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Johnny Sheffield

Hi Jerry, I live off of fm 109 between brenham and 

Columbus. There are fields of bluebonnets along the road. 

Also , coming into brenham from Austin make a right on

Fm 389 and go about a quarter mile and make left on fm332

Stay on fm 332 to oil field road and make left  

On your right you have the beautiful pacagausas ranch

Which is a polo horse ranch with beautiful landscaping  

This road will dead end into fm 109 and you can make right 

There and take you to Columbus and also you will cross over fm 159

I live off of fm 109 between industry and new ulm Texas  

Hope this helps you and be safe  

Johnny 

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Thought y'all might like to hear how things are for our classmate Cecilia Zanelli who lives in Castelnuevo di Farfa (Rieti) Italy

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Gooooooood Morning chappell hillllllllllll....and a frosty morning it is too, a toe numbing 49 gredees, 
and I'll be et fer a tater if we havent had 2 and one quarter inches of rain yesterday and today. We havent had 2 inches of rain since June of 19.   The authorities mentioned the D word this past week, so we can sure use all the rain we can get.

    Jimmie Lee, thanks for posting that letter from our classmate in Italy.  Good to know they are ok.  I would love to have visited Italy and all the other places we studied from 1st grade to 12th.  Does she know about the website?  If so, maybe she'll  share some stories and photos of her home and travels there. That would be nice to see.

     Hey Jerry,  there are lots of places to see bluebonnets and paint Bs.  If your in Houston, drive up and down TC Jester.  If you want to get out of town,  head for Brenham.  Once past the Brazos river, they are all along the highway.  When you get into Brenham, take the exit for hwy 36, the road to Bellville, only dont turn on 36, before you get to the light, take the turnaround under the highway and head back from whence you came.

    Go past the first driveway to just past CHILIS restaurant and take a right on the street that goes to Home Depot.  Go past Home Depot on the left and Discount tire on the right and starting there on the left is a beautiful field of BBs, keep traveling and on the right is a huge field of BBs.  This road is paved and is about a mile long and goes back to 36. 

       Once at 36, straight ahead of you are fields of BBs, and you can go in any direction to find them.  If you go left on 36, go up to the next light and take a right on 109 and head down that way.  You'll find fields and fields of BBs and just about anything else.  If nothing else, it's beautiful countryside.   Not Italy of course, but still pretty.

    If you turn right, you can go back up to 290 and go left  or straight in through Brenham downtown. But the BBs are just about everywhere.  If you go left on 290. that takes you to Sommerville or Austin.  The best place for me is the road in front of Home Depot.  Lots of places to get something to eat, TO GO.

    Even before you get to CH, there is hwy 1371 that heads south to Bellville.  that road is a good sight seeing road.  There's a bald eagle or two that lives down that lane, you might get lucky and see that bad boy or girl. Seen em once.  You cant get lost, most roads curve back to roads that go to Hempstead and Bellville etc.  The GPS on your phone is helpful.

     Diane and I had Breakfast yesterday at the Chappell Hill BBQ joint just past the light on the left.  Theyve moved the tables about ten foot apart, but no matter, we were the only ones there.  There breakfasts are good, just dont get the ham or sausage. The ham is thin like lunchmeat, and breakfast ham needs to be at least a quarter inch to half inch thick, at least for me.  I also dont like their breakfast sausage patties, or anyones breakfast sausage up here because they put garlic or something in it that to my palate makes it tastes like it's past it's due date, but that's just me I reckon.

    Most everything in that place is good.  Ordering from the kitchen takes at least 15 to 20 minutes because
it's fresh and not cooked till you order it.  The fried chicken is good, the chcken fried chicken and steak are both excellent.  They do have a "lubys" type line that you dont have to wait to be cooked, ie BBQ brisket, (get the moist) sausage, chicken, ribs, and of course the accouterments slaw, tater salad etc. Well, you'll see the menu.

   And it's sweet and baked you are craving, they have huge cinimon rolls and kolaches of any taste plus pies of any kind, by the slice or whole.  Now those bad boys are just a bit pricey for my pocket book. If Diane doesnt make a pie, sometimes we splurge and have a cuppa joe and   a slice of chocolate merangue pie or peach or apple. Like I said they pretty much cover all the fruit groups in their pies and kolaches.    This place also has a meat market and it's from ranch of the man that owns the restaurant, so it's all fresh.  Oak Farms is the name of the Ranch, if memory serves me correctly, although dont know why it should start now.

