Inspiring message with scenic photos. A short 3 minute movie. A moment for reflection.
Please click on this link to view:
http://www.dashpoemmovie.com/
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Class Reunions
Class reunions: What we have that counts
By: Lynne Wisman a freelance writer and photographer in Mason City .
Months later, when nothing remained but the memories and the expensive black dress I couldn't afford, it came to me. The thought had surfaced more than once and I turned away from it, told myself it wasn't true.
But truth doesn't die and the truth then and now is that high school reunions do not begin as an opportunity to see old classmates. That is how they end.
Ten years after graduation, it's about what we "have."
I have this estate...this boat...this degree...this job...this six-figure income...live in this suburb...have this membership... Have great abs...children in private schools...have a Porsche...a great handicap in golf...a personal trainer...this summer cottage...this girlfriend. Say, by the way, do you fool around? Hey, just joking. But, seriously, did you come alone?
A 20-year reunion is when the Haves still have it, but...still have most of my hair...worried about the company downsizing...but she's fat now...he's an alcoholic...going broke paying alimony to three wives...but can't change horses in the middle of the stream...had this operation...but they're implants...they live so far away...but saving for retirement now...lost out to a younger exec. Say, you look great!
Always had this crush on you. Did you say you're here alone?
The 30-year reunion is when it starts to shine: It's the year the Haves check it at the door.. What we have isn't important anymore. It's important to be here, to see you, to see him, to see her. To remember the fun...Hi-Dive...Senior Week...the tug of war...the prom...the beer parties...the broken curfews...the souped-up cars...Senior Skip Day...the night Buddy Holly died. To remember pleated skirts and saddle shoes and the hangout where we smoked our first cigarette and felt sophisticated.
We were doing head counts long before the 40th reunion. Many of our classmates are gone now, never to attend a reunion again. Some of the Haves are now Have-Nots: wear a pacemaker...use a walker...can't golf like I used to...doctor said it was too much steak and booze...have a new heart...the bank foreclosed when the company folded...look too bad in my workout gear...sure miss some of the guys that are gone now...plan to retire soon if I live that long.
Say, aren't you in the room next to me? Didn't see your husband. Oh, he's gone now? Sorry about that but, have I got a deal for you. I take Viagra now...
Now comes the summer of the 50th. A bittersweet time in our lives, perhaps the last time we'll all be together again.
It may be the last reunion, the last time we'll see our high school friends, the last time we'll dance to the music of Buddy Holly. It may be the first time that it doesn't matter to anyone who has what or who never had it to begin with.
The joy of having material things loses ground as the years evaporate like a silent and unwelcome ghost in the night, leaving changes that far overshadow what we have.
For it was with those once tender young hearts that we learned one of the most valued lessons in life: Friends, and the memory of what once was, are priceless possessions. It's the one thing we all have.
You may not remember me but, I remember you. And it's good to see you. I only care that you're happy. I don't care that we are fat or thin or rich or poor. I care only about the years that are gone and the friendships we once had.
It took nearly a lifetime for all of us to understand the real value of yesterday.
Perhaps now we will better cherish the promise of tomorrow.
So, did you say you're here alone?
By: Lynne Wisman a freelance writer and photographer in Mason City .
Months later, when nothing remained but the memories and the expensive black dress I couldn't afford, it came to me. The thought had surfaced more than once and I turned away from it, told myself it wasn't true.
But truth doesn't die and the truth then and now is that high school reunions do not begin as an opportunity to see old classmates. That is how they end.
Ten years after graduation, it's about what we "have."
I have this estate...this boat...this degree...this job...this six-figure income...live in this suburb...have this membership... Have great abs...children in private schools...have a Porsche...a great handicap in golf...a personal trainer...this summer cottage...this girlfriend. Say, by the way, do you fool around? Hey, just joking. But, seriously, did you come alone?
A 20-year reunion is when the Haves still have it, but...still have most of my hair...worried about the company downsizing...but she's fat now...he's an alcoholic...going broke paying alimony to three wives...but can't change horses in the middle of the stream...had this operation...but they're implants...they live so far away...but saving for retirement now...lost out to a younger exec. Say, you look great!
Always had this crush on you. Did you say you're here alone?
The 30-year reunion is when it starts to shine: It's the year the Haves check it at the door.. What we have isn't important anymore. It's important to be here, to see you, to see him, to see her. To remember the fun...Hi-Dive...Senior Week...the tug of war...the prom...the beer parties...the broken curfews...the souped-up cars...Senior Skip Day...the night Buddy Holly died. To remember pleated skirts and saddle shoes and the hangout where we smoked our first cigarette and felt sophisticated.
