A Degas For All Seasons

This one's for you, Peggy. So sorry to hear about your toe and the flu, too! Awk!

Get well soon, toots!

And the best of all new years to everyone!!

Physical Bond II

Well...in trying to balance sexual representation on our blog, I have lost my original post. My apologies to those who commented.

Cough.

Anyone seen any good movies lately? I loved this one.

Happy Holidays

to all of the bloggers, and those that are just looking,perhaps future bloggers...
and pass it on to those that don't have a computer, yet(Greta!)

Baby It's Cold Outside

Or at least it is here.

Sorry to have been away so long and so mysteriously, I didn't intend to be. My dad has been very ill and I've been pretty busy with things related to that. And the holidays, of course. I will have to go to the recipe blog and post my recipe for the most amazing muffins I'm making as gifts -- they are made with coconut flour and blueberries. And speaking of traditions, Daniel, I go around to 2nd hand stores every year and collect all the coolest, funkiest plates from the '60's that I can find, then make dear little muffins like these to put on the plates and give as gifts every year. This gives me an excuse to give my friends way-cool plates to keep, since just handing them an empty plate can seem odd. My tradition of 2 or 3 years now, I guess. Maddie helped me wrap some up tonight.

Anyway, I just wanted to explain my absence (just as in high school , I guess) and to wish all a great holiday season.

July 21st is going to be here before we know it.

And this is going to be so cool I can hardly stand it.

with love Claudia

p.s. a little Degas for Story! Hope you are better soon!

Recognize any of these kiddies?

Can you find any of your SHS classmates in this picture? Look for Rebecca, Andy, Peggy, Jane Cross, Julie Ross, Sue P?, Robin Shore, ...maybe more.

I am still looking for the ones with Claudia in it. Her grade school pic reminds me of the little girl in the movie Wait Until Dark.

Happy Holidays: Your Favorite Tradition (....Tradition)

What’s your favorite holiday tradition this time of year?

Feel free to Share & Tell…..and I’ll tell you, initially, why I enjoy this time year so much:

First, there’s seems to be a struggle and a challenge on the West Coast to find the feeling of family, given so many of us are newcomers living far away from our roots (That’s me raising my hand as high as possible.)

For example, it was with great chagrin and regret that I bid my first cousin goodbye a few years ago when she and her wonderful family moved to Kansas City from Novato in Marin County, CA where we both lived.

So now Linda and I are without any immediate family in Marin County, though it’s nice her folks are 60 miles away to the south.

Seeking more and ongoing connection and bonding with community, we’ve found surrogate replacements, such as the Swing Dance community (lots of fun!) and (for me) conservation volunteering (local Audubon chapter).

But none of it replaces true family……which is why my vote for a favorite holiday tradition is to send out a plenitude of holiday cards, each with a current photo of our little threesome tribe: me, Linda and our Dogter: Sierra, a sweet-sweet, 12-year-old black labrador.

Getting together with friends at holiday time is also heart-warming…….This year, Joan Walsh, kicked off the holiday cheer in a special way a couple nights ago by inviting us for her Tree Trimming Party. Thanks Joan (!) – and Linda and I enjoyed meeting your daughter, Nora, your siser, and your friends, in addition to marveling at your cool and elegant abode. Great to see you!

Daniel Edelstein, who better get busy with the holiday card sendout (i.e., this year’s version has an artistic Snowy Owl on the cover, one of your Wisconsin winter rare visitors……)

Roads Traveled

A possible topic for discussion would be the different places people have lived since '76. As someone who never ventured farther than ~68 miles from Milwaukee (not counting vacations and business trips) it's interesting to see where people ended up and how they got there.

