Anna Marie Anderson Young (1940-2012) Warren High School Class of 1958

From the 1958 Dragon yearbook.

Lovely auburn hair . . . pleasing personality . . . never a care . . . nice to know.

I don't think Anna is in the photo below, but it's likely she handled a few dumbbells during her 3 years at Warren High.

The cadenced "one! two! three! four!" rang out in the gym as girls performed their calisthenics.

Before we met the Beatles, but after Anna's high school graduation.

Elmer L. M[e]yers High School, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (Postcard Series)

Meyers Junior-Senior High School website

Coca-Cola: "Situation Well in Hand"

from National Geographic (1953)

Tuesday, December 31, 1991

JoAnna works, I take the day off, and until 3 o'clock I'm doing chores and keeping an eye on the boys.  Andy is especially rambunctious.  We do grocery shopping in the morning, and I take an hour's break to watch Perry Mason.  After the last of the laundry is folded, I fix myself a martini and return to the TV room.  JoAnna returns home at 3:30.

Jess watches the boys, and JoAnna and I spend New Year's Eve at Larry and Martha's with Chuck and Barb.  Martha prepares a great turkey dinner.  Afterwards, we sit around and talk and, after Chuck and Barb leave, play Trivial Pursuit.  Larry and I win both games.

JoAnna and I drive home at 2:00 on surprisingly deserted streets.

Frosty Morning

Honey Bunches Branches Out

Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pa. (Postcard Series)

Memories of Liberty

Boro Construction

Things Go Better with Coke (Print and TV, 1964)

from National Geographic (1964)

Monday, December 30, 1991

I work, JoAnna's off.  And what a busy Monday it is, especially with only 3 of us working during the afternoon.  In spite of this fact, I still walk home for lunch.  My workday accomplishments include a redraft of the appropriate behavior policy and a response to another noise complaint, as usual, an adult bitching about those little kids that just can't seem to keep their mouths shut.

JoAnna and I spend the evening at Kathy and Dave's with Jill and Lee.  I get to listen to a lot of Two Rivers talk.  We get home at 10:30, about an hour after we told Jess we'd be there.

Germantown High School, Philadelphia (Postcard Series)

School website

Photo source:  Wikipedia

from National Geographic 1965

Sunday, December 29, 1991

I'm folding laundry and taping a Fleetwood Mac tune when Larry, Sherry, Angela, and Kristie arrive at noon.  JoAnna and her folks return 15 minutes later with Albert.  Larry and Alice leave around 2 so that they can get back to Two Rivers before dark.  Andy and Angela spend the entire day together, playing games, coloring, watching TV, their presence oftentimes invisible to the adults.  When our company prepares to leave sometime around 6, Andy is obviously depressed.  He won't say goodbye, won't give anyone a hug, won't even talk to his parents after everyone leaves.  He falls asleep on his bed.

Saturday, December 28, 1991

JoAnna prepares the best sausage gravy and biscuits breakfast I have ever eaten.  I walk to the cleaners to pick up an armload of clothes, my only outdoor activity for the day.  Myra and Cindy leave before noon.  Alice takes a nap, and Larry keeps putting his mouth on automatic pilot.  I manage to escape being a sounding board by tuning the TV to a football game.  JoAnna and her folks leave for Lake Delton at 4.  After I clean out and rearrange the spice cupboard, Andy and I play Yahtzee and Trouble.  Andy insists on sleeping in the TV room.  We watch TV until 11 and then I crash immediately.

High School in Oneonta, New York (Postcard Series)

Wasn't able to verify if the building in the postcard is still standing.

Up on the Roof: December 2012 Version

On Friday morning, I climbed up a ladder to the roof and removed the snow resting on our house’s large overhang.  It took me 90 minutes to complete this chore by which time my arms felt as if they could have floated away had they not been attached to my shoulders.  It was a relief, though, to have this excess weight pushed onto the ground.  I was too tired to remove the snow from the driveway right away, but our neighbor Gil did it for us with his snowblower – at the same time he removed another wall of snow at the edge of our driveway after a second tandem of snowplows made a pass down our street.

from National Geographic (1960)

Thursday, December 27, 1991

Once I'm back in the saddle, it's like I never left.  I may not be leaving, but it's Sharon's last day, and after my glowing reference for Deb, she, too has an opportunity to leave.  Calumet City gets put on hold since Spokane is still in Deb's future.

