Don Starnes and A Little Help from A Friend

Don Starnes is coming from Arlington, Texas. He is one of those from 'another class,' but he has been reading the '59 Musketeers blog to keep in touch. He wrote, "I am excited about seeing some of my old friends from JOHN MILLEDGE and WOODLAWN elementary schools, TUBMAN junior high, ARC, Harrisburg, Frogholler, and South Richmond County. You see, I sorta lived all over the place and know folks from all over. Lord knows, I needed all the friends and help that I could get."

Don learned the value of an education at Richmond Academy the hard way. "I actually graduated in the class of '58, but I did so with a GENERAL diploma...which meant that I did not have the academic requirements for entry into college...even AC. I went straight to Parris Island, Marine Corps boot camp immediately after Graduation with my proud General Diploma. After my obligatory active duty in the Marine Corps, I decided that college was the place for me. I returned to ARC where I took first and second semesters of Algebra in summer school, at the same time, passing both, I was ready for Athens."

He also acknowledges the role of the school Secretary, Ms. Rebecca Burroughs, in getting him through school. He calls her "probably the most important person in my life at that time" and has purchased a page in the souvenir program book in her honor. His success in life began with determination and a little help from a friend.

There are other stories like this which will be shared around the tables over barbecue and banana pudding. And the sun will be shining!

AAB

Pete and the Parade

After I posted about living with "joyous naughtiness," I have had a few emails about what it means.

The best example I can give you is our classmate, Pete May. His joy in life is evident with each task he undertakes. His naughtiness appears in a bright purple suit for ARC functions or a Jester costume complete with tights for a national table tennis event. His contagious energy is a gift to all.

Last week, the annual Horse and Carriage Parade moved with precision through Augusta's downtown streets. Everything from Clydesdales to miniature mules were pulling an assortment of wheeled vehicles: the usual polished carriages, wagons and coaches along with ancient hearses, chuck wagons, bridal buggies, and a lone long-horned cow.

Planned as a kick-off event for the Augusta Futurity by Pete in 1992, the Parade has now been moved to the fall weekend of Arts in the Heart for better weather and different crowds. Pete knows not only how to dress, but how to adjust, for success!

Often in our towns, we do things which make a small difference. There are many of us in the Class of 59 who have quietly given to our communities, in our jobs or as volunteers. Sometimes it makes the paper; sometimes only we know. Pete is only one, but if you pay attention, you'll find his hand in lots of things around town -- usually the fun things which encourage a little joyous naughtiness.
AAB

Update: Dolly Fortson Adams

What do the National Geographic, the Weather Channel and the City of Charleston have in common? Our classmate, Dolly Fortson Adams and her camera. (Her photos are published under 'Dorothea Adams.') She has also done some work for the Post and Courier and others. I asked her to share these two with us. ( I apologize that these didn't get posted initially.)


Living on the South Carolina coast, Dolly is surrounded by beauty every day. But can you believe that photography is her second love?

She stays busy as a caregiver for Lutheran Hospice in Mt. Pleasant. She also loves dogs and horses, keeps in touch with Bobbye Ward Anderson and frequently asks for news of old classmates. She plans to be at the Decades BBQ.

I'll be adding notes about Minta McD, Martha McD, Marie C., Peggy M., Ruthie J., Jeannie C. and others soon. So Dolly, stayed tuned!

"My Name Up In Lights"

One of the fun things about writing a blog is getting responses -- the lovely interaction which blog-writing brings. Sometimes the comments are from strangers, especially on my personal blog. Sometimes the notes are emails from old friends, usually on this one.

Over the weekend, a long email came from Dan Miller. He wrote that he had followed the web links mentioned in the last class newsletter. He had found both my 59 Musketeers blog and my art website. (Thanks for the compliments, Danny!) AND, per my request for links to classmates' web presence, he added this note:

For several years, I've been writing regular essays on the WSMV-TV website (still do).

The articles (more than 350 of them) are archived at my personal "Dan Miller's Notebook" website.... and in MANY of them, I write about Augusta, and the old days growing up there.

I suspect that my Augusta contemporaries might find the references interesting, and bring back a few memories.

Off the top of my head, some specific essays that reference Augusta, even ARC, are:

FRIDAY NIGHTS, EMERSON BOOZER, AND ME

WIGGLES

THE HAMMER

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE

THE 18TH AT AUGUSTA

THE FRUIT OF THE PINE

THE DAY ALDOUS HUXLEY DEPARTED THIS WORLD

JAMES BROWN

THE GREENISH BOWL

CHRISTMAS EVE IN MY HOME TOWN

THE PLEASURES OF BARBECUE

MY NAME UP IN LIGHTS

HAIL TO THE MASTERS

CONNECTIONS

GENE AUTRY, MY HERO

THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS

HERSHEY'S, SNICKERS, AND ARNOLD PALMER

AN UNEXPECTED FRIENDSHIP (perhaps my favorite)

And there are many others with "Augusta references" that might just stir up some old memories for folks who lived there.

