Transitions: The Autumn of Our Lives

Like Jennifer, I find that fall is my favorite season of the year. Actually, it is more than my favorite season. It is the time of year that I find myself full of renewed energy--much more so than spring which is traditionally the season of new beginnings. It is not unusual for me to find myself searching for the signs of fall in the other seasons. It only takes a crisp cool day in the spring or summer for me to drag Jim outside and demand that he smell autumn in the air and like a child I want to ask,"are we there yet?" I love the changing of the leaves from green to orange or red or yellow and brown. I love the cooler days and I can't wait to drag out my sweaters and jeans as they are my favorite clothes. I even look forward to football so I can wrap myself in a blanket and read a good book while Jim sits and watches tv and answers my occasional questions about who has the ball and what is the score. As I have already said, I love decorating for fall and thinking about Halloween. All of these delights serve to remind me that for a while we have a respite from hot summer days and the hustle and bustle of Christmas yet to come followed by cold icy days and then blustery spring and turbulent weather. Like Jennifer, October is my birthday month which serves as a symbol of other transitions to me.

I have heard over the years that aging is transitioning symbolically from one season to another. Recently, I asked Jim (remember that in an earlier post, I identified Jim as my pondering partner) if we are there yet?--in the autumn of our lives. Of course, he pondered this question for a second or two and then asked, "would that be bad?" and that is truly a question to ponder. There are so many good things about this time in our lives. We have retired, so we have so much more time for doing what we really want to do. We no longer have those old work related stressors. We have grandchildren to enjoy and love. Seeing our children as adults and on their own is comforting. I feel much more relaxed and free when I allow myself to and I guess that is a key to being in the autumn of one's life--allowing one's self to appreciate the place and time in which we find ourselves and accepting that the autumn of our lives really isn't such a bad place at all.

As the Class of 1963, we have transitioned from high school to retirement with all the "seasons" in between. There is no way I can know how the coming of autumn is affecting each of you, but it is my sincere hope that as I have stated before that all your leaves fall gently around you, that you gather the harvest of your life and count your blessings and that you wrap yourself in happiness and the warmth of autumn fires.

Nicki

Don't Know Much About History ...? How About Halloween???

For the past couple of weeks, I have been engrossed in Ken Burns' masterful history of The War, specifically World War II, on PBS. I wasn't born until after that war, and I feel sure that anyone in our class who was born while it was being fought, is actually too young to have any personal memories of it. I truly believe The War should be seen by every one of us, and recommended to our children and grandchildren. Those who served in the war's far-flung theaters of operation, and those who "served" by their efforts at home, are now dying at the rate of about 1,000 per day, and I don't think I can possibly overstate the importance of preserving their memories of that time, much as Steven Spielberg is recording the stories of Holocaust survivors in his Shoah project.

I am a great believer in Santayana's (NOT Carlos Santana) dictum that those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it. And yet, how can we "remember" if no one leads us to such memories? And how damaging and downright scary can "memory" be, if it is false? I have been appalled in recent years at the level of education of our high school ... not to say college, as well ... graduates. And my Appall-O-Meter went totally off the track when Burns pointed out in an interview that there are many of our young people today who actually think we fought WITH the Germans AGAINST the Russians in that war, among other egregious misconceptions. Actually, I was merely reminded to be appalled, because I remember very well when I was drilling someone for a World History test that Coach Joe Warren had promised us (waaaayback in sophomore year, only about 15 years or so after the war), and that person had NO CLUE as to the identities of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler, or what they did, or indeed what "we" as a nation had endured and accomplished in that struggle.

As our parents' generation leaves us, it is incumbent upon us to teach our own children, and grandchildren, the history (not only of our country, but of the world) that came before them ... before US, even. What a concept! However, it is equally incumbent for us to know what we're talking about when we assume the role of educators. If you didn't see The War, I urge you to do so ... and to keep history alive and REAL for those who follow us.


That said, fall is here!!! Glorious fall ... my favorite time of the year. I think my affinity for fall goes beyond my desire for cooler weather after the scorching summers of Texas and Las Vegas, probably back into long-dead (!) memories of Celtic rites and traditions, smoke from the bonfires blending with the Irish mists, the dying of the old year and the rebirth to come. Which immediately begs the question: Isn't it fascinating to learn how many different people in many different lands calculate and celebrate the New Year? Anyway, it is fascinating to me. I am sure some of my friends have been bemused over the years as I have sent them e-cards celebrating not only "our" New Year, but Chinese New Year, Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year), Muharram, Songkran, and coming up soon, the putative Celtic New Year (Samhain anyone?), which many people think may be the origin of our own festive Halloween. And, I thought you might be interested in reading the truthy story of Halloween ... its truthiness as Stephen Colbert might say, and as Merriam-Webster defines.

