Linda Webster

Kay

I was just in Salado on Saturday!! My suggestion for lunch was The Stagecoach Inn but we actually ended up at the Tea Room which was good as well.

Whatever you do and wherever you have your Thanksgiving dinner, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. As for me I am going to Houston and will get to see my Mother and sisters and nieces & nephews. Should be a good time as usual********

Kay Watters (Greene)

Well, Linda, great minds think alike!

Jan Barnes (Nimtz)

Robby,

I am not so much encased in, as standing behind a plywood cutout of a Russian doll on our vacation last month in the village of Svir Stroi, which is southeast of St. Petersburg.  Surely you know of Matroyshkas... the wooden Russian dolls that open and have smaller size dolls (graduated in size) inside.  My grandkids are now calling me "Matroyshka Mimi".

Kay Watters (Greene)

Hi all,

Robby, I totally agree with you.  Tradition is not all that, I for one, think it is totally overrated, and a lot of family dysfunction goes along with it.  The nicest thing is that you can create your own memorable time since it is truly a holiday that doesn't require expected presents, such as BD and Xmas.  For anyone wanting the turkey works, our school is serving and outside people can come and pay only 2.75 for turkey, dressing gr. bean cass., corn rolls, giblet gravy, cranb. sauce, swt potatoes, gravy, dessert and tea or milk.  That will satisfy me and if anyone wants to invite me for an extra day's meal, locally, I would make myself available, then my appetite will be on hold for anoth. year.  I will be going to the Renaissance Festival in Plantersville for their Celtic Christmas the weekend after, another turkey leg experience.....Walaa! For me, life is too short to slave over a stove for several days and all the dirty dishes, bucks spent and all that goes with it.

Jan, I too, thought you were dressed in that outfit....actually very cute and a good explanation of what it is about.

Linda Webster

I have posted some of the pictures from our monthly get together for the Austin group of Waltrip Alumni. This month's gathering was held at The Iguana Grill overlooking beautiful Lake Travis. A good time was had by all.

If anyone from any class can come to next month's, please do so. I think you will thouroughly enjoy it.

We are planning our December gathering for December 7th, so everyone will have time for the Holidays and be in town as well as being able to attend the gathering in Houston at Fudd's on the 14th if they want.

 I will be posting the remainder of the pictures in the next few days, so check them out.

Robert Derrick

WOW. What  a bunch of great looking gals. And not many guys!!! That Leroy is the luckiest guy in town. Wish I was there. Jan, I agree with you. It's not the food, it's the fun. Gathering with friends and family. Everyone busy in the kitchen before the meal and everyone helping clean up afterwards. Visiting and telling stories all the way. Wish it would come around more often.

Linda Webster

Robert

We do need more male participation, not that we can't hold our own, but some of you guys (and gals) need to come up for our next gathering . The next one is tentatively scheduled for the 7th of December (Pearl Harbor Day), and we haven't confirmed the location yet. So everyone mark your calendars!!!!!

I am also going to try and come to the Houston gathering at Fudd's on the 14th. So, it looks like we have some fun things planned for ALL WALTRIP ALUMNI!!!!!!!

Stephen Ray Puckett

Our plans are to go to a family Thanksgiving dinner in central Mass.  Food is similar to what you would see in Texas (turkey, ham, mashed sweet potato, mashed white potato) followed by pie, ice cream, cookies, etc., etc., to typical excess.  The only thing sorta different is a meat loaf for 1 guy who only eats 'real man food': beef.  Oh yes, he will eat hot dogs as long as you don't tell him it is a turkeydog or chickendog.  Animalpartdog is OK!  Lotsa kids running around, people crammed in everywhere, etc., etc.  New treats will be a new baby and also the son of Lil (my wife) who has moved to Mass. for grad school.

I have to work on Friday so at least I will be coming back after dinner or first thing in the morning - Lil will likely stay until Sunday to help out.

