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Teddie Jordan

What a great time it was last night seeing, and laughing, and visiting with so many old familiar friends! 

Sincere thanks to our reunion committee who spend so much time and hard work arranging and organizing these events. And I definitely always feel the presence of our Dear Beloved Jackie each time we gather. Nobody loves it when we get together more than Jackie. 

And to  Johnny, your heartfelt words were a good tonic for all of us. And to Lynn Burkhardt, and Chuck and Kay Lynn, your family and your hard work are recognized and appreciated, and so important to the success of the event.

And to Beverly, who as I understand it Jackie picked to take her place as administrator because she knew how much work and organization the job required, words cannot repay the time and toil involved in your commitment, but we sincerely appreciate what you are doing for us all. I got to visit briefly with Jim but not you and I apologize. But I sure enjoyed watching y'all dancing and cutting the rug as you do so well. 

Love to all '64'ers!!! Let's just keep on living, and loving, and laughing and playing the cards we have been dealt, until we meet again. 

Jerry Eppner

Well said, Teddie. It was indeed a very nice evening - old friends, good food and the musician was amazing (truly a one man band). My hat is off to the reunion committee that did a marvelous job organizing and executing. Well done, folks. I appreciate you. 

Scotty Croom

as a  attendee this year,for the first time.i had a great time at 55th...i missed working with committee all these years...my heart still remains w/houston and texas....drove home today in rain and mist....

Teddie Jordan

I sure enjoyed sitting and catching up with you Ol' kindergarten 1951 friend! And thanks to you and Sharon both for making the trip to join us! We love yall and treasure getting to see you more than ever!

And so sorry that Dorseys caught a bug last week and ended up not being able to come. Another 1951 OF elementery kindergartener!

Johnny Sheffield

What a wonderful 55th reunion with all our classmates. 

Good fellowship, good food, good music, and good dancing. 

Thanks to all the classmates that attended in making it 

A wonderful night. My thanks go out to Lynn,Barbara , tom,Susan, Beverly,

Jimmie Lee, and Jenny for there devoted dedication in making our

55th reunion a success. 

For those that could not attend due to health reasons 

I wish you a full recovery. 

I would like to wish you and your families a very

Happy thanksgiving, a very merry Christmas and a 

Happy new year. 

I wish all of you good health for the year 2020

And look forward to seeing you again at our next 

Get together in the spring.

Once again, thank you all  

Johnny

Jenny Taylor (Williams)

And thank you Johnny for all that you do to keep us together!  

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Ditto what Jenny posted.  Johnny is the cheer leader and front man for our group.  Our class is lucky to have him.  THANK YOU Johnny!

Beau Wann, Jr.

     "Can I buy a valve pat?  I'd like to buy a X...."   An X for Xcelent reonion.  Onliest (east texas for only) cormplaint I have is with mah furshlerginer self.  I started across the room several times only to be stopped and hugged by a cherished classmate.  Never felt so loved before in all mah borned days.  Marvelous, just wunnerful, thank you boys!   Special thanks to all the aforementioned, Johnny, Lynn, Tom, Beverly, Jim, Jenny, Jimmie lee,  many more and others too, and anyone else my little pea brain forgot.  To say you are loved back, is putting it mildly!

     About not getting to the other side of the room,  I was hurting so bad, night time is my worst time, and the onliest (east texas for only) thing that kept me there was ALL YOU ALL! ! !   I've never been quite a fan of the nightime, I get rather claustrophobic plus the discomfort of neverending pain. Feels like the universes walls are closing in on me.      

       Having said that, found out another classmate that has lost a child....it shames me to complain about my silly little ol pain when some of you have suffered the worst pain there is.   And for that you have my  sincere apologies and most heartfelt sympathy.  I will leave it at that!

    Yeah, aint Johnny something!   To me, an event doesnt fully get started unless Johnny opens it with a prayer. And we missed the opening prayer, boo! ! !      Never a finer lad to draw breath I would say! ! ! !   Well, I can say that about all the rest of youse youtes.  Speaking of which we've talked, correction, my beloved has planted the bug and talked to numerous classmates about having another "SPRING FLING, PARTY ON THE HILL"  out here in never never land, and the concensus is, that it is most amenable to folks. 

    We'll do like years past, start when folks start ariving, 10 am till the swallows come home from capistrami.  I love capistrami sandridges dontchew! ! !    There's plenty of parking, and no charge to all Civil War veterans, and half off for spouses.   I'm so magnanimous, or is that ignoramous, well no matter, it's all "mind over matter...if you dont mind, it dont matter"...

     Ok, now where was I, oh yeah, the SPRING FLING...maybe sometime in March or early april, want to get ahead of the summer heat which seems to go on and on. Would you believe we had 100 this past Monday?  In the middle of October?   I dont ever recollect 100 anytime in any previous Fall of all my born days of 74 years worth! ! ! ! !!       That's just crazy stuff right there!  

     Sunday, Diane and I took the pups to the annual Chappell Hill Scarecrow Festival.  Great weather for it, not too hot ande not too cold, just right. I was expecting to see Goldie Locks and the three bears there.  Pups got loved on by just about everyone that saw them.  Needless to say, when we got home, the pups slept for hours.  Good outing all in all!   Oh, we also Saw Skeeter there. Well, we knew he was going to be there, so that's the onliest (east texas for only) reason we went, and had  a good time.