The Truthy Story of Halloween
by Guinevere the Druid Goddess*

*or, yours truthily ....

Many people think the appellation "Halloween" is a colloquial contraction of "All Hallows Eve" and that Halloween is a quasi-religious holiday with deep, primordial roots in pagan ethos. Not so. Halloween was invented by, and named for, a displaced Irishman living in the Carpathian Mountains, curiously if ethnically yclept Hal O'Ween, who had been run out of Ireland (along with other assorted snakes) for sundry nefarious schemes. After wandering aimlessly through Eastern Europe with a loaf of bread, a jug of wine and a band of itinerant midgets he had befriended along the way, Hal reached the end of his purse and his provisions (not to mention his Reeboks) and decided it was time to settle down and find sustenance.

Unfortunately, neither Hal nor his band had a nodding acquaintance with the Carpathian (or any other variety) work ethic, so he turned again to a life of crime. Hal and his band first attempted highway robbery (in the original, rather than than the political, sense ... however, I digress), but this proved discouraging (and ultimately fatal) because the members of the band were so small that passing coachmen whipping their horses at breakneck speed simply ran over them.

Hal's next scheme involved sending one or two of his band to the huts of Carpathian villagers. When a villager answered the door, the band members would brandish their cudgels and growl menacingly, "Fight or Feed!" However, no self-respecting Carpathian villager is going to kowtow to such belligerence, particularly from the vertically-challenged, so the situation rapidly deteriorated to all "Fight" and no "Feed", which the villagers found to be great sport anyway. (In fact, though it cannot be proven, scholars speculate that in addition to Halloween, the great contemporary pub pastime of dwarf-tossing began during Hal's Carpathian sojourn.)

Facing defeat, frustration and imminent starvation. Hal and his band retired to their cave to contemplate their navels (both cosmically and culinarily speaking). Then, just when everything seemed darkest (I believe it was just before the dawn), Hal hit upon his great, immortal idea. Once again, Hal sent his band in groups of two into the village, but rather than waving their clubs and demanding "Fight or Feed", the band members were now dressed in cute costumes and lisped winsomely at the villagers, "Trick or Treat?" When the villagers asked what they meant, "the band answered "For Hal O'Ween!" And this time, the villagers deduced, as Hal intended (the average Carpathian villager not being known as a mental marvel), that this was some new game for children. Eager to play, the villagers now showered the band members with potatoes, black bread and the odd joint of mutton.

After a few nights of this, Hal and the band had made considerable inroads into Carpathian larders, whereupon the villagers cried "Enough!" (or the Carpathian equivalent thereof), and decreed that from that day forward, Halloween (Carpathian villagers are likewise not known for their spelling abilities) would be observed only once, at the end of the harvest season. As a sop to the "kids", the villagers decided to distribute candy, sweetmeats and other delicacies, rather than pedestrian foodstuffs, to all those cute "little ones" who came to "Trick or Treat for Halloween".

So that is the truthy story of Halloween. What? You ask what became of Hal and his band? Well, after his Carpathian cookie crumbled, Hal and his band immigrated to the United States, settled in New Orleans, formed a musical group in Le Vieux Carre, and went on to great renown. Surely you've heard of ... (rim shot, cymbal) ... "Hal-exander's Ragtime Band"????

I feel your pain ....

)O(

JOHN (JOHNNY) R. MCCONNELL

UPDATE: October 4, 2007 I spoke this morning with Jackie McConnell, John's widow, and have some additional information for all of you who have expressed sorrow at John's passing and sympathy and concern for his family. Jackie was wonderfully warm and gracious to speak with me at such a difficult time for her and the family, and I thank her so much for her time.

Jackie and I had a lovely conversation, given the circumstances, and she spoke so eloquently of John's battle with cancer, of how proud John was of their two sons, Jason and Kevin and their families, and how much he doted on his grandchildren Peyton and Willem.

