SEASON'S GREETINGS

Here's hoping you have a great Holiday Season

and a very healthy New Year...

...even if it only involves a Christmas Tree egg for breakfast on Christmas Day.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you did have a great Thanksgiving Day.

(Now, go burn off those calories as best you can.)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Hope that cleaning up all that left over candy wasn't too hard on you.

ISN'T THIS JUST YOUR LUCKY DAY ?

Congratulations, you senior citizen, you.

Here's another great perk that comes with turning "65" this year.

If you go to the Hartford Union High School website at http://www.huhs.org/ , then click on the word "Community" in the top task bar under the photos and then click on the bottom item in the list ("Additional Community Links"), you will be invited to get a FREE "senior citizen pass" for all sporting events and concerts held at HUHS.

Please note that the pass is NOT valid for W.I.A.A. events, school plays, musicals or events held at the Schauer Center.

Just stop by the Co-curricular Office of Hartford Union High School and pick yours up today. You will probably need a photo I.D. that shows your date of birth---you know, like the fake I.D. you used to have to get into the bars in the good old days.

See you soon at Hartford High's sporting events and concerts...

...or at the 50th Reunion in 2012 in case a several thousand mile drive to the Co-curricular Office is a little far to go when you live a long way from Hartford, Wisconsin, USA.

HAPPY LABOR DAY

Here's a story from a fellow classmate from the Hartford area that brings out the true meaning of "Labor Day"------

Dear Fellow Classmates,

It is important for men to remember that as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at them. Some are oversensitive, and there is nothing worse than an oversensitive woman.

I won't give my name, but let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Melody. When I retired a few years ago, it became necessary for Melody to get a full-time job along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed. Shortly after she started working, I noticed that she was beginning to show her age. I usually get home from the golf club about the same time she gets home from work.

Although she knows how hungry I am, she almost always says she has to rest for half an hour or so before she starts dinner. I don't yell at her. Instead, I tell her to take her time and just wake me when she gets dinner on the table. I generally have lunch in the Men's Grill at the golf club, so eating out is not reasonable. I'm ready for some home-cooked grub when I hit that door. She used to do the dishes as soon as we finished eating. But now it's not unusual for them to sit on the table for several hours after dinner.

I do what I can by diplomatically reminding her several times each evening that they won't clean themselves. I know she really appreciates this, as it does seem to motivate her to get them done before she goes to bed.

Another symptom of aging is complaining, I think. For example, she will say that it is difficult for her to find time to pay the monthly bills during her lunch hour. But, boys, we take 'em for better or worse, so I just smile and offer encouragement. I tell her to stretch it out over two or even three days. That way she won't have to rush so much. I also remind her that missing lunch completely now and then wouldn't hurt her any---if you know what I mean. I like to think tact is one of my strong points.

When doing simple jobs, she seems to think she needs more rest periods. She had to take a break when she was only half-finished mowing the yard. I try not to make a scene. I'm a fair man. I tell her to fix herself a nice, big, cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade and just sit for a while. And, as long as she is making one for herself, she may as well make one for me too.

I know that I probably look like a saint in the way I support my wife, Melody. I'm not saying that showing this much consideration is easy. Many men will find it difficult. Some will find it impossible. Nobody knows better than I do how frustrating women get as they get older. However, guys, even if you just use a little more tact and less criticism of your aging wife because of this article, I will consider that writing it was well worthwhile. After all, we are put on this earth to help each other.

Yours truly,

A Fellow Classmate

(Note: We are sad to say this classmate won't be able to make it to our 50th Class Reunion in 2012. We noticed in the local newspaper the classmate died this past week. The newspaper article noted that the police report described a golf club wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his ability to breathe. His wife, Melody, was arrested and charged with murder. But the all-woman jury took only 10 minutes to find her "not guilty," accepting her defense that her husband had accidentally wrapped the golf club around his own neck while he was showing her the proper way to swing the club.)

Like we said, Happy Labor Day.

New "Dress Code" Now That You Are 65

Now that many of us are 65 years of age, we would like to share the following "dress code" suggestions regarding combinations that DO NOT go together and should be avoided:

1- a nose ring & bifocals
2- spiked hair & bald spots
3- a pierced tongue & dentures
4- mini-skirts & support hose
5- ankle bracelets & corn pads
6- speedo's & cellulite
7- a belly button ring & a gall bladder surgery scar
8- unbuttoned disco shirt & a heart monitor
9- midriff blouses & a midriff bulge
10-inline skates & a walker

(But it's okay to use these combinations at our 50th Reunion in 2012.)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"

Well, we are about halfway through 2009, so that should mean about half of us have turned "65" and the other half of us will be turning "65" soon.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and congratulations on making it to or approaching the wonderful world of Social Security and Medicare.

(Start getting in shape for our 50th Reunion in 2012 when you will be a frisky "68.")

News of Another Classmate's Death Reaches Us One Year Later

Today, May 17, 2009, is the first anniversary of the death of our classmate, Mary (McCrackin) Wittig who died in 2008 after battling cancer for almost two years.

