Message Forum

Lordy, Ms. Jennie, as much as I love cats you can't trust em. (I have two, who like to put their claws through my legs while using my lap)

I hope you don't get cat scratch fever, maybe not since you are on meds. That is a wonderful story. I think the general public treats teachers more respectfully than just mere folks. I have to remember that when I go to Discount Tire to get some, I had one young guy treat me so well when he "assumed" I was a teacher. Back later.

10/24/09 09:56 PM

#320

I actually had Cat Scratch Fever in junior high and had to have surgery. I'm sure these days it would be simple, but back then it required about three days in the hospital and quite a long recovery time. I am still numb from the incision. Hope you recover quickly, Jennie!

10/25/09 03:21 PM

#321

Yes, Talley, you're right, it can be a major thing. Leah Favela had a similar thing happen to her in the spring and I think she was in the hospital something like 3 weeks. Her hand still isn't 100% of what it was. I'm still on high doses of antibiotics, but I think I'm fairly safe from having surgery on any of the places. The post traumatic shock of it is still forefront in my mind. I think later this afternoon I'll attempt to ride my bike again. I seem to have this fear of getting hit or falling, but I will do it today. Was it your cat or a stray?

10/25/09 08:21 PM

#322

It was our cat but one we'd just gotten from the animal shelter. When I got home from the hospital my mother had returned it. I think Sheryl Knight had cat scratch fever also. Anyway, you take care of yourself!

10/26/09 06:56 AM

#323

Can you imagine getting an animal from a shelter and it scratching your kid, who ends up having surgery? A good deed gone bad. Poor cat, poor Talley. We never could have cats because my mother firmly believed they were the cause of ringworms. I always found it strange that other mother's would allow cats to live in their houses, if they really caused such a disease. As I've said before on this forum, I always envied the kids that were able to wear the cool scarves on their heads back then. By the way, do you have a cat now?

10/26/09 04:22 PM

#324

Mildred Sue (Suzie) May (Cunningham)

Yes, I do. Sassy Cat! She's a princess and very high maintenance, but if I lose her I will lose my identity because my grandchildren call me Grandma with Sassy Cat! Such a mouthful, but it's to differentiate me from Grandma with Angel and Rory (little foo foo dogs). I adopted her when she was six and she's almost 14 and going strong.

11/01/09 12:04 PM

#325

Anita Marbury (Marbury)

The days of Russia and bomb drills bring back for me very upsetting nightmares. In my dreams I am always separated from my family. I clearly remember worrying about how I would save my brother and younger sister. We were at different schools when I was in the 9th grade and I thought I could not get to them to save them.

Now, as I look back and know that Houston would have been and still could be a target for terrorism those old memories are under my surface.

Not a pleasant memory from being a teen in Houston. I wonder how many other kids felt the same as I did? I never spoke of it to anyone but put away those thoughts.

High school should be a safe place. With Columbine and other acts of violence schools even on a remote reservation where I teach practice lock downs. Safety first.

Bad dreams later.

11/01/09 06:28 PM

#326

Is anyone planning to attend the breakfast at WHS on 11/7 or the dance at WHS on 11/14? I have other plans for 11/7 so I can't go to the breakfast. I'm still considering going to the dance, not to dance but to look. Here are the links.

http://hs.houstonisd.org/waltripHS/organizations/roses/breakfast/breakfast.htm

http://hs.houstonisd.org/waltripHS/workfolder/fifty.htm

11/02/09 11:21 AM

#327

The breakfast and the dance sounds like fun. May be able to make the 7th breakfast although there is so much going on out here in the country.

I finally went to the Wurstfest Festival in New Braunfels, TX and it was enjoyable. The sausage is never ending, the music was happy and the fried sausage musrooms with gravy - outstanding! This of course, because I had just attended the Madisonville Mushroom festival the week before - that is a class act with well known chefs preparing special mushroom entities and serving all, along with 13 wineries next to the tent passing out their samples to go with the mushroom entities. Well worth going to next year.

11/07/09 12:40 PM

#328

Steven Jay Stoneburner

Mary Jo and my youn childern still go to Garner we don't stay in the park but rent in Frio Country down the street they have wonderful Houses to rent really nice. Garner is still great and we still climb Old Baldy.

