New Zealand Trip

Akaroa Bay

I'm back from a 14-day trip to New Zealand, a place I dreamed of visiting for years. Something about its far-off location, and its mix of British and Pacific culture, has always attracted me. The above scene is near a small town on South Island, where I'd be glad to return and stay a while. (click to enlarge)

I went as the "study leader" of 35 Princeton alums on a cruise along the North and South islands, from Auckland to Queenstown. My duties included four lectures and nightly discussions on readings or films. The rest of the time I played tourist.

Our boat was the Odyssey Clipper, a small cruise ship for 100 passengers. The British and Asian crew gave exceptional service and kept us calm as we sailed the Roaring Forties, with seas one night reaching four-foot swells.

January is the austral summer, when the days are mixed sun and rain, with brisk winds. The trees and flowers are in full bloom and the dominant color is green, mixed with blue waters and gray to pearl skies.

It's a young country, inhabited for 800 years by the Maori people, who came in war canoes from Tahiti and the other Cook Islands. Scottish, English, and Irish settlers arrived in the 1830s, first as whalers and then as shepherds and farmers.

Cities are small but lively, costs are low, the air is clean, the water fresh, and the people friendly. They all speak English, too! One slogan for the country is "New Zealand: like 40 years ago." Not bad at all!

You may see more pictures at my site and one at Princeton that has films of our adventures: sheep dog herding, swimming with dolphins, riding in jet boats, and bungee-jumping into a river gorge. That jumper is a brave engineer, from the Class of '63.

Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown

Bon Voyage

Friends,

For the next two weeks, I may not be able to update the blog. I'm leading a group from Princeton on a journey to New Zealand. An outline of the trip is here, if you're interested.

Meanwhile, please send me pictures and news, and I'll do a big update on my return.

Will

Think Pink

In case you're not feeling old enough, check out this story: a Boomer-generation couple has donated a 1958 PINK kitchen to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Not harvest gold, not avocado green, but pink. It matched those pink shirts and poodle skirts that very cool kids used to wear.

Anyway, Happy New Year. I'm going up to the attic to see if I can find my flat-top wax.

Merry Christmas

Once again, Harriett and Ram Sidoli have sent a greeting card that captures the spirit of the season perfectly.

Here's hoping that all of you have a safe, healthy, and happy holiday, and may the year 2007 be one of joy and fulfillment.

Thanks to everyone who provided pictures and stories throughout the year. Keep them coming!

Best wishes,

Will

Juke Box

Tom Brosch sent me a link to a juke box site that plays 450 songs from 1956-60. You need to have Windows Media Player installed on either your Mac or PC to play the tunes. Here's another site that has tunes from 1950 to 1982, with no special software required.

Bet your grandkids have never seen a juke box. I remember the huge neon-lit ones, but also the small ones that played in booths. The design above comes from Teddy's Tees, in case you want to wear one to your next Sock Hop.

Christmas in Germany

I received this season's greeting from Lee Lochbaum, who has lived in Germany for the past six years. Lee taught English in the USA for three decades and is now happily retired. He has vivid memories of his Midwest days and enjoys reading from afar our '58 website and blog.

Dear '58s,

This past week in Dresden, the capital of Saxony, I attended the 572nd Striezelmarkt and enjoyed the traditional food, sights, and sounds of Germany´s premier Christmas Market.

Of the 2,500 + Markets listed as "official" across the country, this one is the Striezel (old German for stollen) Market. Despite wars and devastating bombings, the bakers of Dresden baked the best stollen, now known the world over. The word stollen means the swaddling of Christ (hence the shape of the loaf). Its full name is Christstollen.

Another symbol of the season is the Pflaumentoffel, the Saxon word for chimney sweep. Pflaumen means plums and Toffel has an uncertain meaning. In many homes, these toy figures decorate baskets of fruit, including plums and prunes.

As well as its 572nd Market, this year Dresden celebrates its 800th anniversary as a registered city. I lived there for nearly three years and found Dresden to be a grand, Saxon-proud town that has always shown its determination to endure!

Ich wünsche Ihnen ein Frohes Weihnachtsfest und einen guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr 2007 aus Dresden Deutschland!

(I wish you a Merry Christmas and a good slide into the 2007 New Year from Dresden, Germany!)

Peace on earth! Lee Lochbaum, EXPAT

White Christmas?

Here's some white Christmas, since not many of us will see one this year. Most days here in the East are mild and sunny, same in the Midwest, and only the Northwest is seeing true winter storms. If you don't recall what we are missing, see these amazing photos of snow crystals.

Here also is a hilarious cartoon rendition of "White Christmas," as sung by The Drifters in 1954, when it reached number 5 on the national charts. The Drifters owe their epic string of hits to Ahmet Ertegun, a long-time producer of rock and jazz who died yesterday.

Thanks to Barbara Edmiston Mitchell for the 'toon and tune.

Jo and Poco

Here's a story with a happy ending. Six weeks ago, Jo Meiers Leggett lost her beloved golden retrierver, Chance, a loyal companion for thirteen years. She had a lonely time until word reached her of a young golden who needed a home.