    I wish I could say, "stop at our house" on the way to your  travels, but our road is so muddy today.  No one has ever gotten stuck, but it's just sloppy and bumpy.  Trying to get the county out here to tidy it up, but now they have other pressing matters with the covid19 catastrophe although there are no KNOWN cases of the stuff in Washington County. 

    I dont know if WASHINGTON ON THE BRAZOS is open during this crisis, but if it is, thats a nice road trip.      They're generally open 7 days a week from about 8 AM till sundown.   It is never crowded, in fact most of the times I've been there, I was the only person there except the hired hands.  It is a very serene setting. There are modern facilities ie restrooms, air conditioned also, and a gift shop. they have icecream and drinks etc.

    There is also a museum and  a working farm there that you can visit and maybe milk a cow or goat, or pick some "poke salad greens".  There's plenty of picnic tables and paved parking etc. A pretty nice outing and mainly just the cost of petrol to get there.  To get there, just turn right off 290 at the light to hwy 1155 and head through Chappell Hill, go through the 4way stop, but stop first, and then follow the signs, it's 19 miles from Chappell Hill.  There is also a museum in CH t hat under normal circumstances is open.  We live just a couple miles from CH.

    I do drone on dont I !   Well, got nothing else to do, too old to dance and too wet to plow, just hunkerin in place.  Diane and I have worn the cards and domnioes out,  brushed the dogs to Westminster show quality, mowed and planted, shot pool and played shuffle board etc. 

   Guess I've bout put everyone back to sleep so I'll sign off,    for now!     Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident tour guide,  Cephus R Smithsonian esq

PS:   I dont get on here much as you've noticed, my Macular Degeneration is making it hard for me to see stuff, especially the computer screen and inside the house,  outside not too bad, cause there's lots of light and open space.  Thanks to good teachers like Jimmie Lee, I can type without looking at the keyboard, but find it hard to read what I have typed.

Sandra Lee (Cole -Guard Drill Sponsor/English)

Thank you for the update from your classmate living in Italy. Would enjoy hearing and seeing more about her art...stay well to all.

Beau Wann, Jr.

    Here's my buddy Rory !    He's my grandcat !    He's about a year old !    This is as chilled as it gets !   Actually he stood up and looked in the mirror and saw how beautiful he is, and passed out, from sheer delight.  I've been to the CFA cat shows from the late 80s on into this century, and all the cats I've seen are beautiful, but I have never seen one as beautiful as Rory.   His back and tips of fur are sable.   I dont know, just thought I'd share a cute pic with all yall cause I know everyone must be as  concerend as Diane and I are about this crisis.  Well Rory is not the crisis, covid19 is.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Beau Wann, Jr.

  Here's Rory again, when they got this cat, he came with everything including the kitchen sink.    Check out that big beautiful smile!

Ok, I'll leave yall alone!   Just trying to cheer all yall up. 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good drippy dreary day to all youse Waltripians especially Cecilia and family in Italy and Bernd and family in Germany.  Bernd use to get on this site, has anyone heard from him?  I do hope he is well as of course I hope everyone is well, as well as can be, well ! ! ! 

    The Chappell Hill countryside could not be happier for all this rain we have been blessed with.  One can almost hear and audible sigh of relief and joy from the trees.  The indian paint brushes have far out shone the BBs on yours truly hill.  The IPBs are almost a foot tall, BBs not far behind.  Orange and blue make purple!  Let's hope the FPPEA  (Flying Purple People Eaters Association)  does not mistake our field for an FPPEA cornvention. 

    Ok, sorry I've got to go, eyes acting  up...but I'll be back...I know, thanks for the warning, eh?  Here's a little something I found.  I love OWLS dontchew?

Jerry Eppner

Thanks to all for input on where to find bluebonnets - some with specifics. Sounds encouraging. Thanks.

We may try to make a road trip once the rain clears out next week, but still mulling it over.  We made a quick road trip to Palacios last Wednesday just to get out of the house. We practiced good social distancing by ordering at a Sonic - now that was a culinary experience I hadn't had in probably 30 yrs.  OK food, but not a Whataburger!  But what caused the most concern was Jane having to use public bathrooms.  One has no idea who may have used that facility in the hours before.    Probably not much of a risk if you wash your hands, but.....