For those who have inquired, John's mother, Gladys, known to many of us, is still alive and in a nursing home, but Jackie says that she must use a wheelchair and that her mental faculties are not what they once were.

I mentioned this blog to Jackie, and gave her the web address. She said that she will pass it along to their sons, who she believes will be interested to see what we have written about John. I told her that we would welcome any comment they (or she) might wish to make, if any, in memory of John.

John's obituary ran in today's Houston Chronicle, and I am including it here, along with a more recent picture than those which have been added by Nicki (no disrespect to Nicki, of course). Also, Jackie informed me that she has given the pertinent information to The Childress Index, which will also run an obit. The obit contains more information about John, some of which we already knew, like his love of golf, plus information about services.

John Robert McConnell, of Spring, Texas was born on the 31st of December 1944 in San Francisco, California, passed away on the 1st of October 2007. John is a former resident of Childress, Texas where he spent his earlier years in life. John was at his best while on the golf course where he was an avid golfer; John also enjoyed hunting and fishing, he was one that truly appreciated his family and friends. John was an employee with Reliance Steel and Aluminum for seven years and in the business for over 35 years. John is survived by his loving and caring wife of 40 years, Jackie, his sons Jason McConnell and wife Lisa, Kevin McConnell and wife Nicole, and two wonderful grandchildren, Peyton and Willem. John's family would like you to join them at his memorial service celebrating his life, Friday the 5th of October 2007 at Forest Park The Woodlands Chapel at one o'clock in the afternoon with Pastor Don Kidd officiating.

At the end of our conversation, I told Jackie that many of our classmates were thinking of John, and our shared history, and of her and the family, and that I was certain they would all be in our thoughts today, tomorrow and in days to come. I urge those of you who haven't left a comment or an anecdote to please do so, as I am sure it will be appreciated by John's family.

After my conversation with Jackie, I called Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home regarding whether they had a means for us to leave online condolences. I was advised that by tomorrow we will be able to access a memorial website at mem.com, enter John's name, and at the obit site there will be a link so that we may write a message for the family.

Jim left a "Comment" on the blog yesterday that he regretted not getting in touch with Johnny in later years, and I have had others express the same to me in e-mails. Perhaps we should all take this as a reminder not to put off getting in touch with old friends, or family, or anyone who means something to us, because one day it may be too late.

In sadness,
Jennifer

Posted October 2, 2007

Word came this evening via phone call from Pat Davenport Shapiro, who just heard through a friend of hers, that Johnny McConnell died last night in hospice care at his home in Spring, Texas (a suburb of Houston). As some of you will know, Johnny had battled cancer for the past several years. I last talked with him while Yahn and I were still living in Houston, probably about five or six years ago, and he was undergoing treatment at the time but, if I recall correctly, seemed to be in a bit of a remission. It was obvious the disease had taken a toll, but he was determined to do all he could to overcome it. Pat said that it's her understanding that he didn't actually die of the cancer, but that his liver finally gave out, possibly due to all his cancer treatments.

I know that many of us have many good memories of Johnny, inextricably intertwined with our memories of growing up in Childress. Johnny was actually the first boy outside my family who ever kissed me, chastely on the cheek, as a result of playing "Spin the Bottle" at a wiener roast for the gang held at his house when we were in fifth grade. And of course I remember him at the Country Club, not only playing golf with Jim and Reed, but at the Country Club dances and hay rides that they had for us young'uns.

I have Johnny's home address and telephone number if anyone wants to send a card or place a call to his widow, Jacki. Just let me know by e-mail (yahnjenn@cox.net) and I will provide the information. I am also checking the Houston Chronicle obit page (nothing today, but possibly tomorrow) to see if there is a notice there. At this juncture, I don't know anything about services, and neither did Pat. If I learn more, I will update this notice.

I am hopeful that some of you will choose to comment, or tell a story, about Johnny here on the blog.

So sorry to bring bad news, but I thought the class would want to know.

We Shopped Till We Dropped!

After six days away, Jim and I have returned to Amarillo. Jim and two of his golfing/basketball coach buddies enjoyed three days of golfing on some of the nice golf courses in the Dallas area while the three wives enjoyed three days of shopping. On Friday we visited the Canton Trade Days and had such a great time. I think we must have made about one third of the area so that definitely is a good excuse to go again and again. The big items were Christmas and Fall related so I couldn't resist some buys. I am in to snowmen and scarecrows. Luckily my daughter, Kim, was able to drive us there in her Suburban and we needed every inch of it to get all of our stuff home. On Saturday, we shopped Dallas which is always a treat and there is always something new to discover. My really good news is that I have now selected and purchased THREE Christmas gifts. I am on a roll !