"He had never been in a house, on a leash, to the park, on a walk, and only once to the vet to be neutered. Yes, I was out of my mind. Now, two plus months later, he's a normal two year old—mischievous, curious, liking a good chew, and checking out the ceiling (he'd never seen one before)."

Now she and Poco visit the park, dig the people and other dogs, and at home enjoy peace with Jo's veteran cat, Sally Tomato.

Jo sends greetings and wishes us "a stupendous holiday season and everything you want and need in the New Year."

Jim Rollman

Sadly, Jim Rollman died yesterday, and he did not see the story about the Redbird baseball team. C. E. Welch was taking a copy to the hospital today, when he learned of Jimmy's passing. The following notice appears on the Kirlin & Egan website:

James L. Rollman, 66, a resident of Springfield; formerly of Coral Springs, FL died at 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, 2006 at St. John’s Hospice.

James was born on August 19, 1940 in Springfield, the son of Fred M. and Alva June Forster Rollman. He graduated from Springfield High School with the Class of 1958 and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Miami where he also served as Captain of the golf team.

He was a member of Ft. Lauderdale Country Club and Coral Springs Country Club, both in Florida, and Jacksonville Country Club in Jacksonville, IL. He was also a member Sigma Chi Omega Fraternity at University of Miami and the YMCA in Springfield, IL.

James was employed as a salesman for Bell South Yellow pages in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He was the co-owner and operator of Ascot Development in Coral Springs, FL and Pro Greens of the Midwest.

He was a very charismatic gentleman who greatly valued his family and friends. He was a passionate golfer, loyal to his Alma Mater, the University of Miami and an avid sports enthusiast.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by one son, James F. Rollman of Douglas, AZ; one daughter, Janet L. (husband, Chris) Hynes of Boca Raton, FL and one grandson, James B. Rollman.

Cremation accorded by Cremation Tribute Center, 900 S. 6th St. Springfield. Memorial Ceremonies will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6, 2006 at Kirlin-Egan and Butler Funeral Home with Scott Brindley officiating. A Memorial Gathering will be held immediately following the Memorial Ceremony until 6:00 p.m. at Kirlin-Egan and Butler Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's Hospice, 800 E. Carpenter Springfield, IL 62702. The family of James L. Rollman is being served by Kirlin-Egan and Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. 6th St.. Springfield.

Winter Arrives

Hi Will,

Winter arrived in Springfield last night with a vengeance. Lost power only momentarily but will have to have someone come and plow the drive so we can get out. Lost some large tree limbs due to the accumulation of ice on everything. But we could have been devastated if the winds had been worse. It's a beautiful sunny day here today.

Hope all is well with you and yours back east. Have a great holiday.

Keith Schnepp

PS: Attached is a view of the house through the snow-covered trees and a deck that looks very lonely.
Thanks, Keith. It's 66 degrees in Princeton right now, but cloudy and humid. We're going to get high winds and LOTS of rain starting around 5:00 pm EST.

Stephenson Redbirds

click to enlarge

Back: Mack Stephenson, Bill Downing, Ron Wilson, Mike Stephenson, Coach Logan, Warren Haake, Gary Oline, Eddie Hines, Ralph Wilson.

Front: Bob Hamende, Larry Gaffney, Champ Davis, Will Howarth, John Voss, Jim Rollman.

Missing: Gail Millhouse, Jerry Millhon, Michael Neill. (The boxer was Mike's dog.)

It's August of 1954, just before we entered SHS. The Stephenson Redbirds were a Pony League team that played in Washington Park on Sunset Hill, the area now containing rose gardens and a carillon.

Champ, Warren, and Mike helped me on the names and faces. We have mixed memories of our success. Champ says we had a lousy record, but Warren says we played a split season: a bad start, then an undefeated record and league championship. I'm voting for Warren's account.

Catcher: Downing. Pitchers: Wilson, Oline, Davis. First: Stephenson. Second: Rollman, Voss. Third: Gaffney, Howarth. Outfield: Oline, Haake, Howarth, Hamende, Hines.

We wanted to get this picture and story online because Jimmy Rollman is quite ill and in the hospice at St. John's Hospital. We hope he gets to see this and know that we remember him well.

Happy Thanksgiving

In 1941, President F. D. Roosevelt gave a State of the Union address in which he declared Four Freedoms that people everywhere in the world should have: freedom of speech and of worship, freedom from want and from fear.

Norman Rockwell created four paintings to illustrate those ideas, published in the Saturday Evening Post in February-March, 1943. They became hugely popular and later appeared as postage stamps.

This one, Freedom from Want, has become a favorite image of Americans, especially on Thanksgiving. It reminds me of our family gatherings, when we had dozens of relatives and friends at a food-laden table.

Harriett Smith Sidoli and her husband, Ram, sent me an animated card to mark the day. I'm sharing it with you, and wishing you all the best on this best of holidays.

