousin Dave and his wife, two former Stanford basketball players, and all the painted cows (Elena with cow on right) in La Jolla.
Did you realize 1959 was the year our modern age began? Such is Fred Kaplan’s premise in his book 1959. Although he enumerates several significant events (at least in hindsight), I’m not convinced. It was, however, an important year: I graduated from Paseo High School then, fifty years ago. We had a lovely reunion in Kansas City this spring—wonderful memories and an opportunity to renew friendships. In addition to contact with those attending the reunion, I have been motivated to find two other classmates and one faculty member this summer. (In the process, I found a “lost” Wellesley classmate too!)
And it has been good to touch base with ALZA (especially at the 2008 reunion!) and non-ALZA friends.
My vacation this summer was low-key compared with the
prior two summers in the Rockies. I drove to see my Aunt Jean in Eugene, OR. She is 95 years old; although totally deaf and somewhat crippled with sciatic pain, she lives alone and does very well.—good genes there too! We had a nice visit, and I enjoyed seeing Crater Lake again, but my return was clouded with news that her son, my cousin, died of cancer a couple days later.
It seems that many of my communications now enumerate illness or death. It happens with getting older. But I am fortunate yet—in good health (despite the pesky knee), busy with volunteer work, basketball, landscaping and gardening, book club, seeing family and friends. I look forward to several trips in the next six months, including Austria, Southern CA, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado.
Although I have joined Twitter, I don’t tweet. Although I have joined Facebook, I don’t update my wall. Although I blogged regularly for the Fast Break Club for two years, I retired from that a year ago. But I can and will answer if you communicate with me. (But don’t expect a Christmas letter this December.)
Life is good; I hope it is for you as well.
Harriet, Barry, and Bandit
Season’s Greetings!
Which “season” you might ask. It’s meniscus season!
Here I sit recuperating from a knee operation. Immobility suggests I should write everyone now, during my recovery.
My father died three years ago (at a ripe old age—I hope I have his genes!). The years before that, I had focused several vacations on enjoying his company. Somewhat at a loss for a vacation destination, but with a desire to do something different in 2007, I went to Laramie, WY where I worked in the University of Wyoming Geology Dept for three months. I loved it! Geology, the people I met, and living in Wyoming during the summer.
Summer of 2008 I returned to that area—spending a week
in Laramie—and enjoying Riverton’s balloon festival, traveling over the Bighorns where my grandfather had hunted many years ago, visiting friends in Bozeman, and finally staying in Kalispell where I could see Glacier/Waterton National Park again. A lovely trip in all but one respect. As most of you know, when I travel by car, I take my dogs. Orthopedically challenged Barry and beloved Ben, who had been my soul mate over several bumps in life’s road over the past 11 years, began the trip with me. Ben, however, died unexpectedly from an idiosyncratic liver problem during the trip, which meant that my sightseeing included the offices of six veterinarians along the way.
As 2008 came to a close, I realized I wanted a new puppy to celebrate the holidays with me. And Bandit, another long-haired, black/tan doxie, came into Barry’s and my lives. Bandit is an adorable, joyful boy, and a great addition to my family.
My passion for Stanford women’s basketball continues undiminished.
I was flattered to be the subject of an article in Women’s Basketball magazine in 2008 entitled “Super Fan”. Stanford played in the Final Four in Tampa in 2008 and again in St. Louis in 2009. Such excitement! I love to support these talented student athletes by attending as many games as possible, whether at home or away, and especially Final Fours. I’ve also been fortunate to continue friendships with a few of the graduated players. I’ll be vacationing with one of them this November; another has lived with me off and on over the last five years, now as a medical student.The other college-age woman in my life is goddaughter Elena,
who is now a sophomore at UC San Diego, planning to be involved in the environmental sciences. I enjoyed visiting her, my cousin Dave and his wife, two former Stanford basketball players, and all the painted cows (Elena with cow on right) in La Jolla.Did you realize 1959 was the year our modern age began? Such is Fred Kaplan’s premise in his book 1959. Although he enumerates several significant events (at least in hindsight), I’m not convinced. It was, however, an important year: I graduated from Paseo High School then, fifty years ago. We had a lovely reunion in Kansas City this spring—wonderful memories and an opportunity to renew friendships. In addition to contact with those attending the reunion, I have been motivated to find two other classmates and one faculty member this summer. (In the process, I found a “lost” Wellesley classmate too!)