11/08/09 10:25 PM

#329

Sweetie, I wanted to respond to your note about the "bomb" scare. I remember how much I begged my mother to get us a bomb shelter, but she told me (1) we would have to kill friends if they were fighting us to get in and she didn't want to do that and (2) who would want to come out to the total destruction anyway. Everyone presents the 50s as such a peaceful time, but we always had the BOMB hanging over us. Now, for me it's earthquakes. Every time there's a tremble anywhere, the front page of the Seattle paper has a headline about how we're due for the BIG ONE. And there's no way to predict that one. I used to be so afraid that my boys would be at school at I wouldn't be able to get to them. I guess I've learned to live with it by now. All we can do is prepare ourselves, but we have to live life, too.

What I don't get is how can this be November? Does time really go faster as we age? Sure seems like it!

11/09/09 07:51 AM

#330

Stephen Ray Puckett

Talley, earthquake worries were a big reason we were happy to leave Portland OR 10 years ago. We also wanted to care for Lil's aged father in the Northeast. Providence arranged it so my Portland office would be closed and I would be one of the few offered a position in Albany NY, 2 hours away from her Dad. There are many many things we miss about Portland and the beautiful Pacific NW, having lived there 14 years, but there are opportunities here. My Dad, my sister & her family, and friends (including a number of Texans) & other relatives still live there anyway.

11/09/09 08:00 PM

#331

Stephen, I don't lose much sleep over it. I could stay inside and an airplane could land on my house! There are so many things out there that could "get" us that it would drive you crazy thinking about it. I do think that someday I will move from here, but not so much because of earthquakes but because of the cost of living. Still yearn for Texas sometimes. Who knows!

One of my co-workers has parents who live in Saratoga Springs. It looks absolutely beautiful back there and it's one area I'd love to visit. Glad it worked out so well for you and your family.

11/11/09 08:28 PM

#332

Thank you to all our veterans!! Today was a day off work for me, but as I was enjoying my time off I thought about the real reason for it and wanted to say "thanks" to any and all of you who served our country. You deserve more than a day off from work!

11/14/09 09:26 AM

#333

Anita Marbury (Marbury)

I'll post a picture of the Veterans Day program I directed at my school on the res. 2nd & 6th graders performed for the school. Veterans from WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, came as well as active duty men & women. The Navajos have always joined the services and are proud to serve.
Mr. Tom Jones Jr. A Navajo Code Talker came for his great granddaughter a 2nd grader. Mr. Jones talked about the battles in the South Pacific and being a 16 yr old boy in the Marines.

I choked up when Xavier a first grader came out with the men and women with his picture of his Mommy in Iraq.

Still glad to be a teacher.

11/16/09 08:47 AM

#334

Sweetie,

From what you describe, sounds as though you have a good mix of people helping you produce a unique Vet. program at your school. Looking forward to a pic.

Dan and I went to Navasota VFW this Sat. and viewed some really "Sweeet" vintage cars from 20's through 60's! Really took us back in time!

11/16/09 05:52 PM

#335

This is a note my brother, Joe, sent to the '67 class, I thought anyone who knew Jimmy in our class might like to surprise him, too! In case anyone doesn't know, Jimmy suffered a brain injury a couple of years ago.

Dear Waltrip Rams

On November 27, Jimmy will now be 61....

He has shown remarkable improvement this past year and has moved from lock up ward to another ward in the same Assisted Living Health Unit in Humble.

Soon Jim could be able to return to living again in some sort of housing in the Oak Forest area.

Last year he really appreciated all of his Birthday cards and each time I visit he has special pleasure in showing them to me.

Please-- AGAIN-send Jim a Birthday Card and NOTIFY every Waltrip Ram you know to help this year by making a small effort for an old (and getting older) friend to;

JIM MAY
Humble Health Care
93 Isaacs Road
Humble, Texas. 77338

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Please don't Forget
Jim....

Warmest regards

Joe Anderson-London-Rams 67
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange

11/23/09 08:04 AM

#336

Yesterday, as I was checking out at a store, I was reminded that it was November 22nd, one of the most memorable days in my life. The pain of that day so many years ago has lessened, but it still evokes moments of great sadness. I will never forget that day at Waltrip, or the week of mourning at home, with my family in front of the television. Everything seemed so quiet.

The Forum has been rather sleepy lately. Are we getting older, not doing as many crazy things? The time change has kind of wiped me out, but I'm determined to get on my bike today and ride, as well as watch "Dancing With the Stars" tonight! I love that show and can't wait to see what Ozzie Osbourne will do if his daughter, Kelly, wins. Remember those bat eating days?

