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Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Welcome back, Beau, the above sounds busy and good conclusion..  So glad for you and your angel, Diane,  Sounds as though you are being a good patient, I am so glad you and Diane chose thie Medical Center in Houston to help you.  After all we've lived and heard of it all our lives, seems like.  Where else.

I have a little story to tell you.  

I drove out of my drive one  day and he was just standing by my mailbox...Dr. Graham, he said, works in the Medical center, well retired,  and living here now. I was  going out to the Senior Ctr, but really felt taken with this man, like he appeared out of the wherever.  we talked about an hour and today, I saw him again, when I was walking my dogs to the gate, he wanted help.  Seemed he walked down the wrong wrong road and these pups decided to follow him.  Well he asked me if I could drive him and the pups and drop them off at their home, would save him a long walk back. I said sure, and got my car, dropped them off and talked awhile in the car.  He mentioned a Dr. Harper and a Dr. Andrew c. Roisten? would you know of them?  Anyway a little eerie I do think he is a doctor and we both remembered each other's name, for old people unlikely.  Just a little puzzeling, but very nice.  He is married friends,so that is not the story nere.  Just country story   of how to meet your neighbors...lol

Jerry Eppner

When I get the forum updates by email, I am now directed to the homepage.  It used to be I could click on the message and read it.  Was this changed intentionally?

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Jerry, I had another classmate contact me about this same problem.  Evidently, the software company that supports our website has made a change.  I have contacted them to see if it was intentional or a "glitch" when they were working on something else.  Sorry for the inconvenience and hope it will be corrected soon.

Jerry Eppner

Thanks, Beverly.  If I stay logged in on the website, it is no big deal.  If I log out, then I have to log in again to read.  No big deal, but it is different.

Bennie Schielack

I have been keeping the website in an open window and just refresh each day.  Easy peasy . . . . . 

Wayne Lake

Hi’ya, I hope all is well and you survived the big Texas21COVIDFreeze,

I got my 2^nd COVID vaccine dose (Moderna) today and feeling a little tired but otherwise ok and glad to get that tick in the box. I think what I miss most and look forward to, is going to local open air, live music beach bar venues around here – Texas country folk singer-song writers are my favorite – there is something about live music even if they have no range and can’t sing on key!   

Reference Wacos’ own Billy Joe Shaver’s ‘I’m just an old chunk of coal but I’ll be a diamond someday’…… well thanks to my COVID vaccine, I think I’ll have a 75^th B-day this year and will designate it as my diamond jubilee. Maybe we should celebrate our common significant b-day’s , whaddayatink Johnny?

We had a pretty bad fish kill here in Aransas , lost a lot of plants, all my tomatoes and looking out from my back porch I can see/smell about ½ million dead mullet. I also pulled out a 10 # tarpon near my dock. For those of you not familiar with tarpon, they are a great sport fish with phenomenal aerial  displays  and they were once abundant around here {FDR came to Port  A in the late 30’s to catch the ‘silver kings’} but like so many other species over fished and all most disappeared. Mankind is mankind’s worst enemy.   

In the middle or the big freeze Teddie texted me to check out Vince Gill’s recent ‘There Ain’t Nothing like a Guy Clark Song’ which I did and I also like Rodney Crowels Redention of Guy Clark’s ‘She Ain’t  going Nowhere’ recorded in his wood shop. I(t just doesn’t get any better……………I just love this stuff –thanks Teddie.      

The dolphins ain’t dancin’ but from Aransas Pass’, stay safe m friends – we will get through this , wtl

James King '65

Wayne, my first visit to Port Arkansas was 1961 just before Hurricane Carla landed. It was beautiful so much better than Galveston. The surf was clear with a great fishing pier and a jetty. Different fish present. The first tarpon I saw hooked and landed on the pier was a spectacular event. 

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Praying for you Beau.  I hope you are staying close by MD Anderson while doing all this radiation? I am pulling for you! We just don't know what we will have to go through in life do we? You have faith and that will get you through. God bless you.

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Beau that was a thoughtful introspective dialog, and well appreciated. Loved the glimspe into your fishing life. Mine was right here on the farm and the fishing hole, I enjoyed catching catfish with my Uncle Johnson, my sister and Uncle all sharing stories with our cane poles waiting for the "big one".

All seriousness aside, hoping after the radiation you will be feeling much better and we can all adjourn to the Chappel Hill homestead and enjoy.

Frank Lynn

Hang in there, Beau. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Teddie Jordan

 Thanks for the update Cephus, think about y'all and pray for you and your health care team often. Keep doing what you're doing. Love to you and Diane!