Frost on the Punkin

Hi Will,

I have enjoyed looking at the grade school pictures that classmates sent in to the blog. One of my most lasting memories of Dubois grade school is when our teacher, Miss Florence Davis, read to us every fall (we had her for 6th, 7th and 8th grade) the poem by James Whitcomb Riley, "When the Frost is on the Punkin." She always read it to us after the first hard frost.

For years now, when we have the first frost, I call Carolyn Quinlan and say, "The frost is on the punkin and the corn is in the shock", remembering those words read to us by Miss Davis. Well, I never remembered the rest of the poem, so yesterday I looked it up online and read it several times, and I just loved it. It so describes fall here in the Midwest--and probably in many other areas of the country, too, but James Whitcomb Riley was from Indiana, so I think he was depicting the Midwest.

Judy Vicars Van Hagen

Classes in '56

Fifty years is long ago, until you browse in an old Capitoline. Today I was looking at 1956 and found some pictures of our Sophomore selves. I don't recognize everyone, so please fill in the blanks with a comment. (Click on the pictures to see enlargements.)

Above is a Latin II class, led by Margaret Ihlenfeldt. Check out those little statues!

• Board: all Unknown.
• Row 1: Elizabeth Tinsley, Pat Dowling, Steve Dilts, Unknown.
• Row 2: Nancy Guy, Janet Beardsley, Dennis Carroll, John Harrison, Unknown.
• Row 3: Lewis Striebeck, Stan Thomas, Sandra Murphy.

And here is a World History class, taught by Ray Page.

• Far left: Bob Brunsman, Arlene Jacobs, Alan Kennedy, Dale Jeffers
• Checked shirt: Bill Profrock
• Board: Janet Beardsley, explaining the Universe.

Veterans Day

When we were in grade school, they called it Armistice Day, and some of us knew veterans of that First World War, fought in 1914-18. We knew even more vets from the Second World War, which ended in September of 1945, the month we entered kindergarten.

In June of 1954, just before we entered SHS, they changed the name to Veterans Day, and so it has been ever since on November 11. It's a day to reflect on the fact that since our lives began in 1940, 149 wars have rocked the world and presently 22 are ongoing.

To mark Veteran's day, SHS has awarded its Hall of Fame honor to Brigadier General Alex W. Talmant, a much-decorated veteran of several wars and retired commander of the 47th Air Division in California. The son of a Lithuanian coal miner, he grew up near the old Pillsbury plant in Springfield. At SHS he visited several history classes and told stories. In a showcase outside the main office is a display honoring 32 SHS graduates now serving in the armed forces.

Harvest

We are now deep into harvest time, just two weeks till Thanksgiving, and the still life photos of Jo Meiers Leggett may help us to reflect a little on the meaning of that season.

These two images suggest the poles of her geography: jicama beans (above) for the West and corn silk (below) for the Midwest.


Harvest is a season to gather, save, and store. And to give thanks for what has come to pass.

Oops. And I promised not to get political!

On the Road Again

Over the last few months, Al and Diane Urbanckas have been "bopping around here and there and enjoying retirement."

Here we see them at Branson, the Silver Dollar City in southwestern Missouri. Known as "family-friendly Las Vegas," Branson has three amusement parks and a host of live theaters, featuring Country music.

In October, Diane headed with three friends to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis to view glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly. He has pieces on exhibit throughout the world and their value has risen to staggering heights.


On an earlier trip to Madison, WI, Diane took a picture from atop the Museum of Contemporary Art. "It brought back memories, mostly of long ago in Springfield, IL."

Thanks to Diane for the pictures, and please keep bopping around!

Happy Halloween

Tonight, will you put on a porch light and wait for goblins and ghosts to show at the door? Do you have a supply of bad goodies for their teeth? Will you ooh and aah at their costumes, direct from Wal-Mart?

I have good memories of Halloween. We went out in small groups, cruising the streets and scooping up bags of sweet loot. Nobody ever pulled any vandalism, other than soap on windows and TP in the trees. Later we got too old for that stuff and began to hold costume parties and dances.

Today's kids face many Halloween hazards, according to this bulletin from the Illinois Department of Health. Traffic, mean dogs, and sickos who hand out tainted candy; it's enough to make a kid stay at home!

Hope you have an enjoyable evening. And . . . BOO!

The Cardinals Lament

More Caddie

The Caddie Woodlawn picture stirred Barbara Edmiston Mitchell to go rummaging in her scrap albums, and up came two more shots of the Hay-Edwards 8th grade play. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Above, left to right: Margaret Stanford, Nancy McBrian, Jim Rollman, Beverly Scott, Connie King, Ray Defrates, Mary Houghton, and Sandra Lott.

Above, left to right: Jim Rollman, Ray Defrates, Margaret Stanford, Connie King, Judy McCoy, Charles Lutes, Beverly Scott, Mary Houghton and Sandra Lott.

Several members of the school orchestra are watching avidly. Only allowed in a dress rehearsal? Thanks to Barbara for the pictures and names.