     For any of youse youtes that have never been to one of the festivals here, there is beer and wine and lots of food.   The prices are highly inflated though.  We generally go to the CHVFD (Chappell Hill Voluntary Fire Department)  booth and buy stuff.  All the proceeds go to the CHVFD.   There are several ATMs available, one in the park and one at the bank.  Parking is 5 dollars and goes to the CH Museum.  So, not a bad thing to participate in eh what.   All the above is standard for all the festivals up here, 4th of july parade, and bluebonnet festival.

    The front finally got here this morning sometime after daybreak.  I was up about 2ish, and it was 77, now it's 63.  I was going to ride Pegasus to College Station to see our grandaughter, but it's raining, sort of. Sprinkling mostly!   We've had not quite a quarter of an inch of rain, and that's bad.  Although it's better than 100 degrees and the blazing sun burning us to a turn, but still wish we could get a couple inches of the precious H2O.

    Been thinking about starting to decorate for Christmas. Well, all the stores are already decorated so why not us!   It's a lot of work, but looks nifty...there's a word I'll bet none of youse have used in a fortnight or two...NIFTY, yeah, that's the tickey,  NIFTY.   I'm listening to Christmas music now, tryin gto get in the mood, or at least get out of a bad mood.   My beloved is in the metropolis of Chappell Hill for her monthly Chappell Hill Garden Club meeting.  They maintain all the greenery and flowery stuff in Chappell Hill.

    Ok, guess I'll sing off for now. Again I'd like to thank all yall for making Diane feel so welcome and loved, and for that she just adores each and everyone of you.  Youse youtes are toooooo much.

Keep the sun at your six and hopefully behind the clouds for a couple O days, and "ride boldly ride..."

     Your frien and resident jabberwocky,  Cephus R. Psycho, esq. 

Lynn Wren (Burkhardt)

What else can I say, thank you" Waltrip Class of "64, Class of Champions", you are the best!!!  Without each of you our reunions would not be suggessful, it takes all of us working together to accomplish this labor of love. My only regret is there never seems to be enough time to visit.  We hope to have pictures will be available soon.  Due to the volume of pictures taken they have to be downloaded and forwarded to Beverly  to lable and  post to the website.  God Bless.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     A HUGE THANKYOU to you Lynn.  I remember being in on the planning of the 45th and Lynn was always present with options and detailed information all neatly kept in her binder or ers.  It takes an enormous amount of hours and phone calls and traveling and intervewing and energy for just the "behind the scenes" work. A pretty much thankless task in any organization, maybe not thankless, but sometimes over looked.  Well sister girl, we are not overlooking you this go round.  I know I dont need to, but I will, speak for everyone in our gratitude for all your efforts over the many years, and for that matter the efforts of all that have worked on the "reunion" committees over the years.

                                  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU.

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Well said Beau!  Lynn spent more hours than we can imagine working on this reunion.  We all owe her a huge THANK YOU for everything she did to make the reunion a success. 

Lynn Wren (Burkhardt)

Beau you are way too kind.   None of us could do this alone.  It takes an entire village of awesome classmates to make  things work.

Love you all

Beau Wann, Jr.

     "It's me again Margaret ! " .Yes sir, straight from the flood ravaged hills of Chappell.  We got a whopping .53 inches, hmmmmm, that makes about maybe 3 inches since last sprang (east texas for spring).  I hear tell we are about 20 inches behind, at a half inch every other month, we're going backwards.  Had lots of wind, which we allways do.  In fact I covered up some deck boards with a tarp and placed several concrete blocks on top to thwart any effort by good ol mother nature to get them wet.  HA!  Oh ye of little brains.  That mean mother said phooey on your tarp and your blocks, and blew them off.  That thar is child abuse for sure!

    We had 100 degrees the Monday after that phyne reonion. Go figure, a hunnert degrees in the middle of october.  I also had my EMT test the following Friday, and I was shocked, no literally, SHOCKED.  "DONT TAZE ME BRO".  That's what that test is all about, untill they pull out the "probe needle".  

      The tazing with the electodes was not too bad,  I guess.  Like getting shocked by a faulty hair dryer or something.  The probe needle was something else though. I coulda done without that. Woulda kilt an ordinary man.  Dont know the results yet. going in to day to find out about all the tests they've run.  I can hear it now, "Mr Wann, I've good news and bad news....the good news is we cant find anything wrong, and the bad news is we cant find anything wrong...."   Back to square zero!

     You dont reckon it could be the absence of taters and rice and pasta and bread in my diet do you!  I told em I cut all that out, and sugar and they didnt seem concerned.  Maybe it's the pickles I've eaten! ! !   They are kosher though, so they should be ok.  I"ve started on my 3rd gallon of them just this year.  I guess you can tell I love pickles, but I've never eaten this many in my whole life. I also drink the juice, suppose to be good for warding of cramps, and since I work outside a lot and perspire a lot, I figured the juice was good for me.

     Well, whatever! ! ! !   I'm also looking for a new wife!   Yup, she messed up big time!  Scheduled an ear appointment the same day and time as my Harley service appt.  I've seen right before, but that aint it!  What could have gotten into that krazy woman?   Jeezeloueeze!    I had to reschedule my ear appt.  Well, I cant hear what anyone is saying nohow, but I can hear what I need to hear, the pipes on my bike, so the ears will have to wait.

     Time to deplane...gonna go see if my neurosurgeon knows anything, and run a few other errands then back in time for a nap mabybewksh   (the aforementioned should be maybe. dont know where all those other letters came from.  A typo for sureO! But who made it? )

     Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident typo, Allen Badillion Cephus Traherne esq

Beau Wann, Jr.