Yep, Dan, quite a few have stirred up some memories for me. This one for July 24th is an example: Catcher in the Sly My uncle played for the Tigers and then for a St. Louis Cardinal farm team until he gave up baseball to become a physicist. Dan reminded me that baseball in Augusta was BIG STUFF.

So, I have added Dan Miller's Notebook to the blog list. While not truly a blog, I thought its weekly updated content fit blog better than website.

I hope to occasionally point to one of his essays as it strikes my fancy. Today, I'm just posting this photo of the RiverWalk to pique your interest in another of his recent essays "Down By the Riverside."

And the reference in the title? Check this one

You'll want to visit often.

Updates -- The Lydia Mystery

It's placed discretely on the sidebar under websites -- Lydia's Manners That Sell -- but who is Lydia?

Many of you know that the Ms. Manners of the business world along the Georgia/Carolina coast is our own Lydia Wammock Ramsey. She specializes in office etiquette, meeting manners, and business communications.

If you didn't know about Lydia, you will want to check out her website for more info on this lovely classmate. You'll find that she "writes a weekly newspaper column on business etiquette for the Savannah Morning News and The Carolina Morning News. She has appeared on radio and television programs across the country, and has been quoted or featured in The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Cosmopolitan and Woman’s Day."

Her website also says,

Lydia Ramsey helps people promote themselves and grow their business by showing them how to keep their feet out of their mouths and egg off of their faces.

We could ALL use that kind of help, so:

• Sign-up for her newsletter.
• Hire her to give a manners seminar to your not-so-up-to-snuff employees.
  
• take her quiz.
  
• buy her books.

She's someone to know!

A Time to Travel -- Update on Maxie and Judy

It has taken quite a while for Maxie and Judy Stubbs Terry to recover from their fabulous cruise to Alaska. I finally got a photo to share. (Yes, they traveled at the same time as the Pittman's but not on same cruise as I thought .) I asked Judy for a brief description and when she returned from her annual mission trip to Kentucky, she sent this note.

We are on the Yukon side of the sign welcoming us to Alaska. That bus ride was part of a tour from Skagway, another Gold Rush town. The whole trip was wonderful - a trip of a lifetime - and it will take the rest of our lifetime to pay for it! We cruised the Inside Passage and toured the interior on the train going from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Along the way we toured Denali National Park, and actually saw the peak of Mt. McKinley with no clouds in the way! We also saw the Alaska Pipeline. We saw all of the advertised wildlife except for Orca Whales - you had to go on a special expedition to see those. The glaciers were awesome - in Glacier Bay and also College Fjord.

As a Master Gardener, I was really interested in the plants and trees - they were HUGE in the rain forest, as expected, but also in Fairbanks. I guess it's because of the shortened growing season there. Fairbanks experiences the extremes in weather conditions - high summer temps around 80*, and winter ones as low a -60*. But I found a river I could really live on - during the summer season only! Most of the houses are very modest, but everybody has toys - 4 wheelers, airplanes, boats, etc. And the neatest thing in Fairbanks is the outlets in each parking space - to warm up all the systems in your car in the winter. It was our best vacation ever, and no other destination I can think of would even could close.

One of the lovely things about getting closer to our 50th class reunion is that we have more time to travel, to indulge in our personal interests and to enjoy the day. We do get squeezed in between grandchildren and older parents, but somehow, there is still time.

Let me hear from YOU . . . and send pictures!

A update from Donna Andrews Pittman

Donna has been really good about emailing classmates, forwarding fun things and showing interest in what's happening with the rest of us. I asked if I could share this update.

For the last year, she and husband Joe have struggled with his health, much of it unexplained, the beginning coming at the time of last year's planned trip to Alaska. This year, they rescheduled the cruise and, shortly before the trip, he received a diagnosis of "pre-leukemia ( Myloedysplasia of bone marrow, which means,the bone marrow has completely stopped making white and red blood cells and he has no immune system at all.)" With the encouragement of his oncologist, they decided to make the trip. In June, Joe entered the hospital for surgery and was there for 26 days for partial removal of his malignant left kidney with complications and more surgeries. Donna writes that "he isn't doing well at all..weak and lost 100 pounds..we still need prayers....."

With all that, she still has time to think about the approaching 50th class reunion and adds "remember how we use to sign those "opinion Books".....Lord how I used to love to get hold of one during class....and see who liked who...ha ha." Oh. She sent along this new photo as well.