It seems like many people are still in the Milwaukee area and in Shorewood (not that there's anything wrong with that, for many of us Shorewood was a good home) but we've heard from people in Europe, GA, MI, MA, FL, CA, MT ... how'd you end up there and where else did you live up until now. School ... jobs ... spouses ... potential spouses ... what took you there, and maybe what drove you away? (that's pretty personal, sorry, share only what you wish to)

This may be good conversation for the future reunion but it would be hard to get around the room and see everyone or tell the story 50 times .... besides, July is a long way off and at our advanced age we may forget what we read here and have to ask again anyways.

David M

Coffee tomorrow

Thanks Anita for calling this am - I will join in the coffee clutch at 12:30 at Stone Creek. Please can we consider downtown locations - There is lots going on in Economic Development for DT MKE!

Thanksgiving #48 Down

Isn't that an interesting picture? I can't stop looking at it.

Anyways: Not a big fan of the holiday season over here. I think it has something to do with...well, just the math -- I mean, 48 Thanksgivings? Forty-eight?
And every year I tell myself I'm going to be nice about Christmas, or at least sane, but it's hard when WalMart starts putting out the sweetened condensed milk and tinsel before Halloween. I'm not kidding. Pre-Halloween this year.
So every year I tell myself I'm not going to get mean about this, and every year I end up frustrated and disbelieving of all my friends who stay happy, bake and distribute homemade cookies, put up decorations outside their homes, AND don't seem to gain any weight over the holidays.
And I hate everything and get fatter every year. So that's fair.
48.
Robert and Maddie love, and I mean LOVE it. They even hammered nails into our livingroom wall one year so they could put up a star of lights. And another year they went out and bought a giant red velvet bow to put on the front door. I think I might have misplaced that thing last summer when I was cleaning out our storeroom. Whoops!
Anyway, anyway, anyway. What I came here to say was that I really had a nice time yesterday. We went to our Alano Club (building where local 12-step meetings are held) and got together with a mess of people I knew and some I'd never met before. There was tons of food and not much room, and I crammed myself into a seat between an old guy who looked pretty alone, and a couple I haven't spoken with in years. It was absolutely great.
Before Robert and I went to sleep last night we talked about all the people we know who we can't even figure out how they're buying gasoline, much less health insurance (we don't have any either) or making their house payments. A lot of them are single and well over 50, too. With no kids.
We go to sleep every night in a sinfully comfortable bed with a complete set of clean sheets on it, and have way more food around than we can possibly eat. We're healthy and also take for granted the fact that we have heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. Plus we all like eachother just a heck of a lot around here. And then there's Agatha. Greatest dog ever.
And I feel sorry for myself sometimes because of what, again?
Oh yeah: because I hate vacuming and some days I have to empty the dishwasher twice. Or I have to drive into town more than twice and I'm tired! And I can really get going on this stuff sometimes. You should hear all the weeping and wailing that goes on in my head.
Or not.
There's a little snow on the ground this morning, and Maddie had a friend sleep over last night. She just asked for some breakfast: sausage with french toast. Guess what? We have all the stuff! Lucky us.
After breakfast, I think maybe a little snowball action.

I'd Be Writing A Gratitude Post Now, But...

I think I've got the flu. I can't stop sleeping and everything hurts.

But still I crawl to the computer to see if anyone's here.

Happy Thanksgiving you excellent people! Boy, am I glad to know you!

Cheese & Slackers

She's got both...or has one and is the other.

Anyway, do I understand that we want to use "Cheese & Slackers" as the name for our recipe blog?

What about our "user name"...you know, for our profile?

And password ideas?

And slogans?

Here's A Fair Question:

Name three (3) of the best movies you've seen in the past thirty (30) years.

I'll go first. These are not in order, just three (3) of the best I can think of at the moment:

1. Tender Mercies
2. Fight Club
3. A Room With A View

And no fair thinking too hard!

Okay, whattaya got?

Joan Is Gonna Kill Me But....

You can see her on PBS's NOW program, tonight, Friday November 10, at 8 pm. There are usually reruns of NOW, too, over the weekend. Check local listings.