And it has been good to touch base with ALZA (especially at the 2008 reunion!) and non-ALZA friends.
My vacation this summer was low-key compared with the
prior two summers in the Rockies. I drove to see my Aunt Jean in Eugene, OR. She is 95 years old; although totally deaf and somewhat crippled with sciatic pain, she lives alone and does very well.—good genes there too! We had a nice visit, and I enjoyed seeing Crater Lake again, but my return was clouded with news that her son, my cousin, died of cancer a couple days later.It seems that many of my communications now enumerate illness or death. It happens with getting older. But I am fortunate yet—in good health (despite the pesky knee), busy with volunteer work, basketball, landscaping and gardening, book club, seeing family and friends. I look forward to several trips in the next six months, including Austria, Southern CA, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, and Colorado.
Although I have joined Twitter, I don’t tweet. Although I have joined Facebook, I don’t update my wall. Although I blogged regularly for the Fast Break Club for two years, I retired from that a year ago. But I can and will answer if you communicate with me. (But don’t expect a Christmas letter this December.)
Life is good; I hope it is for you as well.
Harriet, Barry, and Bandit
A Note From Harriet Benson
Back in July I mentioned in my comment that Fred Kaplan had written a book entitled 1959. Ottermom asked me for my opinion of it.
Ottermom,
I have finally read most of "The Year Everything Changed 1959." You wondered whether it would be appropriate for your book club.
It would not be a good choice for my book club here as it is long and non-fiction. However, I think it could generate lots of interesting discussion for some book clubs.
I personally was not convinced that 1959 was THE year--even Kaplan makes a good case for 1960 too. That premise and the many events he writes about could generate a lively meeting!
Harriet
Ottermom,
I have finally read most of "The Year Everything Changed 1959." You wondered whether it would be appropriate for your book club.
It would not be a good choice for my book club here as it is long and non-fiction. However, I think it could generate lots of interesting discussion for some book clubs.
I personally was not convinced that 1959 was THE year--even Kaplan makes a good case for 1960 too. That premise and the many events he writes about could generate a lively meeting!
Harriet
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Come on, Pirates! Send in your thoughts.
I know that some of us keep checking this blog for new and exciting thoughts. It's disappointing that a wonderful group of people that we are don't have anything to share with the rest of our group.
Just send in your memories or complaints or favorite thoughts to Bob Pflanz at rhpflanz@gmail.com and he will add them to the blog. It's September now and summer is over, so take the time.
Just send in your memories or complaints or favorite thoughts to Bob Pflanz at rhpflanz@gmail.com and he will add them to the blog. It's September now and summer is over, so take the time.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
PASEO letters
Rex Weddle's younger brother, Forrest and other volunteers spent Saturday, August 22 cleaning up the Paseo letters on the entrance hill. Next another group will be adding new whitewash to restore the letters.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Another music site to note
Be sure to check out the following site on the internet.
It has music jukeboxes with the top 20 hits for all years from 1941 through 1999 and it's free and easy to go to. Just click on the year(on the right side of the page) and you will automatically load up the jukebox for that year.
http://upchucky.com/Home.html
It has music jukeboxes with the top 20 hits for all years from 1941 through 1999 and it's free and easy to go to. Just click on the year(on the right side of the page) and you will automatically load up the jukebox for that year.
http://upchucky.com/Home.html
tiger
I remember playing touch football on the median on Paseo Avenue. We also would play baseball there. Doug Carlander
Monday, August 17, 2009
A note from Sharon Reeves Robertson
Hi Claudine,
I loved your reply to Frank's entry on the blog - you are so right on so many fronts. I am just jealous that your memory is so good. Like you, I remember the independence we had as kids but can't recall many specifics. The one thing we always looked forward to was Halloween. We would leave home before dark and collect treats (all kinds, even homemade ones, heaven forbid) and walk for blocks around until well after dark. Those things just don't happen now - parents bring their kids in cars and check and recheck all the treats before allowing them to eat. I can't remember my Dad returning from the Navy in 1945, but do remember living with relatives while he was gone. We also did not have a car until the late 40's - took public bus and/or streetcar everywhere. We used to stand down at a bus stop on the Paseo (42nd?) on Sunday morning waiting for a bus to go to church and hoping that a church member would see us and pick us up - many times one did. It was definitely a much more trusting time and I am so thankful to have lived it.