On Sunday, we moved to Granbury to stay in a bed and breakfast that I must tell you about. If you are looking for a wonderful weekend or short get-away this is the place. Granbury is such a quaint place with great boutique shopping around the downtown square. There are many bed and breakfast places there, but this particular one is really special and it has been featured in numerous magazines. The Inn on Lake Granbury is everything a getaway should be--relaxing, romantic, and luxurious. The rooms are gorgeous and in the morning guests are treated to a true gourmet breakfast. The grounds and location lend themselves to total peace and quiet or shopping and dining. We loved it. The only bad thing about it is having to leave. It is great for anniversaries, birthdays, reunions, and weddings or just for fun.

One of the nice things about Jim's golfing is that Coach Joe Warren was able to join him for golf part of the time and for dinner one night. It is always nice to see him. It gives him and Jim time to catch up on the old Childress days as well as the new things going on in our lives. He has four grandchildren that keep him busy as do our two. Luckily both of his children and their families live in the Dallas area as does he. He does remember many of us from those days and always enjoys hearing about everyone. He is also in touch with Joe Don quite often as well as some others.

Now that I am connected again, I will be able to publish, post, and comment on anything that comes in. I am so excited that our friend Shelia Davis Martinez has commented on several of our posts. Be sure to check them out and hopefully respond to what Shelia has to say. Shelia, keep up the good work and show everyone how easy it is!

Jim and I will be leaving again on Thursay for a return trip to Flower Mound to keep our grandson, but we stay connected there, too. I have spent time getting ready for our trip. The grandson, who is seven, and I share a love of all things Halloween so we will be decorating his front yard for Halloween, making a trip to the pumpkin patch which is near by, decorating pumpkins, and making fall and Halloween cookies. He is very excited and can't wait until we get there. He has a love of all things grisly, ghostly, and ghastly. The main feature in his decorating scheme is a graveyard of skulls and bones. I lean toward the cute happy ghosts, witches, and pumpkins. That is the challenge, but he is quick to remind me that it is "his yard". I am happy to obey his wishes in that area and return to my house to be "cute".

It is such good news that our friend Lynn continues to improve. We trust that she will be letting us hear from her as time goes on. Hooray for you, Lynn! We continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers.

It is good to be back in touch. May Blessings keep "Falling" around all of you!

Nicki

Is That A Kalashnikov ... or Are You Just REALLY Happy to See Me?

Subtitled: Strange Bobcat Encounters in the Land of Moses

My husband Yahn likes to tell me that planning is what you do while you're waiting to find out what's REALLY going to happen. On Saturday, the day after I posted "'Cat Tracks ..." and other esoterica and ruminations on road trips, it became necessary to postpone my trip to Childress for later in October. So, at this juncture, I am still "connected", for better or worse, depending on how you look at it. The upside of the postponement is that Raenell and I will get to jointly celebrate our birthdays while I am there!!!!

The other upside is that have been here to nag Mike Spradley into telling another of his great stories, and he has come through in grand Sprad fashion. So, without further ado, again in Bobcat Blue, I give you Mike Spradley.

Okee dokee.....the Sinai Desert story.......I told this story to my 1973 Lubbock Monterey High School Reunion and was voted the biggest liar at the reunion........begins....

During the '70s I spent many years conducting seismic surveys in the Red Sea. I worked for the Israelis while they were in charge, as well as the Egyptians when they were in charge. Sometimes I worked for both of them at the same time which almost got me "kilt off" a couple of times. I worked on the reefs on the West side as well as the East side.

This particular story was the first job beginning in January 1973. Our program was conducting seismic over these beautiful coral reefs from Sharm El Sheik north to Ras Gara. Sharm El Sheik had been a huge Egyptian fortress before the '67 war and was the last place captured by the Israelis in '67. So, in 1973, Israel had some pretty serious military forces all over that desert.......This was the only job I have ever had where I was issued my very own sub-machine gun (which was a early version of a Kalashnikov carbine that I used to shoot up my miserable Israeli box lunch everyday ... until they took my bullets away). My rifle was stamped 1956....which meant it was captured by the Israelis during that war when we were all in the 6th grade.......it had never been fired and only dropped once.....ahem ahem....I digress.....