Here's one of our teachers:

This is Sally Kneser and her husband, Jim. She taught French, English, Drama Club and Volleyball. They are now in Colorado and both helped organize an institute in Denver called the Academy for Lifelong Learning (www.Academyll.com) and are teaching there.

at SHS last weekend

Time Difference

Hi All,

Everytime I try to post it's a different story and the time difference isn't helping. I only have access at an internet cafe. So to quickly respond to the many things I've read . I've been in Bordeaux since June and will be back on the eastside of Milwaukee, where I live, in December. Dave Phinney is alive, but I am not sure how well and I see him walking near north and prospect but we've never spoken. Joan, I have the pictures of people in the cheerleading uniform, so watch the "short" comments. Perry, by far, has the best legs! Andy, I am trying to remember you working in the kitchen at Primas. Laurels house sounds great. I love all the chatter and wish I could jump in because my head is spinning with curiousity. It has been a great source of entertainment and freaks me out a little.....I'm dreaming about highschool. I look forward to next July.

a bientôt,
Jodie

Wanna Play Tag?

I got "tagged" yesterday by one of my writer-blogging pals who had been "tagged" before me. What she was tagged to do was to name 5 things about herself that were interesting or unique.

Then I had to post 5 things about MYself that were interesting or unique. I did it fast, without thinking, and here's what I posted on her blog:

1. I lived in Chatham, England for one year, in 1968. I went to a real, old-fashioned public school there with a headmaster who wore a black robe and we had church every morning. It was fantastic.

2. I worked for Larry’s Flying Service in Galena, AK for almost a year. The town was so small that people passengers would call me at work at ask me what time their plane was leaving without telling me their name or where they were going. I was expected to answer. It was the greatest job I’ve ever had.

3. I was a panhandler in San Francisco for about a month when I was 28 years old. I was working for Charles Schwab and hadn’t had a drink in about 4 years, I guess, when one day I decided to have a beer after work with friends. Unfortunatley, alcoholism does not just go away with time, and I was on the street within about a month. That was an interesting job too (panhandling, I mean — one time I got a 20 dollar bill, it’s amazing what people will give you! It makes me sad to remember it, though. I was pretty sick.)

4. I think I’ve probaby read Salem’s Lot over 200 times. And I think that’s a conservative estimate.

5. I love toast with peanut butter and a fried egg on top. I cannot understand why everyone else in the world does not love this, too.

Okay, so that's how it works. You guys want to play?

Only time will tell, but I think I'm going to make one change to the game: I TAG EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO PLAY!! Post your responses here!

Thanks!
Claudia

Copperdome pages

Is John Larroquette related to our principal?

What next?

Now I've heard it all!
I didn't think anythting could top a Claudia Nowicki with class spirit,
but then Matt Rossi showed up on a dogsled, and with grandchildren yet,
and now I have a mental picture of Dan Edelstein DRESSED LIKE A PIMP, sliding his wife though his legs, tossing her over his head, and twirling her in mid air, all to the sounds of The Gene Krupa Orchestra.
I mean, what next?!!!!!!!!
Not that all this isn't great, cause it is. But I really feel like I have stepped into an alternate universe!
Luckily, this won't be one of my longer posts. All I have left to say Is rah, mush, and alreet!
I am now officially speechless.

dan b (no, not bennett, think harder)

Remember when Dan and Holly brought Dean Martin's daughter for Show And Tell?

Greta, Kate, Katie, and Holly. 1996

Another One Succumbs

Alright you have all sucked me in! I am here - I know where Ann is - the 21st is already on my calendar and probably 80% of my job and other board commitments involve event planning. So I am happy to help. Please would someone explain this blog thing never did it - don't know how, I suppose I could ask my 14 tear old who is having a much better experience at SIS also my oldest (a sophomore at UW) had great times at SHS. Can't believe I moved back after 23 years, I think it was the 20th!!! You current Shorewoodians will find me moving from 1905 E. Olive to 4145-47 N. Murray this weekend stop by and say hello, what a pathetic way to try and get help...there will be cold beer!! Just kidding - sort of.
Thalia

Minor Surgery

This morning I was asked to include an email address on our address list, and I realized that I am far behind on updates like these.