Some of you may know, Jane and I had to cancel a cruise to Norway on March 2.  Scheduled departure was March 9, but Viking allowed penalty-free cancellations on 03/02, so we acted immediately.  Norway had zero COVID-19 cases on 02/25.  Today they have 2249 reported cases with only one recovery and 7 deaths.  I see on KHOU.com this morning that Spain reported 3606 new cases overnight, and they have been in lockdown for a couple of weeks.  Tough times for the world.  I fear ours are coming unless we all commit to trying to flatten the curve.

Stay healthy.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Yeah, tough times ahead for sure.  What worries me is the colateral damage ie economy!   Small businesses account for 75% of the workforce in the US of A.  You tip one dominoe, and they all are gonna fall.  My son and his wife have two restaurants that were doing well, one they've had for almost 25 years.  Now?   Who knows?  They do take food to the Police dept in fulshear and the sherriffs dept etc.  Trying to deliver, some folks tip and some dont. (Im not a good tipper).   The names of their restaurants are, TEXAS BORDERS.

     Saw where a few of the distilleries are converting some of their production to HAND SANITIZER.  Two in particular, one on Clinton Drive in Houston called Gulf Coast Distillery, and another in Tennesee Called OLD GLORY DISTILLERY. The former is a huge company from Spain, or the Grandfather that started it was from Spain.  They branched out so to speak.   The latter, Old Glory Distillery, is owned by a firefighter or two, and is a very small micro distillery.  They have converted to hand sanitizer for first responders. They can only produce couple hundred gallons a day.  The company that supplys the corn,  has donated it no charge.

    Old Glory cant sell their liquor out of state or in stores yet, but have a gift shop where it can be bought along with t shirts etc. You cant order the whiskey on line either, fed rules prohibits the sale outside of the gift shop.  I've ordered a  couple of T-shirts from them, maybe that'll help em out.  Who knows, maybe kindness will prove to be more contagious than COVID19, lets hope so!

   Been the 3 Ds here, Dark, Drippy, and Dreary otherwise alls ok on the hill.  We have pretty much everything we need. Been stocking up on things my whole life, so we're as prepared as we can be.  Even being grounded for a couple of weeks.  I was once grounded for 6 weeks by my DI dad.  Tough old man he!

Bernd Joachim Tonat

Teddie Jordan

So Good to hear from you Bernd, and to hear and read about what you've been up to. With your good looks and accent, and personality it's a wonder any of us other guys even got a look from the girls that '63-'64 year!  And keep enjoying your life and your wife and family and living and enjoying these precious and memorable years.

This too shall Pass!

Steve Puckett '65

In response to Beau's photo, I'll share this that I got from a younger friend:

We're doing find here in Hickory Nut Hollow on Groundhog Mountain far from the maddening crowd. Known infections are not particularly close but creeping closer.  Stores have their shortages but probably not as bad as in cities.  This may get worse as conditions worsen.  We thankfully ate lunch at a nearby cafe yesterday but dine-in will cease here in Virginia starting Wednesday - we were very thankful for the simple luxury.  I noticed a dozen folks coming in for take-out, no doubt gratifying for a little cafe out in the boondocks.

Thank the heavens for the internet and online purchasing!

Everyone take care and be well!   A new day will dawn!

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

So happy to hear from you, Bernd, after a while away from The Forum.  Sorry to hear Berlin is going through hard times, too.  Please stay in and stay safe.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     YES,  great to hear from  Bernd and TJ, TJ, come to the front, TJ, come to the front...Howdy Steve, and Jimmie Lee.   All's quiet on the Western Front here in Chappell Hill, Tx 77426  USofA.  Had to go to TSC (tractor supply) get parts and a battery for one of my tractors. I was the only one wearing a mask.  So far no cases of the wuhan plague in Washington county.  

      ALSO,  dont tell anyone, but me and the missus stopped at Churches Fried Chicken for some take out.  Havent had fried chicken in over a year.  It's still as good as I remember.   Saving the biscuit for dessert   Also got two orders of fried okra.  Of course I have to take it home and refry it because the deep fryer doesnt quite cook it long enough, but that's ok, comes out just fine when ah do.  Seems the fried chicken from me youte was more aromatic, you could smell it all over the neighborhood.

    Hey Lloyd Pond...do you have a younger sister and did she graduate from W in 72?   Diane was in that class and knew person with her name, Gaynelle ?  