    "HEY KIDS, GUESS WHAT TIME IT IS",   It's Howdy Doody time, not to mention Frosty the Snowman time...Goooooooooooooooood Frosty Mornin to ya Chappell Hill and all the eskimo pies.  Has anyone had an eskimo pie lately?   I havent in several coons ages, dont even remember what they look or taste like....

     Yup, we finally got 1.53 inches of rain. Still a far cry from the 2 foot we are behind, but we'll take er.  Also is 46 out and very windy, blowin bout 20-30 mph.  We prepared, took all that would blow about, and hid it from mother nature. She still got a few things and strew them about, but nothing catastrophic, like she is want to do.

    We also put the electric blanket on the bed last night, and as per usual for the last thirty some odd years, flip flopped the sides.  My control controlled her side and verse vicea.  I kept turning mine up and was still freezing, and she turned hers off and had to come out from under the covers it was so hot. So about one thirty this morning, we swapped controllers, and me and Little Miss was snug as a cat in a hat.  

      Little Miss never moved, and as such, I couldnt move eyether because as all of youse full well know, any critter laying on top of you, gains a hunnert pounds. It's one of those stupid laws of nature that we, yall studied in school. When a cat, conversely, that is opposed to the given weight, unopposed in motionlessness, is in a cat a tonic state, on said person, then relatively and conversely not withstanding heretofore, and a partridge in a pair of trees........yeah yeah yeah, you know what I'm talking about.... When I finally got out from under her, I got the "where are you going?"  glare.

     Oh deah, what am ah gonna do today?   My to do list is a hunnert light years long.  I tried cleaning windows yesterday, and mother wind kept taking my paper towels and blowing them noth.  "The answer my friend is blowing in the wind..."  that is if you want to know why your paper towels are disappearing. 

     I do need to finish the addition to the boat house deck. Another 12' X 12' addition.  I have till Wednesday of next week to finish the deck and at least a hunnert more things on the "TO DO" list.  I dont think you can get into heaven if you are killed by a "To Do" list can you?   Oh well, I'm probably  not allowed to go to heaven, just on to the next hell!

     My sister and her hubby are coming down next weekend from Virginia to attend an aggie game for Jerrys 80 birthday.  He was in the "corp",  boots and all. I think he graduated in 59 or 60 or roundabouts thereof. Anyway they are going to stay with us a day and a night.  We had the bath remodeled, took out the useless claw and ball footed tub that was 2 foot deep or more, called a single slipper.  What a useless tub for old people, what were we thinking?    Anyway, had a marble and tile shower with grab bars installed, looks beautiful and is functional.

      Got lots O window cleaning, mowing, weedeating and general all round picking up to do before they get here.  And try to figure out which rooms are better suited f or the cats and dogs when Kat and Jerry spend the night.  Annie-Bobs bedroom, the "green room", is where K and J will sleep, so we have to move Annie-bobs litter box, toys and other paraphanailia and water fountain, yes, she has a running water fountain, as does Little Miss.  Our critters have won the "Pet Lotto" for sure.

     Cant have Annie-bob bunking in with Little Miss, as they hate each other. Guess we'll have to move Annie in with us, close the door to the "Pink room", Little Miss room.  I'll have to sleep in one of the chairs in the "pink room" so Little Miss can snuggle up with me. She's been doing that ever since she came to live with us. I think she loves me, and of course, I her.  Annie could care less about sleeping with us. She'll probably get under the bed like she is want to do.  If it's not too cold or to bad of weather, one of them could stay on the porch. Well, we will see what we will see...'it is what it is"...yea verily and forsooth ! ! !

     My beloved baked breakfast this morning, wunnerful GRAINBERRY muffins.  She adds a lot of extra phibere to them to offset the carbs.  I think Texas A&M came up with the "grainberry". Not sure, I'll have to check with my beloved. She told me oncet or twicet (east texas for once and twice) how the "grainberry" came about, but I cant remember. 

      Suppose to have lots O antioxidants and other good stuff for youse. So far they dont do anything for pain, except for the glorious moment you're stuffing them in your mouth, with butter drippin all about....I think a famous abmirable in the Navy said it best, "Damn the carbs, eat muffins at full speed ahead" or words to that defect......loses a little in the translation as he was stuffing muffins in his megaphone....hmmmmm, good muffins those!

     Since it is a might chilly today, I think I will forego my swimming lessons.  You know, that's something I thought would stay with you, kind of like riding a bicycle, oncet you learn, you never forget.  I'm here to tell you, that's just not true.  I cant ride a bicycle anymore, and If I cant touch the bottom of the pool, I sink like a rock, and I'm 46 pounds lighter that B4.  Guess I'll have to get some "floaties", or hire some bikini clad young girls to hold me up, yeah, bikini clad young girls, that's the ticket,  and I wont even go in the water, just be the lifeguard watching out for them.  Hmmmm....that's no good, especially if the "lifeguard" cant swim!

    Oh well, there you go, and if not then, there you are!  Time to make another pot O joe.  Phunny how cooler weather makes you want some hot coffee.  I'd pretty much drink good coffee, no matter what the temp. But then that's just moi !  I had much more to talk about this morning or so I thought, guess I'll have to come back in a spell and bore you some more, so take fair warning, "I'll be back".

    Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your phrien and resident chatty charlie,  Cephus R Psycho esq

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good morning to youse fellow Waltripians.   Nice overcast rainy cold day isnt it.  We had a whopping inch and three quarters rain yesterday, sometimes hard and sometimes nice and easy, eyether way, we needed it and love it.   One could almost hear a sigh of relief from the trees and greenery as they soaked it up with gusto and great pleasure.  I did manage to get some mowing in before the rain, hooray, and almost finished the extension of the boathouse deck.