Remember the story about Squanto the Indian befriending the Pilgrims and showing them how to plant corn?  He was the representative of Massasoit, the local Indian leader, who sent him to help.  Later Massasoit (actually his title) supposedly retired/died at the village of the Quabog Indians which sat on the little hill next to Lake Wickaboag in today's small West Brookfield, MA, where Lil lived until she was 11 at which time she moved to So. California.  The small hill is where Lil's other sister lives and that is where we usually stay when we visit her kin.

Massasoit's treaty of peace with the Pilgrims

Ingrid Sears (Spiteri)

I'm also on the same page with Jan.  When it comes to Thanksgiving, it is a tradition to have it at my house every year.  When my kids were college age, the invitation was always there for them to bring home any friends that had no place to go For Thanksgiving.  That tradition still holds true today.  Every Thanksgiving we have a potpourri of people and personalities gather here.  It always makes for a very interesting and fun time.  Actually, I like Thanksgiving better than Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

Robert Derrick

Ingrid, that is a very good story. The kind I like to hear this time of year.

Robert Derrick

Linda

I am sure you gals can hold your own. You always have. I would really enjoy making your December gathering. Have it on my calendar. If, not, look forward to seeing you in Houston the following Tuesday.

Linda Webster

To All

The rest of our pictures from our Nov 16, 2010 gathering on on the website now. Will delete the duplicates as soon as I return from Houston for Thanksgiving.

Richard Meek

Good morning to all you Waltripians. I hope everyone is all set for a great Thanksgiving. I'm excited that I get to go meet the cold front that is barreling down from the Arctic since I'm headed to Fort Worth tomorrow. As long as there is no ice and snow involved it's ok.

All the cold should set a good stage for the UT/A&M game. Sharon are you going to use your tickets and sit in the cold to see A&M thump Texas? I'm sure it will be a great game as usual. It's always great when you don't have a dog in the fight. As long as it is a good game I'm a happy guy.

Robert you're right that is a good looking group that met at the Iguana Grill if you don't count Leroy, Kirk and Ken.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Keep on dancing,

Richard

Stephen Ray Puckett

Here's wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Jennie Anderson (Dylan)

  I'mmmmmmmmmm Back!  If anyone wants a relaxing cruise, take in Charleston and then walk down Meeting Street and get on a ship leaving for 5 days surrounded by mostly Charlestonian's (classy people)! 

As for Thanksgiving, I love going to someone else's house!  I like to bring something and just enjoy the freedom of little decision-making.  I always pitch in and help, but my days of doing big dinners are, hopefully over.  I have such admiration for the host or hostess and love the stories, laughter, aromas, hugs, and more.  

I had a nice Thanksgiving surprise yesterday at, of all places Kroger', here in Oak Forest.  This beautiful lady, who dared to apologize for her looks, which made me REALLY apologize for mine, was exiting the store at the same time as I was.   What a treat!  Wonder who it could be??????? The answer will be at the end of this message!  Turkey Surprise!  

Robby, I wanted to ride my bike yesterday, but kept blowing backwards.  What's the deal with how windy it has been this week?  

If I didn't need to tutor the next day, I would come to Austin for the next bash and pretend it is a birthday party for me!  I am a Pearl Harbor Birthday Girl!  What a memory, each night of my birthday, as a child, we watched the news on our little black and white TV of a most dreadful time in our history, and then walked to the kitchen to have my birthday dinner.  I always remember my Dad and Mom talking about how awful it was all through dinner...by the time cake came I wasn't in the right frame of mine for being too happy!

Okay, the mysterious woman was "our" forum founder......LINDA!  

Enjoy today everyone, I know I sure will!

Jennie

Jennie Anderson (Dylan)

  Stephen!  Love those SMILEYS!

Jennie

Bernard Brady

Hello to all-

I'll give ya my San Angelo, TX Thanksgiving report:

18 members of the Brady bunch,  Baked and fried Turkey,

amazing baked ham with all the trimmings. All Texas cooking.

Tons of desserts. I ain't used to these Texas size servings.

I think I've hurt maself....