When is your raft trip?? Good luck and have a great time. SHARON R.
I loved your reply to Frank's entry on the blog - you are so right on so many fronts. I am just jealous that your memory is so good. Like you, I remember the independence we had as kids but can't recall many specifics. The one thing we always looked forward to was Halloween. We would leave home before dark and collect treats (all kinds, even homemade ones, heaven forbid) and walk for blocks around until well after dark. Those things just don't happen now - parents bring their kids in cars and check and recheck all the treats before allowing them to eat. I can't remember my Dad returning from the Navy in 1945, but do remember living with relatives while he was gone. We also did not have a car until the late 40's - took public bus and/or streetcar everywhere. We used to stand down at a bus stop on the Paseo (42nd?) on Sunday morning waiting for a bus to go to church and hoping that a church member would see us and pick us up - many times one did. It was definitely a much more trusting time and I am so thankful to have lived it.
When is your raft trip?? Good luck and have a great time. SHARON R.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Another note about how to add a note to the blog
Claudine sent me a note this weekend which I will add here:
-----
Hi Bob,
Rex asked me the other day why more people were not participating in the blog. I said I believed several never received/read/understood the original messages about the blog and that I believe you guys don't realize how dumb many of us are. I say this while staring at my IBM Selectric Typewriter which I may now be able to give up, but which up until about a year and one half ago was my highest technological achievement.
I think a lot of us are challenged beyond simple e-mail and most do not want to admit it--I am the exception. So, the instructions have to be written for a super novice, and just tell them to send their comments to you and you will take care of it all. I am not even sure most can find the blog. I would not be able to but for John put it on a g-mail bookmark, so all I have to do is click there. I have only about 5 bookmarks.
I honestly do not know if more people want to participate, but my feeling is yes. So, keeping total ignorance at the forefront of your mind in any message you may send, you may want to iterate the way to access the blog, including info re bookmarks if it is more universal than gmail. And the tell them once more that you will post.
I think sharing these memories is a very special experience. We ended up being a pretty close class. I again will say that the lack of participation is in my mind the inability to do so easily. And , I am one of the very few uninhibited about displaying my ignorance.
-----
I realize that many of you have a problem dealing with your computer. For those of you who read this blog, the simple answer is to send an email to me which I will add to the blog. Just send it to this email address - rhpflanz@gmail.com
Anything else I say here won't be read by anyone who does not have access to the internet, so it would be pointless. If you know of anyone who might like to know what the rest of us are saying or doing but don't log onto the internet, please let them know that we want to hear from them and will respond by letter, or email or by way of this blog. And let them know what we've had to say here. Thanks.
Keep those cards and letters and emails coming in. We all want to share.
Bob
-----
Hi Bob,
Rex asked me the other day why more people were not participating in the blog. I said I believed several never received/read/understood the original messages about the blog and that I believe you guys don't realize how dumb many of us are. I say this while staring at my IBM Selectric Typewriter which I may now be able to give up, but which up until about a year and one half ago was my highest technological achievement.
I think a lot of us are challenged beyond simple e-mail and most do not want to admit it--I am the exception. So, the instructions have to be written for a super novice, and just tell them to send their comments to you and you will take care of it all. I am not even sure most can find the blog. I would not be able to but for John put it on a g-mail bookmark, so all I have to do is click there. I have only about 5 bookmarks.
I honestly do not know if more people want to participate, but my feeling is yes. So, keeping total ignorance at the forefront of your mind in any message you may send, you may want to iterate the way to access the blog, including info re bookmarks if it is more universal than gmail. And the tell them once more that you will post.
I think sharing these memories is a very special experience. We ended up being a pretty close class. I again will say that the lack of participation is in my mind the inability to do so easily. And , I am one of the very few uninhibited about displaying my ignorance.
