New Project at SHS:

Newsbreak

Really just an excuse to say thank you to all you slacker sweethearts who've been checking in with me about my Dad and all.

I just spent a week in Wisconsin. My Dad is all set up now with hospice care and I am so grateful to have been there last week. I have an amazing family and the greatest Dad.

I can't wait for our night at T.J.'s -- God that is going to be fun.

love claud

p.s. will "silent auction" poster please make a copy of that post for "Our Actual Reunion" blog, too? I want to be sure that we all remember it when we think of the actual reunion and what to bring. It's such an excellent idea. Thanks!

Do you have something to donate to the 31st Reunion Silent Auction?

Have you recently come across a piece of SHS memorabilia that you'd like to donate to a new home? Are you a creative soul who would like to share your craft with others? Or, do you have something of interest that others might find useful or enjoy having? If you answered yes to any of the questions above, then we would like to talk to you! How was that for a sales pitch?!
We are seeking donations for the SHS 31st Reunion Silent Auction to be held Saturday evening during the reunion. Donations can include SHS memorabilia, handcrafted items, items from your business, or put your creativity to work and come up with something fun or unique. All proceeds go to the SHS Class of '76 Scholarship Fund.
Please contact Jodie, Patti, Martine, or Thalia if you'd like to make a donation or if you have additional questions.
Thanks!

Here we are

We got together yesterday at the Stone Creek coffee shop, again, to sort out what needs to be done for our upcoming reunion that will take place on July 21st at the Milwaukee River Hilton in Glendale. The most important thing right now is to find all the members of our class, and get a commitment from those that wish to attend. (The Hilton wants the money up front, please.) Look for notices via blog, email, or snailmail. If you don't hear from us-- contact someone, please! Also, start thinking about perhaps donating something to the auction.

Anita, Patti, Kathy, Jodie, Peggy, Greta, Bill, Martine

And What Are YOU Doing, Anyway?

I have links to a couple of sites that describe what a few of us are up to. I'm going to post them here and keep adding as you guys send more.

If you have a website or company website that let's us know what you're doing, where you work, or what you're interested in, send it over and we'll post it here. Thanks!

Andy Brauer: www.andybrauer.com
Daniel Edelstein: www.warblerwatch.com
Monica Geist: http://masterpeice.faithandmusic.com/
Bob Harrison: www.statrixblog.statrix.com
David Haugh: www.ritehite.com/
James Loots: http://lootslaw.com/
Mike Messner: http://stone-design.com/
Dave Meyer: www.dma4families.com
Claudia Nowicki: www.practicalvampireslayer.com
Matt Rossi: www.barkriverracing.com/
Bill Schulte: www.robertsonryan.com/

Holly Tappen: http://www.arts.state.mn.us/exhibit/Tappen.htm
Joan Walsh: www.salon.com

Dan Berghaus: http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/thejudygarlandexperience/

and: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/BillieHoliday_And_The_Disciples_Of_Swing/

Psst!!

See Super-Slacker Joan Walsh tonight, Monday January 15th, on MSNBC's Scarborough Country -- MSNBC @ 9:00 p.m. EST. Check local listings for times.

Our Actual Reunion Blog Is Now

We now have a blog for all Actual Reunion news and information. You can get to it by clicking on the link over there (look left), or by going to http://ouractualreunion.blogspot.com/.

Just as on this blog, anyone can post a topic by signing in as practicalslayer@yahoo.com and using our password. If you don't have the password, just email claud41c (at) yahoo.com.

Our 2007 Reunion

Some of you have identified the need (again) for one central area in which to post all our reunion plans and ideas.

How about right here?

If you have any announcements, questions or topics for discussion, even if you have posted them somewhere else before, please post them here again so we can have them all in one place.

July 21st is coming up so fast I can almost taste it.

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?