Mary's obituary goes on to note that she is survived by her husband of 44 years, Marvin Wittig. She is also survived by her children: Marlene (Steve) Randazzo, Monica (Ted) Orth, Marvin Jr. (Debbie) Wittig, Mark (Jennifer) Wittig. She is further survived by her grandchildren: Ashley, Alex, Jacob & Stephanie Randazzo, Emily Wittig and Hailey Orth.

We extend our belated sympathy and prayers to the family of Mary (McCrackin) Wittig on behalf of Hartford Union High School's "Class of '62."

Oh, To Be In Hartford Now That Spring Is Here

Hope you are having a pleasant 2009 spring.

(And we hope you still have us "penciled in" for our 50th Reunion in 2012.)

HAPPY EASTER

And please be aware that scientists estimate that "spring" moves north at the rate of about 16 miles a day.

So, a person able to walk that far daily could start in the south and have "spring" every day, watching dafodills and dogwoods bloom the whole way, each day.

(Now put down those jelly beans and get hiking.)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK's DAY

Hope you have a great day on that great day!

Here's a "History Exam" to take if you're not out drinking green beer:

(We should be old enough to to do well on this test, even though a few items might be from "before our time."

Get a PENCIL & PAPER, number the paper from "1" to "10," and write the letter of each correct answer---then see the correct answers and scoring at the end of the test.

1- In the 1940's, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located?

a- on the floor board by the shift lever

b- on the floor board to the left of the clutch

c- next to the horn

2- The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it. For what was it used?

a- to capture lightning bugs

b- to sprinkle clothes before ironing

c- to use as a salt shaker

3- Why was having milk delivered to your home a problem during the winter months?

a- cows got cold and did not produce enough milk to make delivery profitable

b- bad weather led to delivery trucks being kept in garages for safety

c- milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and the mik would freeze and push up the cardboard bottle top

4-What car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going?

a- Studebaker

b- Nash Metro

c- Avanti

5- Which was a popular candy when you were a kid?

a- strips of dried peanut butter

b- chocolate licorice bars

c- wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar-water inside

6- Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes?

a- with clamps tightened by a skate key

b- woven straps that crossed the foot

c- long pieces of twine that were braided

7- What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony?

a- Old Blue

b- Paint

c- Macaroni

8- What was a "duck-and-cover" drill?

a- part of the game of hide-and-seek

b- what most kids would do when your mom called you in to do chores

c- hiding under your school desk and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill

9- Why did you mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with pruchases?

a- to keep you out of mischief by licking the backs which tasted like bubble gum

b- they could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items

c- they were given to kids to be used as stick-on tattoos

10- What was the name of our vice-principal at the new Hartford Union High School in the early 1960's?

a- Mr. Collins

b- Mr. Cartright

c- Mr. Hammond

Answers:

1- b (on the floor board to the left of the clutch

2- b (to sprinkle clothes before ironing) (who had a steam iron?)

3- c (milk would freeze and push up on the cardboard bottle top)

4- a (Studebaker)

5- c (was coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar-water inside

6- a (with clamps tightened by a skate key)

7- c (Macaroni)

8- c (hiding under your desk for an A-bomb drill

9- b (put in special books and redeemed for household items

10- b (Mr. Cartright)

Scoring:

8-to-10 correct and you're "older than dirt" (like the rest of us)

5-to-7 correct and you've lost a lot a brain cells over the years (also like the rest of us)

0-to-4 correct and you're not old enough at all (are you using a fake ID ?)

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day !

...with "Happy" quotes sent to us by classmate Marie Therese...

"My husband wanted one of those big-screen TV's for his birthday---so I just moved his chair closer to the TV we already have." (Wendy Liebman)

"I'm not going to vacuum until Sears makes one you can ride on." (Roseanne Barr)

"Inside me there's a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually sedate him with four or five cupcakes." (Bob Thaves)

"I haven't spoken to my wife in years. I don't want to interrupt her." (Rodney Dangerfield)

"My doctor is wonderful. Once, when I couldn't afford an operation, he touched up the x-rays." (Joey Bishop)

"I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes---and six months later you have to start all over again." (Joan Rivers)

HAPPY 2009 !

Happy New Year Class of '62 Classmates !

We hope you have had time to make lots of resolutions for the new year, such as the importance of excercise such as "walking."

Below you will find information shared by classmate Marie Therese (Reis) Hall and her husband, Charles, about the importance of walking......

The Importance of Walking:

> Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $8000. per month.

> My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he's 92 years old and we don't know where he is.

> I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

> The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

> I have to walk early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

> I joined a health club last year to get in more walking done---spent about $400 for the membership, but haven't lost a pound. Apparently, you have to go there.

> If you switch from walking to cross-country skiing in the winter, start with a small country.

> Even with a lot of walking, we probably all get heavier as we get older because there is a lot more information in our heads. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)