Pat Brantley (Ross)

I am going to be a great grandmother in August!  Can't believe it.  My grandson will be 27 tomorrow.  He and his wife are expecting while not really knowing what life will be like with a baby!  They are trying to transfer to Texas.  They are still in California but want to come home.  The price of houses within an hour of Austin are crazy $$$$.  I told my older daughter that I went from a live and let live lifestyle to a I might have to get a gun to protect my child stance in the course of my pregnancy.  My grandson's wife is a very intelligent mechanical engineer, but she is adamant about coming home to Texas for the good of her baby.  Just funny to see hormones working.  My grandson is keeping his head down and just working with his supervisor to make it happen.  Google gives men four months of paternity leave.  Different world now isn't it?  
we were supposed to get our second vaccine on the 1st of March, but Polar Vortex caused a delay until the 13th.  I will be glad to get that accomplished.  I looked on Google Earth app the other day just to see my two homes in Oak Forest.  They are both still in good shape.My house on W. 43rd was completed in 1946 just two months before I was born.  They have added, but it's still there.  Of course the asbestos shingles are gone.  We grew up with lots of dangerous stuff.

Wayne, I would love to go to some live music venues too.  We have the Greune Dance Hall about 15 minutes away that always had live music every Saturday night.  I miss that.  Once I drag my husband in, he doesn't want to leave.  We have several other places, but the Dance Hall has been a favorite since I was in elementary school.  
beau i am praying for you and Diane to get through this without problems.  This is a team effort and I know Diane is a team player.  God bless you and keep you safe in His loving arms.

Tom Britton '65

Pat....how very exciting. It will be great to have your California family closer. But, as you pointed out, finding a house in the Austin area is darn near impossible. Crazy! Keep us posted.

Ruth Ellen Winters (Schmidt)

Beau you are in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you are better soon. Prayers are a powerful thing. Gods Blessings to you and Diane.  

Bill Traill

Keep it up Beau ! You’re doing great 👍😎

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Beau, keep up the positive attitude and keep planning that party! I have never been to your "paradise" but I would love to come! You are an inspiration to all of us!😘

Jenny Taylor (Williams)

Beau, My friend.  We are all praying for your full recovery.  You are truly remarkable.  Love to both of you!  

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Ahhh, my most favorite peoples in all the whirls,  Waltrip Rams !  Thank you again for all he encorancent fworks.   You are all just remarkable ! ! !  Uou hsay that I am an insperations, but truth be told,  ALL YALL ARE THE INPERATIONS, I am mearly the product of the the insperatiinon that you all are, of the folks I have amired and try  to imulate over the coures of a liftime.  Would not exist were not for you...though again I say thanks to you all.

     I know that most of you have have trauma and heartbeak and medicals problems in your lives, most of yall have been there and bak, so I'm not unique, just ever gratfule to my Waltirp family.  And we have Jackie to thank for putting all in touch again, and for Beverly for stepping up to cary on with what Jackie started.  

      Because of youse youts, I will avail myselt to whatever therepy recommended, to the level that even Mrs. Simpson would be proud of me.  My beloved has working with me since I got home frm the 2nd servery, I coudlnt speak at all, or type or even write my name, thanks Diane and some steroids , look and me now... "The quik brouns fox jumpes over the lazy dogs back"  "how now brown cow" etc. 

    Diane has some speeck therepy books from her 40 years of teaching, and I being homeschoolkwed all over the home.  And how about this, the teacher even bakes me cookies and cakes and stuff, and I even get to kiss the teacher from time to time.  Quite a change from 75 years ago hey what! 

     My fine motor skills are gone, not that they were so fine in the first place, cant feel what is in my hands, so I drop a lot of stuff.  Me and the spatula are no longer friends.  I can still fry an egg, but as I explaned to Diane,  "blackend food is now cool".   No multitasking for sure.  Multitakinging for me is trying to work the remorte contorl, or even trying to find it.

     Is it spring yet?   Wverything up here is buding out like crazy, bud.  Got our first bluebonnet stating to bloom and indian paint brushing.  Been raining off and on since this morning sometime, whenever that was.

    I have 6 Radiation treatments behine me now,  Doc says it will get worse befoer it gets any bettere.  I might have to use a walker or even a wheel chair, and at the  least a cane.   Well...Thanks to Daine, whe have two wherechair, two walkers, one with wheels and one without, incase I feel like roughing it.  Got 3 caines on my kneescoothers oh and my "das boot", I dont thing will much help, but got it just in case it is needed.

    I hingt I have 14 more Rad trestments to go, so guess we will see what we will see, eh what.   Yesterday, saturday, I felt bad, mad, and sad all at the same time.  Hate that feeling.  Today, I feel much better, yea!  and no drugs involvesd at all.

    Ok, time to deplane...Thank to all of youse youts for encoragment and prayers, couldnt have done it without youse.  Typing all of this is a great therepy believe it or not.  Some the words I recogize as mispelled, and some of them I go back and correct, and some I cant figure out whithout Dianes help.  She is in H tounds at church with her and mom and dad amd will heve lunch whith them.