     Pressure washed the house last week and it's looking fair to middlin.  Got rid of those pesky birds nests in the top of the gables, you know the birds of which I speak, the ones that build the mudnests on the freeway overpasses, yeah, those are the ones.   Also got rid of the yellow jackets and other wasp nests.  What did the pioneers do without power washers, and air compressors, and welding machines and such?   Yeah, I know, they just tuffed it out like one is suppose to do without the aid of modern conveniences.

    While I was working on the deck, my mind wandered and as I was looking down, I saw my fathers hands.  Well, they were mine, but saw his in mine, veins poping out of sun bronzed leathery wrinkled and gnarled and scarred hands.  His hands and fingers were larger than mine, but still mine remineded me of his.  Ever now and again I can hear his voice coming from my mouth, or his laugher, which wasnt often and enough.   It's funny how we are so like our parents even when we dont want to be.

     Looking back and thinking about ol DuBarry boys days, I remembered how  much I wanted to be like my dad, rough and tough and strong.  Well, guess I made that part, but it isnt at all how I thought it was going to be.       When I was in high school, I so admired all the kids I knew, boys and girls alike.  You look at the men and women we have become, and as a kid you say to yourself, "I want to be just like them when I grow up," and wish you had when youve gotten old.

     Shasta cola ! ! !   My mom would wrap a can of that golden nectar in reynolds wrap and put it in the freezer, then put it in my Hoppalong Cassidy lunch box when I went to school. By the time lunch came around, which could be all day long as far as I was concerned, the drink thawed out just enough to drink but gave you an instant slushy. Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. 

      She would also slice two hotdogs in half and put them between two pieces of Sunbeam bread with a little mustard and mayo, and some Dentler Maid potato chips and man that was heaven.  Before I opened the chips, I use to crush them to almost dust, then open and eat them. I thought that gave me more chips.  What an idjit!

     I dont know how mom juggled all the things she had to do and work at Sears on North Shepherd.  Fix breakfast, fix five lunches and get ready and get to work on time.   I dont know if her life ever got easier, in her mind anyway.  Of course dad didnt do "Womans work", he did "manly things", like being an Ironworker and boss to boot, plus take care of the vehicles at home and the yard and house maintenance etc.  He was also a very good son to his parents and sibling to his brothers.  He generally employed them all on any big jobs he had.

    I think I prefer "womans work" now days, like cooking and house cleaning, because that's what I do best, and  lots of.      At least youre inside and not out in the cold or heat.  However I do both inside and outside etc....(Excuse me for a moment, "her Highness" is barking to be let in)    time passes....Ok I'm back.  What a chore that is trying to clean 12 dogs feet.  Especially the liitle munchkin, Izzydoreable.    She also doesnt like her feet rubbed or handled, what a wiggle woim!        I like the rain, but not the mud that collects on the pups feet.

     Of course "womans work" today,  I dont think I could do, like being an Astronaut, or a Doctor, or Lawyer or any number of jobs that women do nowdays.  Times have changed, and in the "woman man" department, all for the better I'm thinking.

        I love to watch college womens softball.  Especially the pitchers. WOW!  Can they hum that ball or what.  One of our veterinarians use to pitch for Tx A&M.  She is absolutely "drop dead gorgeous", but can wrestle a horse of cow to it's knees to administer meds.     There was a softball pitcher named Cat something or other, that pitched nothing but perfect nohitter games through highschool and college and I think there is a pro league she is in, or was.   So, "womans work" today, can run the gauntlet of "mans work" as well.  Maybe a woman couldnt pick up a tractor, but I'll bet she could figure out a way to move that bad boy without straining a muscle.

    I was looking at some old phamly photos from back in the 30s and 40s, and it just made me sad. Seemed like such a happy time for them, now they have all passed on.  Found some of Dads when he was a baby and growing up.  Hard to believe he was ever a child.   That's the hard part about all of us  getting old, we're just not prepared.  Wish they had had a semester or 4 of "Growing Old 101".  We should have learned from our parents and grandparents, but   I  thought they  were just born old, and somehow would be different for us, or me anyhoo, or that I'd never get old!  

    A lot of those old pictures are stuck forever on those old crumbly black paper scrap books and photo albums.      When I was through handling the blasted things, had to get out the vacuum cleaner and do "womans work".    Whoever pasted the pictures in these albums musta used a 55 gallon drum of elmers glue.  How do you separate them?   Especially when pictures are pasted on both sides of the page?

    Oh well, I put em away till next time. Too bad that the names were not written on the backs of the pictures. Some were, but not nearly enough.      My kids and grandkids arent interested in them anyway, so they will probably get thrown out.  Our picture albums today are mostly of our pets!   I guess that says something about what's important in our lives today, or at least whats prominent.   I generally dont get out among and socialize among "people" these days except for maybe twice a year at a Waltrip reunion.  My socializing skills are not very good.

    Well, guess I've bored whichever one of yall is actually reading this, so I'll sign off for now, but look out, I might be back.

     Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident moldy oldy person, Cephus Henry Terhune esq...   