If you would like to have your name or email address added to any of our lists and I've missed you, please email me: claud41c@yahoo.com .

Also: If anyone would like a new color background, different template, whatever -- either go in and change it or ask me to change it for your or bring it up on the comments -- this is a group creation!!

note: Whenever I change the greyhound picture I also change the audio clip. I have to figure out how to download entire songs, however. I only have clips so far...

AND if you want any changes in our profile, too -- just name them or put them in!

Okay. You get the idea.

Peace. And Happy Halloween!!

lc

Propinquity

(pro ping'kwi te)


1. nearness in place; proximity. 2. nearness of relation; kinship. 3. affinity of nature; similarity. 4. nearness in time.

I was telling my friend Julie about this sense of...whatever it is that makes me feel so automatically comfortable with you guys. It seemed odd to me that after 30 years there should be such a strong and instant intimacy among us. And she gave me this word, suggesting that it could be explained, at least in part (perhaps) by the time we physically all spent together -- 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and with some of you (Andy Nunnally!) going all the way back to first grade!!

That is quite a little bit of propinquity, I'd say.

Of Missing Persons

The new list on the left has been provided by Deb R. If you know of anyone's whereabouts or would like other names posted, please either go in and post them yourself, or I'd be glad to do it for you, too.



Claudia

claud41c@yahoo.com

What fun reading! You all have far better memories than I have - I've been reading things that I haven't thought about in so many years. I've enjoyed catching up with all of you this way.

I was sad we didn't have a 30th reunion - I've only been able to go to one and was looking forward to seeing everyone this year . . . but next year will be great! The middle of the summer makes sense, before we're in the midst of the "getting kids ready to head off to college" chaos (I'll have two going next year - hardly seems possible).

Looking forward to seeing all of you!

Lisa Nicholas

I'll Jump In

Hi all,

It took me some time to get into this blog thing that Claudia created, but I was never much of a leader. It takes me a while to catch on. Most of what I remember from the end of high school was everyone talking about going to Madison to party on the weekends ... well I'm here now, but where did you all go? And, I still haven't found a party. I wasn't much of a partier either. I did finally pick a major at UW though and am just 18 credits shy of a degree.

But seriously, there is a big party tonight ... Halloween on State Street is a big deal and the last three years or so it's gotten out of hand with broken windows, overturned cars and pepper spray to clear the streets about 2:00 am. Any of your kids here? You can wire bail money to dma@itis.com If it goes badly again tonight, as always happens, they will report the hell out of it on cable TV unless there's just no time available because Joan Walsh is on every station.

I've run into just a few of you over the years and besides the handful of people I see regularly or e-mail, it is kind of cool to connect with others and see all these locations where everyone ended up. I think Irene Diamond is the only '76 person I know that was here, there must be more.


Lots of people I could comment on but I won't. However, Mitch and Jimmy are obviously still hmmmmmm ... clowns ... and is Laurel Blackmore in Beverly Hills? Why does that not surprise me. I did note that in the '96 picture she and I are about the only ones in light clothes and thus beautifully bookend the group photo ... when you think about the Class of '76, Laurel and I were certainly the classiest.

Back to the UW ... if any of you have kids in the college seeking age range ... please feel free to contact me if you come here for a college visit (or are just passing through on your way to a football game or to inspect your land holdings in Northern WI). I can even give you a tour or leave that up to the experts, your choice.

My wife Kristi and I have a daughter Amanda, who is a senior at Madison East and is doing the college search thing right now. Very, very bizarre to be at this stage.


Stay well everyone ... thanks Claudia!

David Meyer

Do we need another picture?

You might recognize some of these kids if you were at Atwater School for 5th grade.

Reunion Ideas Here!

Hey Everyone:

Deb just made the incredibly reasonable suggestion that we limit our discussion of the reunion to one post so we can see what everyone's talking about.

