Wendy (Wynn) Garber

Great fun! Enjoyed the posts!!

Nancy Schroeder

I do love the humor we all seem to have. Keep it coming 

Lee Saberson

John Baackes

I see a number of you folks like hunor....so let me offer a picture taken on my 75th birthday, Januaruy  22nd, two days after the presidential inauguration. We titled it 'Who wore it best?' 

Ever since Bernie ran for Presdient in 2016 I have been mitaken for him often. Usually it was, 'Do you know you look like Bernie Sanders?'. And a while my wise ass response was, "No, whose he?' The best was at bar in Houston following a family wedding, two women rushed up to me and said, 'OMG Its you!!' and then proceded to take selfies with one on each side of me. I then asked tthem o keep it quiet, I was here on the DL

I guess I don't comment much but I read all of them.

John

Bill Gelderman

Will the real Bernie please stand up....

Too funny 

Kathy Dalgety (Miehls)

Your mittens give you away. Too funny.

Jacqueline Clare (Louis)

You have no idea how much restraint I have had to use to keep from joining in on the extended Florida visit. Keep the positive humor flowing. You all are the best cure for Covid crazy. 

Preston Cook

John, you may need to work on a new, non Midwest accent.  Then a career change is in order.

Wendy (Wynn) Garber

John,

The photo (and story) are priceless. I agree with Preston...Bernie may need a stand-in from time to time.

John Baackes

Thanks for the advice and suggestions Wendy and Preston. I was born in Evanston, I am not jewish and I didn't grow up in Brooklyn so I am not sure I would be a good stand in once I opened my mouth. For a while I ran a health plan that inlcuded Vermont and I got to meet him. He was in House then and I think ran as a socialist as he did when he was Mayor of Burlington. 

Robert Lindner

Did anyone notice that

The giant cargo ship "Ever Given."

That was blocking the Suez Canal

Was raised on a tide, supplied 

By the super full moon of Pesach.

A miracle like when the Red Sea

Was crossed once upon a time ?

Well it's only a Pesach Moon.

I got a couple of poems out of it.

Pesach Moon

It was only a Pesach moon

Rising over for history

And it created a miracle

Like it did in the mystery

When it rose in the Red Sea sky

And waters drowned Pharaoh’s army

As a great tide came rushing in

When Moses said, “Believe in me.”

It was only a Pesach moon

Rising over for history

And it created a miracle

Like it did in the mystery

When it rose in the Red Sea sky

Once again in this century

And then the cargo ship “Ever Given”

Could reach the Mediterranean Sea.

The first full moon of spring,

“The Paschal Moon” is when the robins sing

Because earthworms come then, since earth is warm again.

And early bird means when

Robins catch their worms, as they’re scurrying

About. So it’s also

Called the “worm moon” because the earthworms show

Up for the robins to have something spring to do.

As we watch all the new

Beginnings unfold, since the earth we know

Goes round the sun each year.

As it’s always done. The worm moon was here

On the day when it was also Pesach because

That comes, as in the laws

Written, when a single God would appear

To the humanity

That was then escaping from slavery

In Egypt. It’s written in the book about when

The Red Sea was crossed. Then

When the Egyptians pursued with their army,

The sea sprang up drowning

The Egyptians. An act of God or that spring

Full moon, whatever name it’s called, that moon that came

Again. This time its aim

Was raising a great tide to lift something.

The Ever Given was

Lifted on the tide that rushed in because

The super full moon of Passover was above.

Then the tugboats could shove

That giant grounded ship which caused a pause

In cargo shipments through

The Suez Canal from Red Sea into

Mediterranean.  That full moon came again

Perhaps like it had when

The armies of Pharaoh drowned. “Dayenu,”

It is enough, it’s said

When the book of the Passover is read,

Is sung and God is praised for miracles that raised

The Red Sea and amazed

The tribes of Israel that Moses led

To the Promised Land, when

The full moon that raised the Ever Given

Surged the spring tide upon Egypt and fear was gone

And sun rose on the dawn

That’s Ever Given now as it was then.