I have a fairly productive day even though Liz's urging to answer the noise complaint is ignored.   When I return home, the house is full of relatives.

Thursday, December 26, 1991

Eek!  A mouse!  JoAnna opens the door to the garage and spies a furry little rodent.  And just the other day I spotted a similar furry little creature just outside the dining room window.  The power of suggestion.  Now I try not to think about them.  I don't want one of those critters parachuting onto our bed.

So here I am on the last day of my 8-day vacation.  For no other reason than my own special brand of laziness, I'm not looking forward to my return to work tomorrow.

To break up the day, I take the boys for a ride.  We deposit some campaign checks, then cruise Hilldale.

Senior High School in St. Petersburg, Florida (Postcard Series)

Constructed in 1926

Billed as the first "million dollar high school" in the U.S.

Aerial view

Wednesday, December 25, 1991

Surprisingly, Andy is not up early.  In fact, he sprints into the living room without noticing the gifts that Santa left him.  Strange thing.  Right after Thanksgiving, I would have predicted that Andy would burst with enthusiasm long before the arrival of Christmas Day.  But as the 25th approached, he became progressively more lowkey about the entire affair.

JoAnna was right.  She did go overboard buying gifts for Andy, but she did make some smart choices, like a Mickey Mouse Yahtzee game and a Parcheesi-like game for kids called Trouble.  Not to mention the Chutes and Ladders board game I bought him for his birthday but that we decided to hold onto until Christmas due to our birthday excess.

I get some nice presents:  two pairs of pants -- one light gray, one greenish with cuffs (is this something I can wear?), a sweater more gray-brown than green-brown than the one I recently bought at Lands End (guess where JoAnna bought the gift?), two pairs of gloves (one of which will go perfectly with my leather jacket, the other a great match with my red CPO-like jacket), and a bottle of Canoe cologne (which I splash on as soon as I open it.).  JoAnna loves the gifts I bought her, especially the blue blazer, the purple sweater, the scarf, and the hair accessories.  Did I miss anything?  Only to say that she has a husband with great taste!

The games that Andy received make for some great family entertainment.  The only drawback to the day is Eddie's major fussiness during the afternoon.  We figure he must have an earache, even though he doesn't pull at his ear at his ear all the time.

High School, Lowell, Massachusetts (Postcard Series)

(1922)

Photo source:  Wikipedia

Coca-Cola: Refreshing New Feeling

From National Geographic (1963)

Tuesday, December 24, 1991

JoAnna puts in a few hours at the office.  I enjoy a less hectic morning with the boys, another opportunity to watch Perry Mason.  JoAnna makes tutke and a turkey breast for supper and then we open the gifts from my family.  And such nice things we receive.  A cordless phone and waffle iron for JoAnna and me, a railroad merry-go-round and pull-toy for Eddie (he loves the former), and Turtle sweats for Andy.  We don't take any videos or pictures, so I'm sure my folks will be disappointed to learn that.  Around 8, we take a drive around to look at Christmas lights.  We discover no major clusters of an overly-festive sort.  Most Madison neighborhoods appear to take a very lowkey or ho-hum approach to outside decorations.  When we arrive at Warner Park, the line of autos extends to Sherman Avenue.  With both boys asleep, I'm not in the mood for a parade.

Your Snow Table is Ready

Arlyene McLaughlin Menard (1925-2012) Warren High School Class of 1942

A hard-worker . . . serious . . an excellent comrade . . . an accomplished pianist.

New Bedford Massachusetts High School (Postcard Series)

The new New Bedford High School

From History of New Bedford.    The New Bedford High School was established in 1827, with John F. Emerson principal, but was abolished in 1829. For eight years Mr. Emerson then conducted a private High School. In 1837 the Public High School was revivified under a mandatory state law, with Mr. Emerson at the head.

No mention of when the building in the postcard was constructed, but from its design, I'd guess the late 19th/early 20th century.