    On a sad note, Chris Kramer Waltrip class of 72, passed away Monday March 23.  He and his wife Cheryl were both graduates of Waltrip, he 72 and Cheryl 73, or at least my wife informed me of that.  Chris has a brother Craig Kramer  a waltrip 69?  grad Craigs wife Peggy class of 72.   All the aforementioned were long time members of Oaks Presbyterian Church.  A nicer family does not exist.    I was on numerous committees with all of the above, as well as the church softball team and bowling team.  What fun we had!

    Hey Steve,  boredom does not abide or reside here on Wolvertons mountain.  I am not permitted to get sick and die, too much to do, so I'll live to be a zillion and twelvedyleven or a close facimile thereof, henceforth notwithstanding, heretofore, party of the first part....

     Hmmmm, lessee, got a tractor to repair, a hunded foot of electrical war to pull and terminate, lattice work to put around the deck to keep Izzydorable from crawling underneath it and then not able to get out.  Had to take up a couple of boards to dislodge her.  That gal is a trip and a half !   Oh, got some azealas to plant, several bags of wildflowers, bee pollenators, and hummingboid and butterfly attractors, to spread out.  And that's just a few things on a very long list. PLUS, there's naps need to be squeezed in at the appropriate times.   SOOOO, if anyone needs something to do, come on up. 

    All three freezers are FULL,  as are both pantrys, so there wil be plenty of food to choose from, as well as the beverage of your choice as long as it is water, ice tea or whiskey and beer.  The beer is left over from our last party on the hill.

    Time to deplane boss...keep the sun at your six, the son in your heart, and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident sooth sayer and all round good guy, Cephus R Not Bored..esq but he R sleepy and in need of a nap....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz 

Robert Derrick

Due to my preexiisting conditions I have been in lock down since the first suggestion was made. So, guess I can handle a few more weeks. Thanks to my DISH with 250 channels and Pino Grigio.  However, I have already pushed happy hour up 4 times. Noon now. Oh well, as Beau always said, margaritas arent just for breakfast anymore. Be safe everyone.

Teddie Jordan

Robert, Thanks old friend, you just made me laugh and we all need as much of that as we can get!!

Pat Brantley (Ross)

We have been locked down for two weeks.  My daufgrer worries about everything she can't control.  I hadn't seen her face in 15 days so she worked out a dinner with us.  We ate on my patio.  They brought their own table and chairs and stayed more than six feet away.  At least we got to talk more face to face.  This has been strange:- learning how to shop using a personal shopper, walking down the street and stopping far away from others and we chat louder, finding hard to find stuff for the neighbors who can't hunt through the internet.  I had my first telemedicine visit with a doctor.  It was interesting.  I know we have to keep doing this.  Several friends have missed milestones- two weddings which will now be private, a birthday party for 90th for my home church mother.  That's the way I look at her.  She and her husband allowed a bunch of kids to come every Saturday night to discuss scripture and how it applies.  That was 1966.  We stayed together.  She deserves a medal for putting up with us.  We have postponed the party indefinitely.  One of our group lost her son to emergency surgery.  He was 43.  One lost her husband.  He had a sudden massive heart attack.  Both memorial services are on hold. How much can we push forward while we hibernate?  Are we going to feel overwhelmed when we start a regular day again?  Well we knew the bomb shelter was just temporary housing.  We didn't know it was going to come with 100+ channels and air conditioning.  A friend posted photos of downtown San Antonio.  It looked like a movie set waiting for the monster.  Photos were sad and then I laughed thinking about the "horror" movies we sat through - giant ants, giant rabbits, etc.  Y'all take care.  This is a season of reflection and rest.  

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Beau Wann, Jr.

     WOW...!  Now that's an empty downtown !   Hey Robert and TJ, (come to the front, TJ, come to the front)...Yup, happy hour has now been declared a national day of  happiness.     Yup, that's the ticket.  So in light of our enlightenment for life liberty and the pursuit of happy hour, I do hereby declare, (well I declare) that all peoples on oith keep their distance of at least 6 silly meters from the next silly meter, or whichever comes first.

     Ha!   I've been practicing "social distancing" most of my life.   I hadnt planned it that way, it just seemed to happen.   HOWEVER, and aint there always a however, dang, now I forgot my "however"!   Oh well, I shall "endeavor to persevere".   Being a "shutin" now, I've learned so many things, just cant remember what they are, but rest assured, I'm much more better now than ever before.  The new me! I've reinvented myself, now I'm invisible!   None of yall  can see me, right?      Well, there you go, and there your are, and where am I?  