Robert Lindner

Fred Brostoff

Phil Kaplan provided the following message.  For those of you who remember Neil Sedaka and his songs, you'll get a big kick out of this.

******************************************************************************************************

The Singing Anesthesiologists - This one is just funny! Listen carefully to the words!

These singers are all Anesthesiologists in Minnesota and they can really sing.  

They are also funny. Here they sing "Waking up is hard to do"

click on:

 http://nottotallyrad.blogspot.com/2009/11/waking-up-is-hard-to-do.html

Vernon Neece (Neece)

Way too funny!!!!!! Great harmonis.

Marty Campbell

another amazing piece of writing, in our Message Forum.  Illustrated no less.  thank you John Baackes for your immense, heartfelt, lifelong, if "not much"—and non-political!—contribution to our class!  You are so kind to share your straight-eyed presence-gesture with us.  even were there no humor.

Mark Goldman

I had a surgical procedure yesterday and played that for the anesthesiologists. They got a kick out of it. 

Alison Van Swearingen (Brown)

Being an ER hospital volunteer makes for interesting things, but none as funny!   Loved the video!

Kathy Dalgety (Miehls)

It's also just fun to sing (the original version). I'm in a barbershop/a cappella chorus. We performed it in a concert a couple years ago...and the audience went nuts. Dancing in the aisles.

Ruth Gross

I always loved that song!  They don't write them like that anymore--real or parody!

Dale Madson

The singing in the OR is a absolutely hilarious and reminded me of days past, when I had more hair and very few wrinkles and was doing the OR/ER shuffle. I'll try to write a missive on that from the early 80's and Motown music and the houmorless head OR nurse and the time I had the closeing case for the day. One of my longstanding memories from that chapter of my life. 
All the best,

Dale C.

Phil Noble

def looking forward to that song, Dave! 

Oh, just realizes it will be a missive, rather than a song. should be fun anyway.

Fred Brostoff

Rommie Taylor has provided the following information:

Announcing the 28th Annual Warren “Billy” Cherry Charity Golf Outing

Date:  June 28, 2021

Location:  Wilmette Golf Course

Registration:  11:00 AM

Tee Off:  12:30 PM

Fees / Donations:  $200 for reservations made prior to June 21, 2021; $225 thereafter

You are invited to join your ETHS ’64 classmates and others in a great golf outing that benefits ETHS graduates.  This year, we are anticipating a great turn out of many former ETHS students and athletes from the classes of 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971 and others.

Participation at the golf outing is on a first come, first served basis.  The first 144 people that sign up are in.  This year’s golf outing activities will include lunch, golf, dinner and a good time had by all. 

Last year, twenty-two (22) ETHS students received $80,000 in financial aid from the Warren “Billy” Cherry Scholarship Fund (https://cherryscholarship.org/).  The Cherry Scholarship Fund has a goal of providing $100,000 to the next class of ETHS graduates.  ETHS students can qualify for the scholarships by having the desire to teach or work in the community with students. 

I have been in contact with Ted Downing, Dick Olman, Don (Donut) Hall, Russ Roberts, and, of course, the charity coordinator, our own Bob Reece.  Hopefully, you can help us get additional ’64 (male and female) classmates to participate in this fun and worthwhile event.

We will have a festive lunch before we tee off, attended by our former track and football coach, Bob Trevarthen.  We are also hoping to have coach Jack Tosh’s brother, Dave, in attendance.

To reserve your spot at the 28^th Annual Warren “Billy” Cherry Charity Golf Outing, please contact classmate Bob Reece by telephone at 847-612-7767 or by email at reecer@ameritech.net.

Looking forward to a great time with 🏌️‍♀️ ⛳️ golf, laughs and fun…while supporting a wonderful scholarship.

It is great to be a Wildkit!