We were doing head counts long before the 40th reunion. Many of our classmates are gone now, never to attend a reunion again. Some of the Haves are now Have-Nots: wear a pacemaker...use a walker...can't golf like I used to...doctor said it was too much steak and booze...have a new heart...the bank foreclosed when the company folded...look too bad in my workout gear...sure miss some of the guys that are gone now...plan to retire soon if I live that long.
Say, aren't you in the room next to me? Didn't see your husband. Oh, he's gone now? Sorry about that but, have I got a deal for you. I take Viagra now...
Now comes the summer of the 50th. A bittersweet time in our lives, perhaps the last time we'll all be together again.
It may be the last reunion, the last time we'll see our high school friends, the last time we'll dance to the music of Buddy Holly. It may be the first time that it doesn't matter to anyone who has what or who never had it to begin with.
The joy of having material things loses ground as the years evaporate like a silent and unwelcome ghost in the night, leaving changes that far overshadow what we have.
For it was with those once tender young hearts that we learned one of the most valued lessons in life: Friends, and the memory of what once was, are priceless possessions. It's the one thing we all have.
You may not remember me but, I remember you. And it's good to see you. I only care that you're happy. I don't care that we are fat or thin or rich or poor. I care only about the years that are gone and the friendships we once had.
It took nearly a lifetime for all of us to understand the real value of yesterday.
Perhaps now we will better cherish the promise of tomorrow.
So, did you say you're here alone?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Class Reunions
CLASS REUNION
Every three years, as July nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail.
I'll never forget the first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.
It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined.
And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed about who had been first
To achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
And how beautiful their children became.
The homecoming queen, who once had been lean,
Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.
No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.
The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Just shows you can be wrong now and then.
They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven
The farthest to attend the feast.
They took a class picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.
At our next get-together, no one cared whether
They impressed their classmates or not.
The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot.
Author Unknown
Every three years, as July nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
A reunion is planned; it'll be really grand;
Make plans to attend without fail.
I'll never forget the first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.
It was quite an affair; the whole class was there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined.
And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed about who had been first
To achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
And how beautiful their children became.
The homecoming queen, who once had been lean,
Now weighed in at one-ninety-six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.
No one had heard about the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.
The boy we'd decreed "most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Just shows you can be wrong now and then.
They awarded a prize to one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven
The farthest to attend the feast.
They took a class picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.
At our next get-together, no one cared whether
They impressed their classmates or not.
The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot.
Author Unknown
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Kansas Towns Website Links
A State of Kansas Website
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas.html
A list of the Kansas Communities on the Web
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/
A Gove County Website
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/counties/GO/index.html
Another Gove County Website
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/gove/
Grainfield Opera House
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/gove/opera%20house/opera.html
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/kansas.html
A list of the Kansas Communities on the Web
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/
A Gove County Website
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/counties/GO/index.html
Another Gove County Website
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/gove/
Grainfield Opera House
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/gove/opera%20house/opera.html
2007 GRHS Reunion Pictures
We have 57 digital pictures taken by Doreen Boor of Great Bend, KS and 38 pictures contributed by Joyce Roberts Lott for a total of 95 reunion pictures. We owe a great deal of thanks to the efforts and kindness of Joyce Lott and Doreen Boor for taking the time to photograph and process these pictures. Doreen and her husband provided the catering for the event.
A Note of Appreciation
Joe Dinkel of Hill City and Rudy Dinkel of Grainfield are owed an enormous debt of gratitude for the assistance they provided in updating the GRHS Alumni database. Without their thorough knowledge of the living and deceased alumni, it couldn't have been done.
The Grainfield Rural High School Alumni Reunion Pictures are courtesy of Joyce Roberts Lott, taken July 28, 2007.
Joyce has web sites containing her personal photo galleries at http://community.webshots.com/user/joyceroberts64 and her new web site http://milleniumwebs.com/joycelott
Those who attended the reunion may remember her as the one taking all the digital camera shots. She has consented to making these pictures available to the Alumni. Her efforts are greatly appreciated.
The Grainfield Rural High School Alumni Reunion Pictures are courtesy of Joyce Roberts Lott, taken July 28, 2007.