     Diane and I read alot, and fall asleep sitting up with a book in our lap, alot.  A book and a cat or a dog under said book.   We have started our garden, rather late this year, but started nonetheless.  Even though there are countless wild blackberries/dewberries growing wildly wild about the place, we planted 4 in a place that we can control, along the north fence. Two Natchez and one Ouachita and one Navajo.       Built a 30ft  walkway down the hill from the cement pond into an arbor. Planted grapes there, and I'm amazed that they had grown a foot in one day.  I do hope these arent the grapes of wrath ! ! ! 

    We had pumpkins and watermelons from hell when we lived out in Hearthstone, that crept towards the house from about 50 plus ft out.   Planted 6 tomatoes, and 5 pepper plants, and peppermint and spearmint.  We had a zillion "mint" plants all over the hill, but the freeze and drought killt em all.  We have enough rosemary to completely push aside the "parsley, sage, and Tyme".    Still have to get our corn in, which is late, yellow squash, zuchinni squash, eggplant, beans and peas and onions. 

     Going to do a traditional garden, meaning, plow the earth up with the tractor.   We've tried container gardening with no success.  Lost all my citrus a couple years ago, but still have my retarded peach trees.   We've had a couple of peaches the size of marbles, only to have them plucked away by the dingdang boids.  I HATE BOIDS ! 

     Well, in my garage, I HATE BOIDS.  They just mess all over everything. Now I have a mama wren sitting on her nest of eggs in one of my red bins with the last roll of electrical tape.   I NEED THAT TAPE, AND NOW CANT USE IT !!!!!!!!!!!!   Dang wrens !  

    Day of the POTH came and went.  Sure was sad!   I wandered out to the ol ball field and weedeated around home plate, all that's left of Coopers Field of dreams, other than the field however shortened.  In my mind, I still see Jenny Taylors smiling face crossing homeplate on just one of the many home runs she hit that day.  If it were'nt for memories, we wouldnt have any memories, right?   Right!  

    Took the kids for a walk today, down to the creek to unlock the gate, then a trip through the BBs and IPBs, even took a picture of the girls.   Jack was asleep and didnt care to go, bless his heart, that ol boy is blind, deaf and lame.  Hmmm, that almost describes me, cept I'm blind cripple AND crazy. 

    Where has the time gone ?    I still remember my first day of first grade at Travis Elementary...I cried...Remember those old schools, with the dark wood hallways and the classroom doors with the frosted glass ???? or was it clear???? Hmmmm, cant remember that, just remember the door had glass in the top half of it.   Only thing else I remember, there was a boy, dont remember his name, that had a glass eye.  He use to take it out and chase the girls around with it, and of course I'm right behind him running my fool legs off.  

     The only other two things I remember was, my dad took apart a .22 bullet apart, emptied out the powder and put the lead back in.  I took it too school to show folks, and the teacher promptly took it away and put it in her desk drawer.   Didnt call the bomb squad, FBI, ATF, SWAT, just took it away and that was that.  I didnt even know what a .22 shell was, I was only 6 ! ! ! !   

       And of course I got lost going home the first day.  I'm not sure how they expected me to get home, being directionaly challenged .  Once again, I WAS 6, had no clue where I lived.   Some lady told me to get in her car and she would take me home, how she knew where I lived I have no clue, I didnt even know who she was.   Still dont know anything other than I got home.

      Hmmmm, maybe I was kidnapped, yeah, that's the ticket, and maybe I'm really John D Rockefellar the III, IV or Vth, yeah, and they're still looking for me so I can get my inheiratence (sp)  (hmmm, that doesnt even look right at all,  well, you know what I mean) of a hunded trillion zillion billion dollars, yeah, that's the ticket....

    Ok, time to stop this nonsense and deplane...keep the sun at your six and the son in your heart...and "ride Boldly ride..."
Your frien and resident silly putty, Cephus R Keepin his distance esq...  

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Thank you, Beverly, for all the cartoons you're posting on the Home Page each day.  You keep coming up with ones I've not seen.  Humor always lifts our spirits and I appreciate your contributions to brightening our days. 

Robert Derrick

Ditto Jimmie Lee

Wayne Lake

Long time since I’ve posted comments from the Coastal Bend. Pat, if you think it is quite in San Antonio, you should see Aransas, where even the dolphins and birds are keeping their distances from each other.

I am glad to hear our little group is staying safe and hope everyone was stocked with plenty of TP before the proverbial $#!* hit the fan a couple of weeks ago. I probably watch too much TV and sometimes just take a break from it entirely. I like to read but get bored and sleepy like Beau and Diane.