-----
I realize that many of you have a problem dealing with your computer. For those of you who read this blog, the simple answer is to send an email to me which I will add to the blog. Just send it to this email address - rhpflanz@gmail.com
Anything else I say here won't be read by anyone who does not have access to the internet, so it would be pointless. If you know of anyone who might like to know what the rest of us are saying or doing but don't log onto the internet, please let them know that we want to hear from them and will respond by letter, or email or by way of this blog. And let them know what we've had to say here. Thanks.
Keep those cards and letters and emails coming in. We all want to share.
Bob
Correspondence between Bob Pflanz & Jay Salmon
Dear Jay (John),
Do you remember us playing touch football in the grass just outside of your home beside Paseo boulevard? I was trying to remember who all used to play. I remember the time when Richard Copaken got knocked out or almost while we were playing. It seems like it must have been you and me and John Bruce?, Charles Moske?, Richard. I'm not clear of who all we had there. I do remember playing poker in your basement rec room but again I'm not sure who all we had playing. I remember your dad worked for the post office, didn't he? And you worked in the summer at Corn Products? Do you remember the float trip after graduation? It's been a long long time, but those times were really special. I don't remember too many bad guys or too many great problems that we couldn't solve. A pleasant memory trip to take.
Just thinking of you. Have a nice day.
Your friend from long ago.
Bob
Bob--as you've no doubt surmised, i'm a lousy email correspondent. seems to me our football games had a movable cast of characters. i do remember the time Copaken got knocked silly and we drug him woozily home. another time Gary Smith ('58, the starting fullback) joined us and we were all afraid to touch him. particularly memorable for me was the time several us were playing touch but things got a bit heated so we switched to tackle and i broke my nose (the first time; #3 was last thanksgiving at my home when i proved conclusively that our stone fireplace is harder even than my head). i also remember playing poker in my folks basement as well as the other memories you brought up. re the float trip, do you remember that Downs caught a fish and we blew it up by sticking a cherry bomb in his gills (must have seemed like a good idea at the time!). also i remember being in the boat with Kunz, ducking under a branch in some fairly fast water, and
looking back to see Don's feet go over the stern as he reached up to break off the branch but didn't get the job done.
as you say, good times. hope all is`well with you. Elaine's in the hospital right now with her 2nd bout of chemo for hodgkin's disease. happily it's very curable but the chemo is likely to take 6 months and is a real bear with lots of nasty side effects.
cheers
jay
Do you remember us playing touch football in the grass just outside of your home beside Paseo boulevard? I was trying to remember who all used to play. I remember the time when Richard Copaken got knocked out or almost while we were playing. It seems like it must have been you and me and John Bruce?, Charles Moske?, Richard. I'm not clear of who all we had there. I do remember playing poker in your basement rec room but again I'm not sure who all we had playing. I remember your dad worked for the post office, didn't he? And you worked in the summer at Corn Products? Do you remember the float trip after graduation? It's been a long long time, but those times were really special. I don't remember too many bad guys or too many great problems that we couldn't solve. A pleasant memory trip to take.
Just thinking of you. Have a nice day.
Your friend from long ago.
Bob
Bob--as you've no doubt surmised, i'm a lousy email correspondent. seems to me our football games had a movable cast of characters. i do remember the time Copaken got knocked silly and we drug him woozily home. another time Gary Smith ('58, the starting fullback) joined us and we were all afraid to touch him. particularly memorable for me was the time several us were playing touch but things got a bit heated so we switched to tackle and i broke my nose (the first time; #3 was last thanksgiving at my home when i proved conclusively that our stone fireplace is harder even than my head). i also remember playing poker in my folks basement as well as the other memories you brought up. re the float trip, do you remember that Downs caught a fish and we blew it up by sticking a cherry bomb in his gills (must have seemed like a good idea at the time!). also i remember being in the boat with Kunz, ducking under a branch in some fairly fast water, and
looking back to see Don's feet go over the stern as he reached up to break off the branch but didn't get the job done.
as you say, good times. hope all is`well with you. Elaine's in the hospital right now with her 2nd bout of chemo for hodgkin's disease. happily it's very curable but the chemo is likely to take 6 months and is a real bear with lots of nasty side effects.
cheers
jay
A note from Claudine to Harriet Benson
Hi Harriet and classmates.