Soooooooooooo....one day.....I am on my navigation boat laying out instruments. "Bing bing bing".....my computer room calls me on the radio to tell me it's all screwed up and I must return to fix it. The route back by boat.....through all the reefs....was quite tricky.....and according to the map on the navigation boat......i was only 3 kilometers from the boat to the computer room......."across the desert!!"......by myself!!!!.....but not to worry....not to worry ... so I had the boat get me as close to the beach as possible.....water over a coral reef can be quite deceiving.........I thought it was knee deep.......so I stepped off the boat.....ta ta!! into about 7 feet of water...... Spoolooosh!!!!....so....now I am drenched......in the desert......in January....and it is colder than the witch's mammary gland in a tin can....but???

Not to worry.....off I go...the boy from Childress.....following a similar path as other former greats.....(like Moses, actually)......but and however.....my idiot navigator measured the distance incorrectly......instead of 3 kilometers....it was more like 7 kms. Wind was blowing like Hades over my wet clothes....I was freezing like the dickens....so I reached the conclusion that I would be warmer if I took all my clothes off......which I did....forthwith....I then had on my tennis shoes and my US Navy hat....and all the secrets that only my Mommy knew......it was much better. Everything shrunk up in the cold so I even had less skin exposed. heh heh.......

After about an hour of traipsing across the desert......I see....waaaaaaay way way off.......an Israeli military halftrack moving perpendicular to my path. It was a troop carrier.....with a bunch of troops in the back.....Whan' sho nuff......they seen' me....and taken' off in my direction..... So anyway, someone in the halftrack saw this figure crossing the desert and decided to pop on over to check me out......as they got closer and closer I could see all these troops in the back.......and then....they wuz upon me!!!....and they started circling around me in that track. They were all wearing helmets and goggles....just like in that Patton movie......after about the 2rd circle around me......about 5 or 6 of them took off their helmets........and guess what....you got it......

T'was the Israeli womens' army riding around in the desert......looking for anything extraordinary......and apparently,...nothing I had must have reached their standard of extraordinary.....because on the 3rd pass.....they took off to their original position....just a'waving and a'whistlin" and a'holler'n........did not offer to stop.....or offer a lift.....or exchange phone numbers......

it was the biggest ego popper since Danna Lewellen insulted me in the 5th grade in front of the Palace Theater..... so thas it........I have been back to Sharm many times......there is a natural rock in the desert that looks exactly like the John Kennedy profile on a half dollar....amazing.......I gotta git tho....Sprad

As a footnote to Mike's story, Sharm el-Sheik is indeed a gorgeous place ... wonderful diving ... and Egypt and the Middle East are a looooong way from Childress, and not just in miles. When Yahn and I were in Egypt in 1987, we had taken an overnight trip to Alexandria. On the way back to Cairo, we passed a brand new city rising in the desert, named "6th October City." Immediately recognizing that "6th October" referred to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, which Israel won big-time (after a really scary few days), I asked our guide, Aki, just WHY the Egyptians would want to name a city after THAT war. Aki didn't blink and said, "We won that war." When I called him on it, he admitted that HE knew Egypt hadn't won ... he had traveled outside the country and was educated ... but the Egyptian press and other news sources had convinced MOST Egyptians that they HAD won by carefully culling and editing news and information about the war and presenting a prettier picture to the populace ... all the time, of course, claiming to be fair and balanced ... but I digress ....

We had a day and night in Alexandria, and after seeing most of the sights ... and sites ... we managed to inadvertently crash an Egyptian wedding that night at the hotel. We were welcomed like family and urged to stay and celebrate with them, and had a wonderful time. Later, we ran into Aki in the lobby. Knowing that Muslims are adjured not to drink alcohol, we told Aki we were planning to stop for a drink before bed, and we'd love for him to join us, even though we knew his religion forbade drinking. Aki told us that he would NEVER, EVER drink in front of his family ... but that he had heard of something in our country called "Sunday Baptists" ... and he supposed he was a Sunday Muslim. Fabulous evening, fabulous trip ... and our first of two to the Land of the Pharaohs ....

Come back soon, Mike. We're still awaiting the cheerleader story ....