Robert, I think for each week we have to ‘suffer in place’, we should be able to move happy hour back minus one and by that calculation, I think you can arguably commence at 1400 hours. You know what they say, ‘you can’t be drunk all day unless you start early’.

Lora and I left Barcelona on Fat Tuesday, February 28^th  - Picasso, Dali and Gauldi art appreciation tour which is sort of a waste of time on an uncultured guy like myself and there was very little signs of the COVID-19 scare anywhere. Within about a week of returning to Texas, I started noticing news reports about Italy and Spain (both densely populated, older and smoke a lot) and after two weeks they topped the globally affected lists so we were concerned about our own health but, knock on wood, I guess we got lucky……….at least so far.           

About the only good news these days is gas prices are low but the irony is we are stuck at home!        

I noticed in Pat’s post that she has been ‘reflecting’ and I guess we all are in our own ways as well as  doing things around the house that we have put off until now, I know I have restarted some unfinished projects. I recently ran across the thoughtful message below from a friend of mine that was written by one of her ‘favorite 75 year old college professor’ who is still teaching while in late stages of cancer  that kind’a made me re-think this situation we are currently in:

What Matters – Responding to Disruptive Forces

                It was 1665, and London was virtually shut down due to the Great Plague. Cambridge University sent its students home to study alone. One of those students, Isaac Newton, used his time to pioneer work in what we now call calculus. He also developed his theory of gravitation. When the plague subsided and Newton returned to Cambridge, the world as it was known at the time would fundamentally change.   

            Disruptions can vary in scope by geography, by business sectors or even on a personal level. They are often accompanied by a realization that fundamental change is about to occur. While disruptions can be frightening or demoralizing, they don’t have to be negative in the long run.

            How do we cope with disruptions? One way is through personal reflection. Disruptions give us an opportunity to think about the past especially what worked well for us and what we want to avoid in the new reality we face.

            Disruptions give us an opportunity to change course. Disruptions may result in new career paths, new life styles, new relationships, or a new sense of what is vitally important to us. In effect, disruptions give us an excuse to do things we may have dreamed about but were afraid to try.

            Disruptions can spur innovation. Since our former ways of doing things are no longer possible, we need to invent new ways of doing what remains important to us. These new ways often result in permanent ways of doing things after the disruption has passed.

            Disruptions often result in more efficient ways of living. We realize that so much of our life style is not that necessary. We also become more self-sufficient and less reliant on others to meet our needs.

            Finally, disruptions can change who we are as people. Our values shift to those that are much more meaningful.  We have a greater appreciation of the loved ones for being in our lives. We are kinder and more caring. Our faith in society is renewed as we see countless acts of genuine kindness.

            But disruptions also pose many questions. How can we help each other have faith that things will be better after the disruption? How do we pivot from fear to thinking of possibilities? How do we prepare ourselves for an unfolding future that will very likely be different from the past? How do we remain hopeful when hope seems to be in short supply?

***

            When the disruption has run its course, each of us may look back and be thankful for the transformation that the disruption made in society and in ourselves.

Now this is some heavy stuff for the likes of me but it does give me hope for the future even if my retirement savings are significantly less than before.

Stay well and safe my friends, wtl

Ronna Brand

Beau - I have been wondering if you are still seeing yellow paint brushes - you showed them to us at the last celebration on the hill.

Wayne - thanks for the "Disruption" message - it was a really good one!

Beverly - ditto on the thanks for the laughs - we can all use them in these somber times!

Be safe everyone - keep thinking about the great times waiting around the corner!!!!

Ronna

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Well Wayne that was some deep thinking.  I just sent the information to my grandson and his wife.  They have been working from home for three weeks.  She got her notice from Stanford that her master's degree in engineering would be mailed to her.  I told her she needed to keep working if she is going to catch Newton.  My grandson says he isn't getting enough sunshine.  He is working too much.  Poor guy is in security control at Google.  All of their employees are online creating headaches.  I don't know how many security geeks Google has because my grasp of the internet is below rudimentary.  It might be greater than calculus however.  

all of this quiet time has produced a strange positive.  I have been complaining about a spot on my husband's arm for years.  He finally went to the dermatologist since I wouldn't let him go anywhere fun.  It was melanoma and he had it removed today in an office/surgical procedure.  I am overjoyed that it was taken care of so quickly and completely.  One less thing scratched off the nag list.  

who was the Houston radio show host who used to close with "Don't let anyone steal your joy"?