BJ

Stephen Ray Puckett

How my Thanksgiving Dinner went:

Jennie Anderson (Dylan)

 So cute, Stephen!

Richard Meek

Good morning Waltripians. Not much activity on the Forum since Thanksgiving. I assume that most are still semi-comatose from overindulging. Just great isn't it! A time of year when overindulgence is the order of the day! Although I guess some may already be rushing headlong into preparation for Christmas. Seems that when we get to a state of exhaustion after New Year maybe we get a little frenetic in trying to do everything. Any thoughts on this?

Made a great stop in Caldwell on the way back to Houston from Ft. Worth. There is a sculptor there, Dr. Joe Smith. He has a sculpture garden around his house that people are welcome to wander through. Great work. It's worth a trip there to see it.

Jennie, glad to have you back with us after your travels with the best people from Charleston.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Keep on dancing,

Richard

Stay Calm, Carry On

Linda Webster

One week from today is the Austin Gathering at the same place as last month

The Iguana Grill on RR620 just east of Lakeway

Everyone please try and come on December 7( Pearl Harbor Day). Any further info that is needed please call Me or Sharon Froehner***********

Looking forward to seeing a big crowd

Stephen Ray Puckett

Good morning, fellow Waltrippers.  I see Robbie is already decorating this profile page for the Holidays.  Some friends of mine are already receiving Christmas cards in the mail so I discussed what Lil and I would do this year. She is still grieving for the passing of one her sons last year about this time and also her nephew a few weeks ago so she is not inclined to do much of anything.  Probably I will put up a few things in the next few weeks to help make the house more cheery. We have a string of little amber pinecone lights that we put around the living room fireplace mantle - we both love that.  Probably will also put up one of the little trees.  We usually send out a lot of Christmas greeting cards. I will likely still send out those for at least some folks. We'll see. I don't want to push her.  The weeks before Christmas is a very hectic period for her at her church job (she is church administrator which includes many secretarial functions) which is another reason I want it to be as stress-free as possible for her the next few months.

Warning! Some of us 'age-advantaged' folks like me can no longer do what we did when we were 20, nor recover as quickly so please remember about taking it easy.   2 weekends ago I scraped and painted the 12 pillars of our backyard gazebo all day. I pulled something and am now hobbling around, on pain meds, etc.  The doc clucked his tongue and lectured me...   I'm a lot better today but must still be very careful.  10 or more years ago this would likely not have happened to me so please do be careful yourselves.

Bernard Brady

To everybody-

Texas is lovely. 73 degrees yesterday in San Angelo. Cold, wet. humid and miserable in my old home in Ardmore, TN. Too bad, so sad. Packing and moving were tough, but nothing like unpacking. Can't find a thing. It moves in the night.

Steve, my dear friend, get well quick. Look in the mirror- we ain't 28 any more.

BJ

Kay Watters (Greene)

Oh, and I hope we never accept that.....keep physical, even if you have to dance alone in front of the TV....LOL.  My dogs like to jump around with me.  I find that I can keep my muscle tone in the upper zones by pushing a small mower from Walmart....things like that.  Of course, I keep hauling in the groceries and purchases from the Mall ....that proves to be fun.

Bernard, isn't Texas the best...in the winter, I know you will enjoy the weather.  I can imagine it would be a bit emotionally, mentally and physically challenging to accomplish a move to a diff. state, diff. house, neigbors, etc......at least you know it will hopefully be your last one.  Keep us informed of the newness you encounter, there will be many to help you on the forum.

Richard Meek

Kay, I think you're right. It is important to keep using your muscles to do things. I don't think you have to go to a gym but you do need "use it or lose it" and at our point in time baby it doesn't take long to lose it! You just have to pay attention to what your body is telling you and stay within your fitness level. Just because Robby or Jennie can go for a 50 mile bike ride doesn't mean I'm in shape to do that. You've got the right idea "keep on dancing".

Bj based on your experience of moving I think I'm on the right track. If i ever sell my house, I'll just drive away without taking anythin other than some clothes. Just a gift (LOL) to the new owner.

Rich