Did anyone out there ever see him or KISS? I would have loved to see KISS just one time.

Well, wake up everyone and share a little of yourselves. We don't want to end up like The Houston Chronicle, very thin and lacking in news of late!

11/24/09 09:19 AM

#337

Here's what I remember. I worked in the office, and Miss Clapp came running in saying "The President's been shot!" Of course, everyone was talking about it and we had to go on to our next class. Then Mr. Cotton came on the PA and said (scripted, I'm sure) "The President has been shot; he is dead." We were all in shock, I guess. But Mr. Cassell just looked up and said "Well, he's dead." And then he just kept going with his lecture. I never liked him after that. He had never liked Kennedy, but I don't care if you like someone's politics or not--you just don't act that cold when a president has been killed. In earlier messages, several of his female students have talked about how cute he was, etc., but these are my memories of Mr. Cassell, and they're not very good. After that I just remember being glued to the TV, and to this day I still get tears when I hear the Naval Hymn. I was talking about it one day at work, and found out that my boss hadn't even been born yet. Wow, does that make me feel old or what!!

11/24/09 02:53 PM

#338

I was one of the girls that loved Mr. Cassalls, BUT I had never heard this side of him before. How awful? Mr. Clifton, the class I was in, actually put his head down over his arms and sat at his desk crying. I remember the absolute shock of my head and body, like a total "out of body" experience when the announcement concluded. I also remember wanting to run home to my Mother's arms and just bawl. How could anyone proceed to continue teaching after such a shocking circumstance, no matter what their political views. I wonder if that would happen, even today? I've always thought people were more compassionate then, but my memory, evidently is more what I want to believe, than fact. Tallley and anyone else who remembers that reaction or Jan, remembering the laughing, I am so sorry you've had that memory all these years.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of the year. My son and his Dad will be putting up a play-yard for our grandchildren, so there will be lots of stuff, besides stuffing going on at my home this year. I wish all a great holiday too!

11/25/09 09:09 AM

#339

Happy Thanksgiving to all....

I loved Mr. Clifton, seemed like a sweet "old" uncle, he probably was our age then, but seemed old! Guess we are the "new Old" now. All the older members of our family are gone and we have become the oldest....Sue and I can't believe we are at that level of generation....seems like yesterday...time does go fast. I was a Distributive Ed student, leaving early in the day, and didn't learn until I got home when Mom told me. I really didn't take much note of politics, but always have been impressed by the Kennedy's strength, agility, family spiritI think Jacquelyn Kennedy was such a beautiful and strong woman. Life totally went against her (as well as Princess Diana?) and she had many trials and tragedy to go through. Guess we all do, if we live long enough! I'll be spending this holiday in the Hill Country, at the VFW, helping to serve 300-400 families that show up to eat. Dan is the Chaplin and this is routine for him each year, this will be my first at it. The people are wonderful, the weather will be gorgeous and I will be thankful for the weekend.

12/01/09 04:36 PM

#340

Michael Bell

Is anyone awake out there or still stuffed from the holiday?

12/02/09 08:37 AM

#341

Good Morning All,

Those one liners aren't going to go anywhere....LOL. At the moment I'm having gravy and 1 biscuit...my fave breakfast here at school. It is a sinful luxury that I enjoy occasionally, so when I read your responses, I just had to join in! Having lived in a small country town, one had better get used to "gravy" and fried foods. They need them so they can run cattle, dig excavations, and do who knows what else. I'm hoping the gravy runs down to my fingertips where it is needed, although it will probably stop in the middle. Getting old is not for "sissys". What's worse? Getting old and still working. Oh well.

Watched the Texans lose this weekend, don't know how it is legal to knock the ball (touchdown) out of someone's hands, it was disappointing, to say the least. Also watched the Aggie game, they lost as well. The Colts just couldn't do anything wrong in the 2nd half. Navasota lost as well.You can tell my life is not boring...ho, ho.

I enjoyed President Obamas speech last night. Yes I am a lonely Democrat, but at least I keep up with the politics and I speak my mind about it TOO. I think he has got a lot accomplished since he's been in office, more than any president thus far. It's sad that America is so bent on negating everything he does.

12/02/09 01:52 PM

#342