And from the information presented in a Wikipedia article*, one might assume the school is primarily a youth sports factory, with little to do with academics.  (*Another piece of evidence as to why Wikipedia is a perversion of the idea of an encyclopedia.)

Coca-Cola: "It's my gift for thirst"

From National Geographic (1954)

Monday, December 23, 1991

I count the days off.  One, two, three, four.  Yesterday marked the halfway point of my Christmas vacation.  I wonder if there is anything I can do to put on the brakes, make the minutes pass like hours?

By early afternoon, I wonder if I would have been better off working.  Except for an hour watching Perry Mason, I'm on my feet doing chores or keeping up with the boys.  Oh, and of course there is much taping of old tunes, an effort, actually, to reduce the size of my record collection.  At 3, I'm more than ready for a martini, which puts me in a fine mood for making a spaghetti dinner.  Andy has a haircut appointment with Pat at 4:30 and that's the time we arrive.  Andy is a well-behaved customer, and Eddie's a little angel sitting on my lap.  JoAnna's home when we get back.  It's another evening of TV, read.

Sunday, December 22, 1991

I finish up my Christmas shopping, my top priority for the day.  At first, I encourage Andy to accompany me, but after he declines the invitation for the third time, I get the message and realize I'll be much more productive on a solo search.

I hit the mall first.  Looking for a sweater for JoAnna, I focus on the big stores:  Sears (a soft pink turtleneck is a possibility), Penney's (the perfect choice, a lamb's wool in purple is not available in her size), Prange's (everything is marked down drastically, but the selection -- some of it seconds, I suspect -- is paltry, and the Boston Store (na-da).  I find a great crew knit (purple) on sale at Eddie Bauer.  Next top:  the Going Places bookstore, but they don't open til one.  I have an hour to kill.  At Hilldale, I find a navy blue blazer on sale.  Sold.  Mission accomplished.  Forget the map.

During the afternoon, I continue taping tunes and JoAnna finishes her Christmas baking.  I made chicken for supper and then we all veg out.  JoAnna and I snuggle, progress to some heavy petting, and then experiences a rockets-red glare orgasm.

Saturday, December 21, 1991

I get up a few times during the night to quench a thirst and, luckily, wake up without a hangover.  JoAnna spends part of the afternoon collecting more signatures for her nomination papers.

Coca-Cola: Hospitality Can Be So Easy

from National Geographic 1952

Friday, December 20, 1991

Andy stays home, too.  It's a very treacherous day outside, sleet glazing everything it touches.  At first I'm not even sure if I want to venture outside with the boys, but, hey, it's payday.  We stop at the library to pick up my check and check out some videos, then we drive into Madison to the drive-through credit union so I can cash my paycheck without leaving the car.  During three subsequent stops -- Pic-a-Book, Hilldale, and the post office -- I have to leave the boys alone briefly.  I give Andy a very paternal lecture about not talking to strangers.

We spend the rest of the day at home.  I tape obscure 70s tunes from albums I've owned for years, sign and address Christmas cards,

Thursday, December 19, 1991

My first day of vacation begins.  Andy goes to daycare, but Eddie stays home with Dad after his brief introduction to Kids Play.  We do some shopping at Hilldale in the morning.  I buy some stocking stuffers for JoAnna but don't find her big present.  Eddie falls asleep as we're strolling through the mall, at which point our shopping trip ends.  We make a second excursion during the afternoon so I can buy blank tapes at Best Buy, a roast at Brennan's for Eddie's birthday dinner, and an ice cream cake at Dairy Queen.  Yes, today is Daddy and the Birthday Boy, and proud I am to be seen in the little guy's presence.

Wednesday, December 18, 1991

Wisconsin State Journal, 12/18/1991

The alarm is set for 5:30, a half hour earlier than usual, due to the fact that I need to be in Appleton by 9.  I make it there with an hour to spare.  I'm disappointed to find the Casbah restaurant closed, so I settle for breakfast at Burger King.  College Avenue, to my horror, is a shell of its former self.  The Grand Chute mall has certainly sucked most of the life out of downtown.  