Bennie Schielack

Speaking of your days along the 1100 block of DuBarry . . . . . Do you remember a Lincoln with suicide doors residing along there somewhere ? ? ? ? ? I think on the Odd numbered address side, across from the ballpark and iron works . . . . . Also, remember a family named Needham ? ? ? ? ? I grew up just the other side of Ella from you and remember some about those good ol' days . . . . . Bought a lot of paperback books @ Dugans Drug store, sold "Spudnuts" from a big wire basket on Saturday mornings, hunted with bow and arrow where Ella cuts thru to 34th now . . . . . bought a couple of rabbits from an old couple that lived about where the little shopping center is today . . . . . Spend lots of Saturdays in April/May picking dew berries, washing them, sprinkling a little sugar on them, placing them in the freezer until the weekly Saturday Yankee base ball game began.  Pulled the berries out of the freezer and enjoyed them during the game . . . . . Don't remember, but I do believe we still had b & w tv back then . . . . . You frequently instigate old memories in me . . . . . Good luck with the coming freeze . . . . . hope it misses you and you extended family . . . . . 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Bennie, dont remember any cars on DuBarry, but ours. I do remember a wreck on DuBarry and Oak Forest.  A 55 chevy convertible and dont know what hit him, but he flew out of the car and hit a telephone pole and one of those steps and skewered him and he died.   I saw it happen, but dont remember how it happened. It's one of those PTSD moments that you see, but dont believe.

     We had a 51 ford, a 53 chevy and a 53 chevy truck.  I do remember the Needhams, we lived next doorr methinks. We were at 1352 DB.  We picked a lot of dewberries and black berries on the trail to the Chuck Wagon.  Waltrip wasnt there yet, just a field of blackberries and weeds. 

    I was making breakfast tacos and started frying my onions in the skillet when the smell hit me,  CHUCK WAGON....OOPS GOT TO RUN....

Scotty Croom

beau, how coincidental ...we lived at 1314 ebony ln,just across the street from sharon buckley and next to ronnie eldridge.....your other neighbors were mary randall and ronnie/kerry kirkland...storm hit here about daylight,thunder,rain,lighting,and wind...bipap mach. clicked off,lost electrcity for about 3 hrs or more.so,i guess fall is here....

Beau Wann, Jr.

     "RISE AND SHINE CAMPERS, IT'S COLD OUT THERE, IT'S COLD OUT THERE EVERYDAY"

     Hey Scotty, simpler times those eh!   Had to run because our company had arrived.  Plans have changed now, they wont be staying with us this time.   But they are coming back next March for Jerrys 60 year Aggie runion so, what year would that be...algebra dont fail me now...hmmmm  I've got it!   By jove I think he's got it..."the rain in spain falls mainly on the plain..."   Or the year, drum roll please,  1960...yeah, that's the ticket. 

     Jerry went on to get his Phd in computer science in 64.  He was only  one of 100 people in the whirld that had a Phd in computer science at that time.  Boy's a brain that's fro sure.  His Doctorate was on some sort of new math.  (Went on to retire from the air force as a Colonel....) Hmmm, I havent even mastered the old math let alone anything new.  So I joined the Navy, I knew I wouldnt need any math there, or damn little..."Torpedos sir, 4 of tthem,  off the starboard bow, range 4000 yards..."  "Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead. Mr Christian, get me a cup of coffee, it's gonna be a long day..."    yikes!

     Well sirs and ma'ams, we've had our first freeze and frost of the season!   CHIMACS (chappell hill intergalactical meteorlogical and cornpone society) O fficial guage reading, drum roll please....27 gredees! OMG OMG OMG (old mugwumps galore).

     Been up since 4:30 this AM morning. Had to check on the well and CEment pond and other stuff.  The CEment pond has an automatic "on"  when the temp dips below a certain point. I dont know at what temp it is suppose to do that at, Diane is in charge of that department, the new math department.  So, the zero gravity pit is on and so is the spa and heater.  Hmmm, maybe I ought to go jump in....NAAAAAAH, ARE YOU CRAZY?    YUP! ! !

     Pups have eaten and been out and I've got bacon in the frahin pan and coffee perkin. not in that order but in the werks.  (sip)   Dang I make a great cup O Joe !   I sho am a great "house husband"!   The little woman, however, is not impressed by my "house husbandryness"  this early in the day.   What a day it was yesterday and what a glorious day it is going to be today....if only I didnt hurt so much!    Well hells bells boy, all Gods chilluns gotta hurt....well ok then, let the festivities began! ! ! !

    Hmmmm, lessee,   breakfast at 8, clean up at 8:30... I generally make the bed up first chore in the morning, but seeing as how my beloved was attached to the blankets, I decided to skip that one.  I'da got severely reprimanded had I persisted.  I did mangage to make up MY side of the bed, much to Little Miss'  displeasure.  I did, however, leave my side of the EE lectric blanket on,  so Little Miss is not too unhappy, she curled back up snuggled in the blanket where I was sleeping, correction, tossin and turnin..... but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do!

   Ok, lataon in the day, we have "Deck finishing 101"  then "clean the mess up that I created 101", "Break out the good whiskey 101"......then collapse in a chair somewhair  "101"  ...(they rhyme, so why shouldnt they be spelled alike)????   Yeah, I'm creating the "new english 101",  hells bells, I must have several Phds in that already fo sho! ! ! !

    Yeah, them DuBarry Days was semi-swell fo sho!  We had the Needhams on the east side of us, and a rent house on the west side of us. There were  2 families that rented that house, not at the same time, I dont remember the first little kid there, but he had a huge black and white cat named Boo that they fed fresh chicken livers and gizzards and such to him.  Hmmmm, what was his name?    Oh well, the next family was the Ellingtons.  Mr Ellington had a plumbing company and his son Mike took over for him in the 70's or 80s methinks.   Mike had a house  noth of 43rd just west of Shepherd, great big house....Sue barnet?  

     I use to know all those streets forwards and backwards and upside down, now for the life of me cant remember them all....oh pushaw!   There's a woid I havent hoid since the dinosaur days.  ok, I've got to check on the bacon, so grab a cup o joe and I'll be back.....  "HEY, WAKE UP, I'M BACK!"   oh joy, right?