If you have ideas or want to discuss our 31st reunion, please post them here!

Thanks!!

Claudia

Greyhounds Blog Bay Blue Dukes: 3 Eggs to 2 Eggs

(Tongue-In-Cheek) Answer to Anita's question to Beth about a good place for the 31st Reunion:

The Youth Center (of course!).....and if we hold it at night, the only food will be elderly apples (like us!) from the Apple Machine near the Bowling Alley windows. Remember?! (Seriously, I have some suggestions, far below at the XX)

However, if we hold it from noon to 1 pm, then Double Cheeseburgers are on the menu.

*

And, by the way, this just in from the Sports Wire:

Greyhounds Blog Bay Blue Dukes: 3 Eggs to 2 Eggs.

The highlights included 3 AAA Organic Eggs (scrambled style) on the Bay statue in the front of the building. Direct hits. All of them. All Greyhounds skee-daddled quickly out of there back across Hampton south and into Home Territory again before the Coppers and Blue Dukes knew what happened.

Actually, I never was recruited for Overnight Duty During The Annual Bay Invasion during Football Week. I was either a Conscientious Objector or working as an usher at the Milwaukee Arena.

*

XX

Sign me up: I'll be a volunteer to help organize the 31st Reunion for the Summer of 2007. Hope that I can help from my N. CA (Novato) outpost. We've got plenty of organic eggs here in my locale within Marin Co. (25 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge)

Many folks would say there's plenty of granola here, too (You know, nothin' but fruits, nuts, and flakes in CA.......) (Bada bum......gong me.)

As for prospective venues for the 31st Reunion of the Blogger Slacker Class of '76, here's some ideas:

Hilton Hotel (same place as the 20th. That was the PB Era (Pre-Blog Era) )

Pfister Hotel

Shorewood Woman's Club (title is correct?; on River next to Morris St. near the Intermediate School) (That was where my sister Joy was married; it's a nice venue and gorgeous during the summer)

Lambeau Atrium (not!)

As for a date, the sooner the better for me to know, given my schedule.........

Anita and Beth, feel free to let me know how I might help:

edelstein@earthlink.net
www.warblerwatch.com

Best wishes! Your BlogHound Egg-Tossing Classmate of '76, Daniel Edelstein, whose '76 Yearbook is now pressing rare plants

1:41 AM

Hey, this blog is a pretty hot commodity tonight – just about as hard as trying to access an Irish dance competition registration site (not a pretty scene)! Must be that pic of … who is that ..and that ..and that? So, I guess I’m not the only one “painting the town red” on a Saturday night .. yeah, I’m already in my jammies and ready for bed and it isn’t even 10 o’clock!
So, well, it finally occurred to me that my (parental) allegiance has gone north about a mile to Whitefish Bay (where my daughter is a sophomore) during a basketball game when I stood to comment on a ref on behalf of a Blue Duke player! However, I frequently refer to the Tower Times as the Ripples, the Tower as the Copperdome, etc., and so wish I could located that dink my older sister and brother and I shared that somehow got reshuffled during our folks (SHS Class of ’46) sale of the old homestead a couple years ago (that was a very strange, emotional day). My brain was flooded a couple weeks ago at the West Allis Farmers Market while browsing over some gorgeous mums. I went on to tell my daughter, much to her rolling eyes, all about Shorewood’s homecoming rituals and those white mum corsages with a red pipe cleaner “S” in the middle that was only reserved for the Seniors (Juniors were delegated to red carnations, I recall).
I have observed that some things are still the same and other things are different, for better or worse, in this world of high school. But, I can say the antics between these two North Shore villages have not waned as evidenced in the Crime Watch from this week’s North Shore Herald:
Two 16-year old Shorewood boys were cited for disorderly conduct after they toilet-papered Whitefish Bay High School, 1200 E. Fairmont Ave., spray-painted “SHS” on five sets of doors, egged the school and used chalk to write “SHS” on the Whitefish Bay community sign on East Sliver Spring Drive and North Lydell Avenue. Bushes in front of the sign also were toilet-papered. Several juveniles were involved in the incidents, which happened the night of Oct 12, during Whitefish Bay’s Homecoming week. (Thought you would enjoy this read and recall some of our own that got away!)
I was sitting at the stop sign on Bartlett and Capitol not too long ago and observed the change of morning classes across the street at SHS, thinking of how many feet had walked the same paths in all these years. The campus was alive and kicking, although I can say far less for the weary looking stadium, sans a football team, that still has that greyhound painted on the press box by Maurine Monroe and others from our class (?) I wonder what school, Bay or Shorewood, was left holding the Glory Cup.
Dan, Meg and I with our two kitties (Bob and Betty, aka Bob Wallace and Betty Haines from White Christmas – the best movie ever!) have been settled down here since Meg was a toddler and are in Bay for the long haul until she’s at least a couple years out of high school and retirement is somewhat in our picture. Someday we’ll get to that Idaho potato farm I dream of and Dan can ride me around on his motorcycle with a side car! Be well everyone.
P.S. Haven’t been too much into the high school reunion thing, attending only in ’86. Sounds like an off-year reunion is in order; as to borrow my brother Guy’s 31st reunion titled “Everyone’s Turning 50!” Beth Hoffman Delaney