Joyce has web sites containing her personal photo galleries at http://community.webshots.com/user/joyceroberts64 and her new web site http://milleniumwebs.com/joycelott
Those who attended the reunion may remember her as the one taking all the digital camera shots. She has consented to making these pictures available to the Alumni. Her efforts are greatly appreciated.
2007 GRHS Alumni Reunion Attendees
Class
Year - Attendees
1937 - Richard Schmidt
1938 - Velma Gillespie, Vera Roberts
1939 - Houston Stubbs
1941 - Elmer Berens
1942 - Francis Cox, William Orten
1944 - Lenard Ribordy, Loretta Shaw
1945 - Victor Schmidtberger
1946 - Emma Kaiser, Ruby Bixenman, Sally Dinkel
1947 - Leona Carter
1948 - Elmer Heier, Bernard Deges, Virginia Wildeman, Jim Kepferle
1949 - Ann Weber, Geraldine Shaw
1950 - Adolph Dinkel, Florence Bayack, Bob Kepferle
1952 - Laverna Moore, Jim Brungardt
1953 - Ray Gagnon, Darlene Schwarzenberger, Mary Ann Feldt
1954 - Sylvester Engel
1955 - Delmar Kaiser, Betty Gagnon, LeRoy Dinkel, Marilyn Petersen
1956 - Jeanine Beamgard, Elaine Selenke
1957 - Norma Zerr, Louise Wildeman, Louella Zerr, Charles Reitcheck
1958 - Gene Deges
1959 - Wilma Geist, David Gagnon, Marlene Kaiser, Jim Ziegler, Freda Hunt, Leon Deges
1960 - Don Gagnon, Orvis Katt, Herbert Queen, Janice Arnhold
1961 - Fern Mader, Bill Goetz, Yvonne Palisfer
1962 - Virgil Deges, Martin Gagnon, Janet Downey
1963 - Shirley Kaiser, Doreen Boor, Verlene Feldt, Antonia Waldman, Louise Wildeman, Imogene Wildeman, Virginia Ochs, Ruth Ann Pracht, Lois Limes
1964 - Jim Arnott
1965 - Eugene Ziegler
1966 - John Stubbs, Judy Reinecker, Gary Gassman, Nancy Sumpter
1967 - Dwight Hartman, Wanda Thummel, Sylvia Tanner, Charlene Gassman, Denver Cox
1968 - Kirby Gillespie, Mary Lou Wiedeman
1969 - David Welton
Year - Attendees
1937 - Richard Schmidt
1938 - Velma Gillespie, Vera Roberts
1939 - Houston Stubbs
1941 - Elmer Berens
1942 - Francis Cox, William Orten
1944 - Lenard Ribordy, Loretta Shaw
1945 - Victor Schmidtberger
1946 - Emma Kaiser, Ruby Bixenman, Sally Dinkel
1947 - Leona Carter
1948 - Elmer Heier, Bernard Deges, Virginia Wildeman, Jim Kepferle
1949 - Ann Weber, Geraldine Shaw
1950 - Adolph Dinkel, Florence Bayack, Bob Kepferle
1952 - Laverna Moore, Jim Brungardt
1953 - Ray Gagnon, Darlene Schwarzenberger, Mary Ann Feldt
1954 - Sylvester Engel
1955 - Delmar Kaiser, Betty Gagnon, LeRoy Dinkel, Marilyn Petersen
1956 - Jeanine Beamgard, Elaine Selenke
1957 - Norma Zerr, Louise Wildeman, Louella Zerr, Charles Reitcheck
1958 - Gene Deges
1959 - Wilma Geist, David Gagnon, Marlene Kaiser, Jim Ziegler, Freda Hunt, Leon Deges
1960 - Don Gagnon, Orvis Katt, Herbert Queen, Janice Arnhold
1961 - Fern Mader, Bill Goetz, Yvonne Palisfer
1962 - Virgil Deges, Martin Gagnon, Janet Downey
1963 - Shirley Kaiser, Doreen Boor, Verlene Feldt, Antonia Waldman, Louise Wildeman, Imogene Wildeman, Virginia Ochs, Ruth Ann Pracht, Lois Limes
1964 - Jim Arnott
1965 - Eugene Ziegler
1966 - John Stubbs, Judy Reinecker, Gary Gassman, Nancy Sumpter
1967 - Dwight Hartman, Wanda Thummel, Sylvia Tanner, Charlene Gassman, Denver Cox
1968 - Kirby Gillespie, Mary Lou Wiedeman
1969 - David Welton
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
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