     Ok, lessee, now where was moi?    No tellin, so I'll head off in another direction, preferrably not outside.  Pups went to the door, so I opened it up, they just stood there, "hey, whatdjoo do with the nice warm weather we so love, huh?      We aint goin out there on the frozen tundra..." or woids to that defect,   then turned around and went back to bed.  Wish I Could, but I'm junked up on peanut butter.  "would you like  me to explain"?  " I would love to hear this", " so would I"...

     When we give Jack his pills, the onliest (east texas for only) way he will take them, or the easiest way to give them to him is in a glop of peanut butter.  The two girls, Dixie-Belle and Izzydoreable have to have PB also,  and what the heck, so do I.  I love peanut butter and sunflower butter and just about any butter out there.   Remember "apple butter"?   We have a jar of that in the fridge,  but that's not on my diet.  I do snitch a taste ever now and again, but shhhhhh, dont tell anyone.

      Wow, what a beautiful sunrise...Ok, all yall get up and open the curtains on the east side of your house, that's the side with all the light coming in.  Dont make me have to come over there, get up and open the curtains, then you can go back to bed.....or not.   We had a HEAVY FROST this morning, looks like snow on the hill...."HEY MA, CAN I GO SLEDDING?"....  

     Yesterday I made mention that I was frying onions, or sauteing them, and that the house smelled like the Chuck Wagon....I just loved that smell...I hope that little guy, and he was smallish, that flipped the burgers got to realize his dream.   He said he wanted to retire and move to Colorado.   There are no places like the Chuck Wagon or Monterey House anymore.  

        Remember the Monterey House was in that little curved shape shopping center across from Oak Forest Elementary School?   The space that it was in was probably no bigger than our living room, but what wonderful TexMex food it was.    The best Guacamole in the Whirld ! ! !   However, and aint there always a however, my beloved makes a fine rendition of that very guacamole, thank goodness.   Remember how we were taught that it was bad for you!   Turns out that it is VERY good for you, so I scarf it up when she makes a batch of it.  Hmmmm yummmm! ! ! ! No wonder I'm so healthy! ! !

     Ok, guess it's time to deplane boss...keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."
your frien and resident icecicle,  Harold, eskiemo pie, Cephus R me, esq

PS;  If motorcycle is pronounced with a long "y" or "i", why did we call our Bicycles, bisickles?  Hmmmm???
Just sayin!

Beau Wann, Jr.

     GOOOOOOOOOOD FROSTY MORNIN TO YOUSE MYNE FYNE WALTRIPYNES...

     Hey Scotty, do you remember the Morgans?   I think they lived on the corner of Ebony and DuBarry, you know, the house with the pond in front.  The house sat on two lots methinks.  Anyway the boy was Eddy and his older sisters name was Gail.  Mr Morgan worked for Eastman Kodak, Gail went on to become a pro-golfer and dont know what happened to Eddy.  Dont know a thing about their mom either. 

    Mr Morgan gave Eddy and I some photographic paper once, you could place your hand on it and put it out in the sun and voila,  a picture of your hand would appear.  MAGIC FO SHO.

    Di rectly accross the street from me was a new house where two brothers lived, Arty and Joey. Down towards Oak Forest on the same side was Bill Morrow, and across from him and maybe one house down from the corner of OF and DB lived Tim Bell.  There was a girl that lived on the corner of OF and DB, south side of the street, front door faced the park.  Dont remember her name!  

     Di rectly behind us was a boy named Tommy, methinks.  His Dad worked for a chemical company,  there were always weird smells emanating from their direction, plus they had barrels of stuff next to our back fence.  Most of those folks I mentioned, were in rent houses,  except for the Morgans and Tommys folks, and us.  There was also a mean kid lived down towards your way name of Butch.  Really mean bully.

      I remember Janie Hartman lived on DB other side of Ella.  Phil Young lived on corner of DB and Wakefield.  Phils room was so cool, because he had a door to the outside.    (Anyone know what happened to Phil?)          My room had a door to the outside, but my room was the screened in back porch and the door was a screen door, yea!   I could hear crickets and all the sounds of the "hood".  I could tell whose dog was barking.   You could really hear the clickety clack of the train wheels as they roard by. 

      One night about midnight thirty or roundabouts thereof, some sort of train went by and shook the whole house, caused one of the overhead light fixtures to fall from the ceiling and crash in the middle of the girls room.  Train musta been going a hunnert miles an hour and hauling atomic bombs to cause that sort of commotion.  Probably Batmans train! ! !   If you were lucky enough at night to be out by the RR tracks, when a passenger train would go by you could see the lights on and people inside. 

     We also saw a real UFO !  Yup, this one was documented, almost everyone in the nation saw it.  It was in the east sky, looked like 3 or 4 square lit up windows just hanging in the sky, sort of like an airliner suspended in midair.   It stayed there for the longest time.  Happened in 1953, you can look that one up.

     Really really loved picking the blackberries on the other side of Judiway. Mom would give us a coffee can or two and we would fill them to overflowing for my moms blackberry cobbler.    My mom made the best blackberry cobbler in the universe!   What I wouldnt give for just a taste of that nectar for the gods.  Best Fried green tomatos too, and fried okra, and just about any dang thang you could think of.  Sure wish I'd paid attention to how she cooked things, instead of just waiting for the outcome REward.