Mr Lindwall, our chemistry teacher, was considered one of the best in the nation, or so Janey Long tells me. She says when she applied in college for chemistry and they found out she had had Mr. Lindwall in high school they automatically gave her credit for first year college chemistry and moved her right along to second year chemistry. I would guess you had a class from him? I did and remember it well although I went no further in Chemistry.
Ms Minckemeyer is of course the all time champ. I learned nothing in first year algebra having Coach Oliver as a teacher, and he knew little or nothing. Ms. Minckemeyer, the most often mentioned teacher in the memory book, made it all seem so simple, so very simple. Someone at the reunion, Lloyd Williams? told me that at his college you could not take advanced algebra course number one in college if you had successfully completed Ms. Minckemeyer's class in advanced Algebra.
Janey also told me that our High School was considered in the top 10% in the nation for either SAT scores or some other fairly rigorous testing device. Who know this, but from the accomplishments of all of our classmates I guess we should not be surprised?
I remember only once going away for a game. Our Basketball team was in the state running and we took a busload to St. Louis to watch them compete. This was either our sophomore or junior year--I think sophomore.
I read the book review re 1959. Quite a watershed. And, I'm not sure its been better since.
Few of our Mother's drove as I recall. Our first car was a 1948 and was not used to haul kids around. We took the bus/streetcar everywhere--or walked. My Mom, an RN, did not learn to drive till they moved to the suburbs in 1959 and took the Woodland bus to Research Hospital at 21st and Holmes (Charlotte?) each night to work the 11:00 to 7:00 shift. And then she would take the Woodland bus back home stopping frequently at some wonderful bakeries/deli's on 31st street to buy fresh doughnuts for breakfast.
So glad you made it the long distance to the reunion. As we say in the Mid west do not be a stranger, and please let us hear from you often
Claudine
Mr Lindwall, our chemistry teacher, was considered one of the best in the nation, or so Janey Long tells me. She says when she applied in college for chemistry and they found out she had had Mr. Lindwall in high school they automatically gave her credit for first year college chemistry and moved her right along to second year chemistry. I would guess you had a class from him? I did and remember it well although I went no further in Chemistry.
Ms Minckemeyer is of course the all time champ. I learned nothing in first year algebra having Coach Oliver as a teacher, and he knew little or nothing. Ms. Minckemeyer, the most often mentioned teacher in the memory book, made it all seem so simple, so very simple. Someone at the reunion, Lloyd Williams? told me that at his college you could not take advanced algebra course number one in college if you had successfully completed Ms. Minckemeyer's class in advanced Algebra.
Janey also told me that our High School was considered in the top 10% in the nation for either SAT scores or some other fairly rigorous testing device. Who know this, but from the accomplishments of all of our classmates I guess we should not be surprised?
I remember only once going away for a game. Our Basketball team was in the state running and we took a busload to St. Louis to watch them compete. This was either our sophomore or junior year--I think sophomore.
I read the book review re 1959. Quite a watershed. And, I'm not sure its been better since.
Few of our Mother's drove as I recall. Our first car was a 1948 and was not used to haul kids around. We took the bus/streetcar everywhere--or walked. My Mom, an RN, did not learn to drive till they moved to the suburbs in 1959 and took the Woodland bus to Research Hospital at 21st and Holmes (Charlotte?) each night to work the 11:00 to 7:00 shift. And then she would take the Woodland bus back home stopping frequently at some wonderful bakeries/deli's on 31st street to buy fresh doughnuts for breakfast.
So glad you made it the long distance to the reunion. As we say in the Mid west do not be a stranger, and please let us hear from you often
Claudine
Sharon Reeves Robertson to Claudine
Hi,
You are welcome to forward "my reply to your reply" - Bob can surely figure out a way to add it to the blog.
Since I have never been much of an outdoors person (my idea of camping is the Holiday Inn - or better!), I can't say I envy you going on the raft trip. I can certainly identify with your dilema - too bad they haven't figured out a way to dehydrate wine so that you only have to add water (sounds "yucky")! After the last time I visited my grandbaby (20 months old), she was going through their recycling bin and pulled out a beer bottle and said, "DaDa" - then pulled out a soda can and said, "Mommy" and then pulled out a wine bottle and said, "MawMaw" - what does that say about how she remembers me???
Take care and have a great trip.
SHARON R.
