Tis the season to have some fun! We want to give everyone an opportunity to wish classmates and friends season's greetings. Please send me a recent Christmas picture or recent photo of you and/or your family along with a short greeting of your choice. If you don't have a digital picture, I will be happy to scan it. It is my intent to create a slide show on our blog of these pictures. These photos can be sent to my email nickiw@suddenlink.net You can also email me for my home address.
In the spirit of having fun, please allow Jim and me along with our two grandsons to inspire you and get you in the holiday mood. Click on the link below
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1148979196
This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax®.
This elfin' greeting brought to you by OfficeMax®.
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9 comments:
Hi Nicki, I will join you in the picture thing as soon as I get all of my ducks in a row. All of my stuff is on the old computer and I am praying that it is still available. Your idea sounds great to me.
Nicki, you and Jim and the grandkids are just WAY cute ... and SO festive!!! Can we count on you 'n' Jim bustin' some similar moves at the Las Vegas Reunion???
Thanks to Kim, our oldest, I think we have "busted" all the moves we had left in the elf routine, but thanks for asking!
Hi all-- The blogsite is fantastic! Your class was a really neat group. I know your classmates appreciate the effort put forth by Nicki & Jennifer on the blog and your upcoming reunion.
I've really enjoyed the pictures--especially Paula, Ricky & Yahn in Las Vegas. Although we were never close friends in school, Paula and I forged a deep & precious friendship through our association at The Wild Plum those few short years before she left us. There's not a day that I spend at the Plum that I don't think of her and how she sold circles around the rest of us in the "antique" business. No one else could get the price she could for a cracked teacup!
I bought matching straw hats with faux cheetah bands for us when Paula lost her hair--she looked so chic in hers, and, as usual, I looked so bad. I've kept that hat, and I put it on once in a while and think about what a live wire she was. I have a picture of her in her red formal on the counter at the Plum and I have to smile when I think about her. I miss her, and I know you and Raenell and so many others do too.
Plans for your reunion sound like much excitement & great fun. Wanted to touch base with you about a push to your class regarding the Palace Theater restoration project.
The restoration is under the auspices of the Childress Theater Group, with 100% of any monies devoted to the restoration. Our small group of people loves to do plays, but there's just not a lot of money to be made on little theater in Childress, as you can imagine.
Certainly no actress myself, I joined the group about 5 years ago & launched a benefit bicycle ride (Tour d' Cotton, held the first Saturday of October for the last 4 years) which eventually should bring in enough money each year for maintenance of the building.
We are ready to begin grant writing. Carter "Pepper" Reed (Class of '67) returned to Childress this past summer and got interested in the restoration in a hurry. He came with excitement and enthusiasm for the project--became our leader--and, so to say, grabbed the bull by the horns. Among other things, Carter got in touch with the man who coordinated the Ritz Theater restoration in Wellington (a nearly $3 million project). Wes Reeves, who is a young executive with Excel Energy in Amarillo & a Wellington native, is now working with us to save our own wonderful piece of Art Deco architecture.
Wellington had a benefactor who provided about $2.5 million of the money. We have no benefactor, so it's going to be a tremendous challenge for us to save the Palace--but we believe it can and will be done. Our building is in much better structural condition than the Ritz, but that's really not saying much--ours is basically just a shell with lots of potential.
Pepper's class had a reunion this summer, and we are already receiving donations from them. We are also receiving memorials. We will have a letter in the All School Reunion packet that goes out in March '08. We hope that the memories that your class has of the Palace will make each of them want to contribute to the restoration effort.
Our first project is to restore the marquee which will take between $32,000 & $45,000, and we are taking bids now. The facade had been painted a horrible tan (which is flaking off), so we also are taking bids on a new face for what was the Palace, plus the Palace Barber Shop. We got historical designation by Texas Historical Commission a couple of years ago.
We don't know how many seats we will put in because we plan to enlarge the stage, but probably between 500 & 700. Seats will cost approximately $120-$140 each, and we have people interested in purchasing individual seats. Marilyn Baker Havens and her sister Donna Cain have made a committment to purchasing seats because their dad, Homer Baker, was the projectionist for so many years there and their mother worked in the ticket booth as well. We will identify the donors of the seats with small brass plates, as will every gift be marked.