     We have a lot of wild dewberries up here, but havent picked any.  Might be a snake lurking about, and they do lurk about.   We had two BB plants out at hearthstone, that produced berries the size of golfballs.  What a heavenly DElight those were.  The BB plants had indian tribe names, like Navajo, or Apache or some such name.  I had to cut them down per my neighbors request. because it had taken over the fence between us and part of his garage.  I told him he could pick the berries on his side, but that didnt placate or interest him A tall, so down they came.

     I'd like to get a couple BB plants and put them in the middle of maybe the waltrip baseball field up here, so they would be easy to get to.  Only think stopping us is the pitiful soil we have up here. Othern a tree or two, We just cannot get anything to grow up here.  Every garden we have started up heah in the clouds, has ended in abject failure.   Lost all my citrus trees, bout 6 of them, to the freeze year before last. 

    We've brought in good garden dirt, all to no avail. No maters, no taters, no onions, no peppers, hells bells, peppers will grow just about anywhere, cept here.  Tom Ganns Grandparents or great grand parents use to own all this land, about 8 thousand acres from a land grant from Mexico or somesuch, if memory serves me correctly, and dont know why it should start now.  Hey Tom, if youre reading this, feel free to correct me, please.   Anyway, Tom or someone said most of this land was in cotton and corn for decades, and that pretty much depleted the soil of all it's nutrients.

     "Does anybody really know what time it is?  Does anybody care?"   I hate daylight savings time and changing back and forth, to and fro. I know it's so simple...for youse guys, but for some reason I just cant get my retarded brain to accept time travel.

       It was an indian chief, dont know just which one, when told about daylight savings time, said,    "only the US Government would think you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket and sew it to the bottom and make  a longer blanket..."   smart man he!

     Guss I'd better deplane, getting late by whichever time it is...so keep the sundial at y our six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident time traveler,  Cephus Hobart Terhune esq   

Beau Wann, Jr.

     It's me again Margaret.   Ok, one of you folks out there hep me out.  One of the Waltrip    "Soundtrack" shows had Ike Clanton, or James Darren as the headliner.  So which one was it?  Also the guitarist, who backed up or accompanied, whoever was the singer,  name was Herb Ellis.   We had a student named Curt Ellis. I thought they were brothers or kin somehow.   Were they kin?

    The Herb Ellis  I know of was a jazz guitarist born 1921, toured with Jimmy Dorsey and was with the Oscar Peterson trio.  Kin or no to Curt Ellis?   Well, just wondering.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good morrow to youse youtes, fellow Waltripians.     I see nobody knows the answer to my quextion in the above post, or doesnt care.     Eyether way, that counts as half of one third of four fifths of your grade, and a partridge in a pair of trees.   Or, no one is reading this stuff anymore, more important things to do, like straightening up the old sock drawer, or mopping the floors, or have a life.  Well, no matter, cause I still read this stuff, and it's quite interesting too.     "I said that?"

     Who out there has hearing aids?      What am I saying, who doesnt?  I dont wear mine at home, nothing I really need to hear.     The DOG, Dixie-Belle, barks loud enough for me to let her and her entourage in or out, so no problem there. I cant hear the cats hollaring for food, but they generally couple their hollaring with head butting me in the ankle, so no real problem there.        Diane still asks, "you cant hear that"?   No, no I cant!         I figure if there is an emergency the little woman will hollar loud enough for me to hear, plus I can detect a note of ergency and concern in someones facial expressions, I'm not blind, yet.

    Since we were having company, we were as always, and I assume lots of folks do this, tidy and spruce up the olde homestead, you know, cleaning the dogs nose art off the windows, cats hairballs off the couch and guest bed, you know the drill.   Well, Diane asks me if I would get the 3 in ! oil and oil the hinges.  "What hinges?"  I reply.  "The ones that are squeaking"  she says with just a touch of annoyance in her voice.  "Youre going to have to be just a tad specific" says I with even more annoyance in my voice.  

     "THE FRONT DOOR, YOU DONT HEAR THAT?" she says, with what I thought was just a tad too testy.   "I'M DEAF" I shout with even more testiness, "HOW THE HECK DO I KNOW WHICH DOOR IS SQUEAKING?" now I'm getting angry!   Diane senses that I am now on the verge of ripping a door, any door, off it's hinges, so she comes over and gently takes my arm and guides me to the door with the offiending hinges.  "You really cant hear that?" she says.   "Nope, and nope and NO", I reply.  She apologizes and asks very softly if I would tell her where the oil can is and she will oil them.

     "NOT ON MY WATCH, I'M A GUY, I'M SUPPOSE TO DO ALL THE OILING AROUND HERE" I thundered, so out to ye olde mancave to fetch the oil I march.  Lots of sidetrack time later I go back in he house, minus the oil.  "You couldnt find the oil?"  Diane asks.  "OH, so that's why I went out to the garage, ok, give me a minute and I'll go fetch the oil".   So it goes on and on, everyday, just like that.  Oh, I did finally oil the non-squeaking, squeaking hinges, and now I'm assured that they dont squeak anymore.  Yea me! ! !

     I think tha Izz has learned to read, or trying to read anyhoo.     However, and aint there always a however,  eating the cover off books is not a good thing.   I found teeth marks and tattered spine on one of my dictionaries and on one of our many  bibles.     While I try to encourage all our critters to better their circumstance, hmmmm,  for a critter, it doesnt get any better than living here.  Room service 24/7, etc.  However, eating the reading material is frowned upon by the establishment.

    I was thinking that maybe tha IZZ was reading the bible and then looked up woids in the dictionary she didnt understand .  At least that's how I'm going to tell it.   But why those two books?   They really dont look all that tasty to me anyway.  I guess it's different strokes for different folks, er dogs. 

