Alumni Sandstorm ~ 06/06/05
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5 Bombers sent stuff:
Betty Hiser ('49), Jim Jensen ('50)
Margaret Pendergast ('52), Bill Berlin ('56)
Linda Reining ('64)
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BOMBER BIRTHDAY Today: Thomas Fraser ('78)
BOMBER CALENDAR: Richland Bombers Calendar
Click the event you want to know more about.
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>>From: Betty Hiser Gulley ('49)
I am so glad depression is being talked about in the Alumni
Sandstorm. It was one of those subjects (mental diseases and
illnesses, sex, bad news, divorces) that wasn't discussed when we
were young. If you had a mental illness you were not supposed to tell
anyone that your family had a "sick" person in it. I remember that
most "sick" people were put in their room and never let out except
to go to the bathroom (not even to take their Saturday bath). With a
little more knowledge, love, and medical help these people would have
been able to live "normal" lives.
I watched a TV show that had abandoned children in an orphanage and
was shocked that, even in the 1950s, parents gave up children who
were born with defects - "not normal" (such as my cleft palate and
hare lip). I remember all my parents friends and relatives used to
say to me, "You have to admire your parents - at least they kept you
and didn't give you up." I never knew what this referred to until
about 20 years ago. We have come a long way in the medical fields but
still have far to go.
I have found that it helps to talk about these things with people who
are facing different types of problems and know that you will not be
humiliated in front of your friends and relatives.
Marguerite Groff Tompkins ('54): We didn't get the folding done - you
can come down Saturday, June 11, to do all of the local DustStorms.
Missed you.
Julie Smyth Moss ('69WB): I remember living in Southern Ohio and just
before a rain storm you felt like the moisture was pressing against
your chest and you could not breathe. That was scary at times.
Larry Davis ('80): 50 years ago and beyond I was interested in
basketball, baseball, etc. I guess now I have too many aches and
pains, grandchildren, clubs, etc., to be interested in those things.
Congratulations Bombers!!!
-Betty Hiser Gulley '49er - south/government Richland - Rained this
morning - really hard - woke me up at 3:30 a.m. Poor cherries.
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>>From: Jim Jensen ('50)
Re: Soul Warping
To: Julie Smyth Moss (WB'69) 6/5/05 posting.
So you ain't suffered the pangs of soul-warping humidity yet? Thou
art a hearty rascal indeed. If you live near Maren then you aren't
too far from the Big Easy. My only experience in N.O. climes was
during the cooler months - also during a part of my life when I was
much younger, was called "Slim" by my contemporaries, and was better
equipped to deal with warping of any description.
H-m-m, Crawfish Bisque. Used to go with a girl from Morganza (Pointe
Coupee Parish). Claimed she used to fight off 'gators, cotton mouths,
bird-sized skeeters and boys on the way to school. She and her family
counted crawfish as one of their favorites. Never could work up the
courage to devour a crawfish. When I was single and later on, living
with my family near Biloxi, I did work up the courage to haunt some
of the seafood shacks around the boat docks which on Friday nights
served up boiled shrimp (all you could eat) with red beans and rice
and a sauce that would separate the consumer from his/her throat
lining. When he lived next door to us here in Katy, my Dad's favorite
local dish was e'tufe'.
Your daughter lives in Austin? Beautiful city... somewhat cooler than
Houston/Katy. Congratulations on your new grandson.
-Jim Jensen ('50) ~ So far, today... unwarped
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>>From: Margaret Pendergast Mumford ('52)
To: Betty Hiser Gulley ('49) and Betty Lou Conner Sansom ('52)
Re: The Requas
Ah... You've caused me to remember some things I've quietly put into
away in my memory... I wonder why!
I believe it was an English class I took from Mrs. Requa and all the
class felt the same about her... We were all in place before the
class started and she wasn't there... so we locked both of the doors
leading into the class and wouldn't let her in. Of course we finally
did and all denied knowing they were locked.
I also remember the yardstick incident...
I wonder what the two of them talked about when they went home at
the end of the day?
-Margaret Pendergast Mumford ('52)
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>>From: Bill Berlin ('56)
Congratulations to the new State 4A baseball champions... the
Richland Bombers. I go to a lot of the Anacortes High School baseball
games because I just like high school baseball. Plenty exciting, the
price of admission is right (free) and the "rookie excitement" is
hard to beat. College baseball has that element too but when you get
to the "bigs" it is now a job and a lot of the excitement is gone. I
think guys like Ichiro and Edgar play with the enthusiasm of little
leaguers, Bath Ruth kids, high schoolers and some college guys and
that is why they are as good as they are.
Tom Tracy's ('55) article about clean water system he has tweaked my
marine/maritime interest and it could be we will meet in Seattle this
month or next to see if there is any synergy in our chosen fields.
Boy, does that excite me and the potential of working with Tom is
exciting as well. Guess I have not seen him since he graduated Col-Hi
in 1955. I wonder if he looks as young as I do?
-Bill Berlin ('56) ~ in Anacortes, WA - where it is a rainy Sunday
afternoon and I love it. Watering is expensive and to my
thinking, water, in my opinion will someday be as expensive
as gas if you live in places like Lost Wages, Feeonix, and L.A.
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>>From: Linda Reining ('64)
All these postings about depression have been sad, but informative. I
had a small bout with depression the last year of my second marriage
(after 20 years of abuse, I found the strength to leave)... my
doctor didn't notice one thing, but my kids and close friends did...
they got me through that year with love and encouragement. I had
absolutely NO appetite (which wasn't all that bad....), but I also
had a hard time doing anything... can remember just sitting in a
chair or on the couch and staring out the window or staring at the
TV... didn't matter if it was on or not! Took every ounce of energy
to get out of bed and get dressed and face the day. Thankfully, I had
to babysit my grandchildren, so it forced me to get out of bed and
MOVE, but otherwise, am sure I would have been very content to just
stay in bed, with the covers pulled over my head! Thankfully, my
daughters, a GREAT son-in-law, and wonderful friends convinced me
that I didn't have to continue living like that and I was able to
leave and turn things around! I have since changed doctors... now, I
see an internist, who is constantly on top of things and notices any
little difference. To those that are still suffering, without help,
GET HELP... it is not a sign of weakness... it just your body/mind
saying that things are out of kilter.
-Linda Reining ('64) ~ Bakersfield, CA - temperatures have cooled
down... we are now having 80°+ temps and I can handle those
very well... only when it gets over 90 that I become very
bitchy.
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That's it for today. Please send more.
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