The reference workshop goes very well.  I really zip through my material with confidence.  I stay for lunch, hitting the road at 2, and take a detour through Oshkosh to press a few memory cells.  I remember how many times I saw the same views from the seat of my bicycle.  Once in Madison, I stop at the credit union to cash my honorarium check, then unload the six boxes of books at the library.  JoAnna wants KFC for dinner but I want to change and have a martini first.  I take a few sips and then stash the glass in the freezer while Andy and I make the trek to KFC.  The Middleton store has nothing ready, always a problem at this location.  I can't resist making a few disparaging remarks as we leave.  The store on Mineral Point Road is loaded with chicken.  

We have a dinner party in the family room, something we would have never done with  Barb, god forbid, still being here.  JoAnna crashes early, and once again Andy and I stay up to watch Green Acres.

Tuesday, December 17, 1991

I use a free morning to do chores:  laundry, vacuuming and dusting, tidying up the kitchen, as well as taping the Four Seasons, mostly.  And do those guys sound good after all these years.

I sorta coast through the afternoon.  A few minutes before 4, I leave to pick up Andy and Eddie. Eddie doesn't look good at all.  Red eyes and such a forlorn look on his face.  It's been a rough day for him.  It's fine during the first half of the drive home, but then he fusses the rest of the way. We pick up Jesse and supper at McDonald's.  Food seems to settle Eddie down.  Jesse reports that he goes to bed early.  Since JoAnna's at the Capitol Christmas party, Andy and I stay up and watch Green Acres together.

Monday, December 16, 1991

Now when I go home for lunch, I can crank the tunes, do some recording -- hey, run around the house naked if I want to.  What a wonderful change in the home atmosphere.

Today is Eddie's first day at Kids Play.  JoAnna phones in a late-morning report that is positive.

I spend the day racing backwards through the mystery fiction, weeding more than 300 titles by 5:15.  I poke around the library for a little while, and when I return home, JoAnna is ready to leave to attend Russ Feingold's fundraiser.

At bedtime, Andy asks to hear The Three Bears for the-couple-hundredth time.

Sunday, December 15, 1991

How wonderful to wake up on a weekend morning without Barb's family-circle intrusions, her constant presence.  She spent 11 months with us and never ventured anywhere -- outside of Walgreen's and West Towne -- by herself.  Never checked out State Street, never re-explored Oshkosh.  What is wrong with her?  Why is she so inward?  Where did she obtain this fear of life?

I take the boys grocery shopping so JoAnna can take a shower and work on her fundraising letter.  The day is very lowkey.  I do some chores, tape some music, watch a little TV.  Mostly, though, I play with the boys.

Eddie starts daycare tomorrow.  I almost want to accompany JoAnna to see how he will adjust but that is making a big production of a simple step forward in life.

Saturday, December 14, 1991

We get a later start than planned.  I have to stop at a TYME machine to get the last of the money that Barb is owed and at PDQ for gas.  The wind is so violently cold I settle for half a tank.  Since JoAnna plans to do doors, the boys accompany Barb and me to Milwaukee.  I keep the radio on and talk to Andy while Barb soothes a fussy Eddie.  I say nothing to Barb during the entire trip.  After she boards her plane, I don't even stick around to see her take off.  I take the boys back to the van, and then Andy tells me he needs to go potty, so we walk back into the terminal.  Eddie sleeps for the entire trip back, which is why we wait to eat lunch in Madison.  We stop at the Burger King on East Washington near Hawthorne Plaza.  The Beauty and the Beast promotion must be old news, but Andy doesn't complain about the toy he gets with his kids meal, some nerdy little kid riding a "bookmobile".  Back home, the boys and I reclaim the guest bedroom, what had been Barb's closed-door, off-limits domain for the past 11 months.  I tape music while Andy plays Santa Claus with Eddie's birthday gifts.  While Eddie naps, Andy and I watch Planet of the Apes.

JoAnna is amazed at how much Jesse has grown since the last time he has babysat for us.  I am, too, actually.  The holiday party at Sheila's is most enjoyable.  JoAnna and I should host it next year.

Elaine Archibald Kramer Bimber (1928-2012) Warren High School Class of 1946

By 1946, an addition would have been constructed to the right.

Practical . . . reliable . . . reserved . . . wants to be a beautician.  (The last item, a dream unfulfilled.)