    Ah such is life in the Great Cephussleeve household.  Remember the Great Gildersleeve movies?   Never did like those, or the William Bendix shows or Amos n Andy.  They were always doing stupid things and getting in trouble, and I've allus  tried to stay away from the T woid. Not allus successful, but tried nonetheless.  

     Ok, time to deplane, got to get ready to reread this since no one else ever gets on here...keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident deaf dumb and blind guy,  Cephus R Magoo esq

Teddie Jordan

Cephus, in answer to your question, I have worn hearing aids for 9 years now, and put them on as soon as I wake up in the morning, and wear them until I go to bed at night. About the only other time I take them out is when we take our daily walks, and hopefully before I take a shower. Fran has about the softest voice in the world, and the only time she ever turns her volume up is when I'm in really deep doo-doo!! And then you can hear her from afar!! 😁

I have observed that there are three types of men among our now mid 70 something year old male classmates. The third who have hearing aids and actually wear them, the third who own hearing aids but keep them at home in their sock drawers most of the time, and the third group who are faking it and are really good lip readers!! 🤪

Steve Puckett '65

Ike Clanton was featured on Soundtrack in probably the 1962-63 Soundtrack.  

The previous Soundtrack featured Justin Wilson.  Mr Roth told me that he had gone to the talent agency (who carried musicians, animal acts, etc.) and did not have a well-known musician available on those days but the agent raved about Wilson who was just coming out with his first record and could be gotten fairly cheap.  At the agent's urging, Uncle Bert listened, loved it, and booked him.  At the next meeting of the Soundtrack team he was asked which musician he had booked and he replied that he had booked a cajun storyteller, someone that they had never heard of but was really funny.  They thought Roth had lost his mind and it would be a giant fiasco.  Meanwhile Wilson excerpts started appearing regularly on the radio and became a sensation.  Every Soundtrack show then was sold out, SRO.  The Wilson album was announced on Billboard in late 1960 and I see Houston-area ads for the album from late 1960 but the album listings I could find say the album was released in 1961.

The next year (probably 1962-63) folks eagerly waited for the new Soundtrack. Roth was urged to not take another chance, to pick a musician so he could only get Ike Clanton, famous at the time for 'Down the Aisle', which was released in 1960.  Ike was a singer from Baton Rouge and brother of another semi-famous singer from the time, Jimmy Clanton.  Ike was somewhat difficult to work with, forgetting his lyrics, etc.  Herb Ellis backed him on guitar.  Although Clanton was adequate, Soundtrack fans (again SRO at the show) were disappointed that the featured entertainer was not another smash hit like Wilson.  https://www.discogs.com/artist/1290390-Ike-Clanton

I don't recall anything about the other guy you mentioned.  I don't remember what the Soundtrack dates were.  This could better date the year when Clanton was featured: Wilson was featured after his album was released in 1960 (or 1961) and Clanton was the year after Wilson.

Hope this helps.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Steve, thank you very much for the information. I knew if anyone would know the answer to the questions, it would be you or Scotty.  Well, sir, you pass the course with flying colors and are exempt from the final.  So, head on over to the chuckwagon and receive your "Wheel Burger" "hub burger" "Spoke dog", fries and a malt, your choice of flavor.  

     Justin Wilson had a cooking show a few years back on channel 8 methinks.  He was as informative as he was funny.  Always told a funny story while he cooked, "hoomahn, hah gaurauntee it".  

     (whisper) Scaaaaaaahty?)   Scotty?       (Louder)  SCOTTY !!!!!!   You rascal you.   Do youse folks know what that phyne young man has gone and done?   NO, no no, not bake a cake, but something even mo betta.   The Scottman, dond his black ninja stealth clothes and his bat cape, flew in his bat plane all the way from Alabama, with a banjo on his knee,  snucked down into the very heart of Oak Forest, slinked down DuBarry Ln and rescued a street sign and sent it to me! ! ! !     YUP, that's what that ol boys gone and done.   

     Nah, Scotty didnt steal it, Scotty wouldnt steal, cept mayber your heart.  He probably ordered it from the same people we got Coopers signs and the Waltrip 64 sign.       I will post a picture of it as soon as I hang it up...thank you scotty, so v ery much.  I never thought about having one made. What a great idear!

     Hey TJ, I think I've been wearing HAs for about that long, I'm on my 2nd set, but I dont wear mine at home because I always am outside working with pawr tools and tractors, chain saws, weed eaters and the like. Dont need to hear them so much, just the motor humming.  Using pawr tools and wearing HAs just makes you more deaf,  Plus I perspire some, and as you know, water is not good for HAs.

     I've tried to learn sign language, but just cant remember the signs, there are so many.  If Mr Dowdy couldnt teach me the easiest foreign language in the whirld, aint no way I'm learning sign language.  No reflection on Mr Dowdy as a teacher, he was 2nd to none in that dept, I was and am  a poor student, just slightly on the dumb side of things.

     My beloved has set a couple of tentative dates in March for the "Party on the hill" spring fling!   March 21st or the 28th, the third and fourth saturday, subject to change due to weather not cooperating.   It should still be coolish and comfortable.  Have not decided on the food yet,  something edible of course.  Already have confirmation from quite a few folks that wish to participate.     There will be plenty to do, good music and food, and better company.   The ballfield is no longer, cept  for home plate.  But, that's ok, for most of us, our ball playing days are behind us.

     Time to deplane, got miles to go before I sleep....keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

your frien and resident DuBarrian, Cephus R Me, esq 

Post Script:   PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE, there are only 50 shopping days left till christmas, if you count Christmas day and today.