I can provide more information and details of our plans for anyone who would be interested. As you might have noticed, I can go on forever about this project!
Hope you guys think this is a worthy cause too--
Judy Smith Johnson (class of "65)
504 Ave D NW
Childress, TX 79201
jude747@cebridge.net
940-937-2197 home
940-585-8208 cell
Judy, thanks so much for your comments about the blog, and for the information about the Palace Theater restoration ... and particularly, for sharing your memories about Paula. You found out something later in life that some of us had known all along: When Paula became truly DETERMINED to do something, there was NO deterring her! She was indeed a "live wire" with a real zest for life.
Of course all of us have memories of the Palace ... from early childhood and the "Birthday Club" ("Mrs. Baird's the bread for me, yes-siree ...", sung totally off-key but with the enthusiasm of children happily ensconced with their peers) ... to meeting our friends from junior high at the Palace when our parents would drop us off so they could have some time of their own (poor Fat Eye ... if he sometimes seemed a bit surly, there was a REALLY good reason) ... to our first " car dates" in high school ... to so many other moments. It would be great to see the old place looking more like it did once upon a time, or at least to see it in better condition. You're right ... that nasty tan color has got to go!
Please come by to "visit" at any time. It was good to hear from you.
)O(
Judy,
We are thrilled that you found our blogspot and even more thrilled that you have posted a comment for us. It was wonderful to read your shared memories of Paula. When I think of my visits to the Wild Plum, I always remember the red prom dress displayed on the wall. Someone told me that it was Paula's and it looked so very much like something she would wear.
We are happy to be able to get the word out to everyone about the restoration project for the theater. Please visit us anytime!
I just want to say that I really appreciate the blog. I've been reading it regularly since it started. I especially like the pictures and the updates, but I enjoy reading it ALL. I don't have much chance to post a comment. I'm very busy with the business, Segovia Truck Stop, here in Junction, and with other things, but it's nice to catch up with classmates, and to read the things which are being said by everyone.
Joe Don and his wife have stopped by to see me a couple of times recently, and it was good to visit with him.
The Las Vegas reunion sounds fantastic, and I'm going to do my best to be able to get away for it. Planning in advance sure helps.
I just wanted to say "Hi" and wish "Happy Holidays" to everyone.
Linda, it is so good to hear from you, and also from Pat in her comment to the "Scheherazade" post. It was wonderful of both of you to leave your "footprints" and share your voices with the others who have put in an appearance here. Despite your busy schedule, we hope that perhaps you will join us again sometime.
Nicki, I think I mentioned in the memorial post for Paula (but will note again in case some missed it) that her prom dress, referenced by both you and Judy here, was handmade ... every stitch and ruffle ... by her mother, Lorraine. It's mind boggling to imagine the amount of work Lorraine put into that dress! And, as you have seen yourself, it was absolutely gorgeous, and looked great on Paula! The videotape I have of the "Peppermint Lounge" Junior-Senior banquet, the one that shows Paula dancing in that dress with Jack Petty, is one of my treasured mementos.
)O(
For those who are interested, these links will take you to photos and information concerning the restoration of the Ritz Theater in Wellington.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
wreeves/sets/72157594524775116/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
wreeves/sets/72157602564281087/
Note: (I had to break the links to get them to fit this space.)
It is my understanding that since its restoration, the Ritz has been a vibrant part of the community. They are now showing first-run movies, plus all sorts of "cultural" presentations, such as the musical "Peggy Sue Got Married" performed by the Amarillo Little Theater, and solo performances by classical pianists and sopranos, along with "good old boy" stuff from the likes of Michael Martin Murphy. From what people tell me, it has all been a big success.
I know a lot of us would like to see the Palace restored to such great condition, and that it would be a boon for cultural activities in Childress. So be sure to contact Judy Smith Johnson if you want to help in this effort.
)O(
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