You are welcome to forward "my reply to your reply" - Bob can surely figure out a way to add it to the blog.
Since I have never been much of an outdoors person (my idea of camping is the Holiday Inn - or better!), I can't say I envy you going on the raft trip. I can certainly identify with your dilema - too bad they haven't figured out a way to dehydrate wine so that you only have to add water (sounds "yucky")! After the last time I visited my grandbaby (20 months old), she was going through their recycling bin and pulled out a beer bottle and said, "DaDa" - then pulled out a soda can and said, "Mommy" and then pulled out a wine bottle and said, "MawMaw" - what does that say about how she remembers me???
Take care and have a great trip.
SHARON R.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Check out this video when you get a chance
Press One for English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJfS1v-fU0
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
A note from Claudine
Hi Robert and classmates.
I went to the 10:15 AM matinee this morning to see The Hurt Locker.
It is an excellent movie, and I do not like very many movies. Says a lot about speciality and dangerous soldiering and what it is like without taking sides on the larger issue.
If it is not playing in your town, sign up for the movie on Net Flick's "when it becomes available" list or whatever they call it.
There are some who are unable to deal with buttered popcorn and diet coke at 10:00 AM, but I am not among them.
Claudine
I went to the 10:15 AM matinee this morning to see The Hurt Locker.
It is an excellent movie, and I do not like very many movies. Says a lot about speciality and dangerous soldiering and what it is like without taking sides on the larger issue.
If it is not playing in your town, sign up for the movie on Net Flick's "when it becomes available" list or whatever they call it.
There are some who are unable to deal with buttered popcorn and diet coke at 10:00 AM, but I am not among them.
Claudine
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Who was the science teacher?
I've lost my yearbook. His name was Charles something, was in his late 20's/early 30's, and his most socially bizarre trait was the ability to develop globs of spittle while talking, which would would migrate to the corners of his mouth. After a few minutes of lecture, he began to look a little rabid. Too bad, as he was really a pretty nice guy.
Pictures from Tom Conkright
Tom and Jan Conkright just returned from a mission trip to Costa Rica. Their major activity was at a new church (Casa de Bendicion) in a very poor neighborhood near Puntarenas on the Pacific coast. To view the pictures of this area and the people check out this site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tomdconk/CostaRica?feat=email#
http://picasaweb.google.com/tomdconk/CostaRica?feat=email#
Theaters in Kansas City
The Sun Theater was at 7106 Prospect from 1941-1958
The Southtown Theater was at 57th and Troost from 1940-1955
The Mary Lou Theater was at 5915 Prospect from 1937 to 1958
The Linda Theater was at 5002 Prospect from 1937-1951
......became the Bijou from 1951-1959
The Oak Park Theater was at 3935 Prospect from 1925-1958
The Pic Theater was at 3551 Prospect from 1936-1950
The Linwood Theater was at 3036 Prospect from 1930-1964
The Isis Theater was at 3102 Troost from 1918-1970
The Rockhill Theater was at 4608 Troost from 1928-1964
The Plaza Theater was at 4702 Wyandotte from 1929-1999
All these theaters and more are listed at this site: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18067272/Kansas-City-movie-theatres-and-driveins
It shows all the theaters and drive-ins in the Kansas City area over the years
The Southtown Theater was at 57th and Troost from 1940-1955
The Mary Lou Theater was at 5915 Prospect from 1937 to 1958
The Linda Theater was at 5002 Prospect from 1937-1951
......became the Bijou from 1951-1959
The Oak Park Theater was at 3935 Prospect from 1925-1958
The Pic Theater was at 3551 Prospect from 1936-1950
The Linwood Theater was at 3036 Prospect from 1930-1964
The Isis Theater was at 3102 Troost from 1918-1970
The Rockhill Theater was at 4608 Troost from 1928-1964
The Plaza Theater was at 4702 Wyandotte from 1929-1999
All these theaters and more are listed at this site: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18067272/Kansas-City-movie-theatres-and-driveins
It shows all the theaters and drive-ins in the Kansas City area over the years
Monday, August 10, 2009
A Note From Frank Stathopoulos
Is it not amazing that we all remain close after all these years. I believe that we grew up at the right time in life. I wish i could go back to the 63rd st. drive in theater.
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