Rommie Taylor #24

Fred Brostoff

Our classmate, Carol (Ann Simon) Kohn, asked me to post the following information about the recent change in her life:

I have been doing wonderfully since I moved to the Illinois Eastern Star Home, located in Macon, Illinois.  I moved to this location on November 18, 2020, shortly after unexpectedly becoming a widow on September 11, 2020 with the sudden loss of my husband, Chuck.  I expect to reside at the Illinois Eastern Star Home for the rest of life.

I really miss seeing so many of my classmates who have known me over the years since we’d all graduated from ETHS 57 years ago this June.  If any of my classmates want to contact me, there are several ways to do this: 

* Email:  CK89231@AOL.COM

* Postal Service:  Please send typewritten letters to either P.O.Box#317/Room #132/Macon, Illinois 62544-0317 or 9890 Star Lane/Room #132/Macon, Illinois 62544-0317

* Phone call to the central number:  Call 217-764-3348 and ask for me as your call will then be forwarded to my room

* Phone call to my cell phone:  847-281-6150

I prefer that calls be made to the central number since I’ve had problems with cell calls disconnecting with warning.  

The best times to reach me for a “phone chat” are Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 12:30 and 4 PM (Central time) or on Thursday evenings between 6:30 to 9:50 PM (Central time).

Hope to keep in touch,

Your classmate, 

Carol (Ann Simon) Kohn

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

I am so glad you're enjoying the Eastern Star home!

Robert Lindner

In 1960, when we started High School,

Camelot premiered and went to Broadway

With Julie Andrews as Guinevere.

Also John Kennedy was elected and

Camelot was what his Presidency was called.

When May began this year, I began singing

Tra la! It's May!
The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when ev'ryone goes
Blissfully astray.
Tra la! It's here!
That shocking time of year.

And that led to this poem called

It’s May

It’s May. And spring today.

“It’s a lovely day.” What else can I say?

I’m so glad that I got

Here. It’s sunny and hot,

With songs from Camelot.

“Tra la! It's May! The lusty month of May!”

It’s been a shocking year

But it’s May. I’m so glad that I got here.

Since I’ve got my vaccine,

I can get in the scene.

Get back to where I’d been

Before the year of the pandemic fear.

“The lusty month of May!
When ev’ryone goes blissfully astray.”

Of course “It's mad! It's gay!
A libelous display!”

The song goes on to say,

“When ev'ryone throws self-control away.”

When Guinevere will say

“It's May! It's May! The month of "yes you may,"”

Though your chances are slim,
Have a frivolous whim,
One that’s “Proper or "im."
“It's wild! It's gay! A blot in ev'ry way.”

But May is what I’ve got

Because my years have reached what seems a lot

And I may as well sing

“Tra La! It’s May!” For spring

That hopefully will bring

The joys of life and songs of Camelot.

A fable from our past,

A musical that had a famous cast.

And we were there to sing

Its song of May and spring

That hopefully will bring

Memories of that happy time, but fast,

Since time captures us in

Its web. And what does not end must begin.

Like May began today.

“The month of great dismay.”

That’s happening this May.

But we cannot let the great dismay win

The day. “Tra La! It’s May!

We’ll celebrate the first of May. May Day.

And then May Fifth will be

When there’s a wild party

Cinco de Mayo. Si!

“When ev’ryone throws self-control away.”

And tequila flows

In Margaritas and everyone knows

It’s May. And Mexican

Independence Day. Then

Memories are lost when

Ev’ryone goes blissfully astray and throws

Self-control away. And I

Say, “Tequila, tequila, ay, ay, ay!”

But first, the first of May

Will soon be yesterday

So what else can I say?

Because time’s web captures us like a fly,

You may as well have fun

In the mad month of May, “wholesome or “un.”

Though your chances are slim,
Have a frivolous whim,
One that’s “Proper or "im."

Before the month of “yes you may,” is done.

“Birds and bees with their vast
Amorous past,” may look at you aghast,

But “It’s May. The lusty

Month of May.” That must be

A song of memory

A song of life as long as it will last.

Happy May

Robert Lindner

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

Thanks Robert!  I heartily (lustily?) second the motion!