Who are these people??

See anybody you know?
This is who came to the 20th reunion July, 1996.

You can tell what a wild woman I am, sitting here at the computer at 8:30 on a Saturday night. Well, at least it won't give me a hangover. ..

I'm one of those who never did the reunion thing, more out of living too far away than anything else. Maybe this summer I'll get the chance to head west. I live in southern Florida on the gulfcoast and love it. But in July---well, let's just say I could be tempted to head to Wisconsin.

Time is always an issue. I've been busy raising three sons who are now 16,18, and 20. I don't know when that happened! 18 and 20 are off at Florida State and 16 is a junior in high school. It has been a blast - and an occassional challenge- raising three boys. My husband is pretty immature as well, so it's kind of like living in the men's locker room. The testosterone sort of oozes down the walls! I'm always outnumbered, but I explained to them early on that it wasn't a democracy! :)

I worked in academia for many years in Virginia- doing academic advising, college teaching, ran a college counseling and support services center, and even served as an assistant dean at one point. When we moved to Florida, I decided to do something different and a friend talked me in to doing real estate sales for a new home builder. I'm now a sales manager for a different company but still having fun.

I love hearing what everyone is up to and what everyone is doing. I'll keep checking the blog but feel free to email me: cllukas@tampabay.rr.com.

High school seems so long ago but in some ways it feels like it just happened. When did we get to be our parents' age???? Of course I must say that high school parents nowadays are much more attractive than our parents were when we were in high school. Funny how that happens, isn't it? (Or maybe it's just Florida - a state that displays it's surgical enhancements proudly! )

My best to all and thanks to Claudia, Joan, Debbie, and Gary for putting me in touch with old friends.
Caryn

I finally made it to the main page...

I am quite proud of myself - I cut and pasted this web address on the Classmates 76 reunion page for all to see. And now I am blogging with the big boys!
This is my question...I there a central place on here for us (meaning Claudia) to compile em addresses for all to see? I am trying to gather as many as I can but find myself looking in so many places.
Too much work - so little time...
Any extra moments I have are spent with my 2 little angels trying to keep them from killing each other. They are working hard at putting me on the 5th floor of St Mary's (where the walls are padded and everything is white). Ahhh. that what I get for starting a family at 38! But, did I mention they're cute? Have I thanked the Gods for Zanex?
Claudia - you rock for starting this. If I have any money left after buying Joan her drink, I will buy you one too!
Peggy Mortier
t.leppien@sbcglobal.net

Hi Laurel - send me an e-mail

A Nice James Thurber Cartoon