'Tis the season, Classmates!
And a merry ho ho ho to you all! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with food, family and fun. I also hope you have your shopping started--or at least have a list prepared.
Central Ohio's temperatures have been running well below normal so it seems fitting to open this Grapevine with something warm, namely the South Carolina coast in July. Kent and Peg Householder Jones vacationed there this summer. They did not expect some of the visitors!
ALL OF THE LITTLE PONDS AROUND THE CONDOS HAD ALLIGATORS!!! ONE WAS SLEEPING
(I THINK) UNDER A LOW HANGING TREE AND I WAS 4 FEET FROM HIM. YIKES!!!
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
Football is a mistake. It combines the two worst elements of American life--violence and committee meetings.
George F. Will
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Last month Barb and Roger Gledhill welcomed their first grandchildren--twins, a boy and a girl. Roger has claimed the title of Oldest Classmate To Be A First-Time Grandparent. I'm not sure of that Rog, but cheers to you anyway.
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Everyone knows about Columbus, Ohio's famous marching band, but WAIT! There is another one!! And this one is going to march at the 2010 Rose Bowl.
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Sondra Parks Davis and her new husband Roy love to travel. In a batch of photos she sent recently, this one caught my eye. This series of buildings is a school in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. Sondra had this to say:
We were driving down the road and saw this odd formation. It's a school! There are no windows except in the doors that are in the areas that seem to connect the various domes together. No idea what the material is, but it is probably strong against the weight of snow - heck, snow may even just slide off the surface. And wind is certainly diverted around it instead of having a flat side take the brunt. Interesting. Would be nice to know more about it. Appears to be a combo elementary/high school as many are in Minnesota and North Dakota.
It sounds like a practical answer to brutal weather conditions. Of course, I had to research:
On November 10, 2002, Grand Meadow, Minnesota, a rural community of about 1000, tripled its population. That was the day Grand Meadow hosted a grand opening of its new Monolithic Dome school -- five domes that encompass classrooms, cafeteria, auditorium, gymnasium, computer lab and administrative offices. These new structures currently serve 350 students and 30 teachers in Kindergarten through Grade 12 and include room for an additional 100 students. http://static.monolithic.com/gallery/schools/grandmeadow/
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Do you want to listen to "our" music? The Farmington (New Mexico) High School Class of 1961 has a terrific jukebox web site with literally hundreds of songs to choose from. The collection spans the years 1950-1962 and it is sure to bring back memories.
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HEADS UP!
There is a new scam making the rounds. It looks like an email from the IRS and it discusses your eligibility for the next round of government stimulus payments. What it really wants is your banking information! Don't fall for it. The real IRS does not send email!
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Patricia Welch Kelley
Nancy Wells Davis
Gene Gray
John Robinson
Shirley Piper Robinson
Judi Barringer Hunter
Ken Lavender
Lynn Sheets
These birthdays were listed in the class directory. If I have overlooked anyone, please let me know.
MOTTO OF THE MONTH
If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.