    So, till we meet again, "happy trails"...

Keep the sun at your six and the Son in your lives...

Your frien and frankinbrain, Cephus R Blesses esq...  

Marcie English (Nolan)

Thanks for sharing your lives on this forum. I enjoy reading about your adventures, life celebrations and “remember when” stories that are recalled. Some, less “Ram Tough” than others, and their amazing spouses  remain in my prayers. (You know who you are!) It also helps keep the Waltrip Class of 1964 legacy alive and reminds me to contribute to scholarship and sports uniform needs of the current students. Stay safe everyone, You are loved. Marcie 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hi Marcie ! ! !   So glad to hear from you.   Has anyone heard from Scotty?  Susan Bowman?   I payer that all are doing well.

     Just had my 7th radiation treatment, and then a trip down to the Med center to visit with my primary cancer nerosergery Doc.   He is astounded at my progress and how well I'm doing.  "It would kill a lesser man" said he! My last radiation treatment is April 1st, then 3 weeks off, then MRI, then I get to start on a year of chemo, oh joy!  

      You know, the first doc that came to see me then all this started, before my first brain sergery, aske me what I wanted to do about the tumors.   I said "what"? I want to fight"  say I.     He said, "well, you have more birthdas behind you than you have in front of you...some folks might just like to just nature take it's course...". 

     Now I think I understand.  Am I taking up the space for some youngster, well, I am almost 76, three quarters of a centery, and some better folks didnt get to stay around that long.  Been a hard road so far, and it's going to get harder before it gets easier.  

      I enjoy life, but have I done the right thing?   Oh sure, they get to study a cancer that they've never seen before, and is a good chance it could save a younger somebodys life...Hmmmm,  thought prvoking! ! !

    Well, I'd at least like to hang around for one more "Party On The Hill", say some where around the year 9595..."if man is still alive, if woman can survive..."  (never liked that song, yet it still keeps popping up in brain)

     OH Well, it's not in my hands, belongs to God...and I'm vevery glad it does.   Just saying...!!!

     Shhh, dont let this get out, but Marcie, you've beeen my secreat love since before the Titanic went down.   Yup!  

    Time to dispalne boss...Keep the sun at your xis and "ride boldy ride..."

Your frien and resident frankinbrain, Cephures R Blessed esq

PS:  A slogan from my USN airdale days.."when in danger and in doubt, run in circles scream and shout" .
 

Scotty Croom

DOING FINE IN Bama..... had to wait 2 wks to rtravel to tx...loss power yestwerday...why????......seeing eye\ dr next week..hope to fix cataract soon...

Teddie Jordan

GO old friend's since Oak Forest Elementary, Scotty and Beau! My mom walked me over to sweet little Scotty on my second day of Kindegarten, and said now this looks like a nice boy! He and I have had many good and memorable times. Same for Harold, uh Beau, aka Cephus over the last sixty five or so years. Cephus and I actually even shared our grocery store careers and our first semester of college together up in a Huntsville. I could actually write a book on that one semester, let's just say that every night was an adventure! It turned out to be the only traditional college experience for me as I ended up going the rest of the way at U of H at night while working full time for Hudson Engineering Corp. in the daytime. What I learned at Hudson about heat exchangers definitely made me a lot more money in my career than what I learned at night, but they both were great blessings and each opened many doors for Fran and I! 😁 ☺️

Teddie Jordan

Beau, the one you mentioned was the location of Hudson-McDermott, the engineering, oil and gas plant and offshore arm. I worked for the air cooled heat exchanger arm of Hudson. At that time our offices and shop were at SW freeway, 59, at Hillcroft.

I started as mail boy and some people called me boy. About 6 months later I moved up to blueprint boy. I started noticing that the Draftsmen all seemed to have nice clothes and cars and I heard them talking about owning homes. So I asked one man how I could get into drafting. He asked, did you take drafting in high school? I said no I took woodshop and metal shop. He said so that means you need to lie and say that you took drafting. So I did and got a start as drafting trainee. I could always print good and that helped me and was important.

Scotty Croom

JUST GOT NOTE FROM F-RICK STRICKLAND THAT JANET IS IN HOSPICE CARE..NEEDS PRAYERS

Teddie Jordan

Sorry to hear that. Ricky is another friend, since third grade at OFE, Ms. Mullinix in the shack. excuse me, "temporary" classroom building. The story of being the leading edge of the post war Baby Boom!, No room at the Inn. 

Rick our prayers are with you and Janet. We always enjoyed visiting with her at Fudd's, and we remember her proudly showing us the beautiful quilt that she made. God has his hand on your shoulder, and Janet's..