Class Update
Dear Class of ‘61,
Was your August good? Our spirit of good fellowship was very evident July 23rd when 40 of us had the pleasure of visiting John Reidy in Wareham. The shucked oysters were great. Jane Otte did a wonderful job of collecting funds and organizing for our summer Event. To all who came, thank you for contributing to our expenses. Dave Larkin confirms that the income was just right to cover the costs. To John especially, our thanks for being our gracious host. And thanks also to John’s sister, Sherbie Worthen, for taking pictures. Here are two showing us gamboling on the ocean-front porch, and John and his dog. The rest will be posted on the website.
The 1961 Forum date in Washington DC has been changed. Tim Wirth will now convene his Foreign Affairs panel on Monday, December 4th. The panel will include Gus Schumacher, Alec Watson, Jim Collins, and Avis Bohlen. After the discussion, Gus and Susan will give a reception for all in Georgetown. Since this may go late, Classmates from out of town may want to book hotel rooms. Sounds terrific to me.
Let us know what is happening with you, and especially, pass information on to Greg Downes and Ruth Scott, our most able Class Secretaries.
Several short and sweet notes, or amusements, were recently shared with me.
First, Dick Barthelmas shared a toe-tapper by Micah Tyler. Second, this recently published retrospective describes how Jim Nelson nurtured the creative expression and invention of a researcher at the University of Utah into a significant breakthrough in brain neurosurgery. Well done, Jim.
Then, Jerry Jordan sent a perfect summary of the joys of aging.
A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember ..
Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair. 'Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?' he asks.
'Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?'
'Sure.'
'Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?' she asks.
'No, I can remember it.'
'Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. Maybe you should write it down, so as not to forget it.'
He says, 'I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.'
'I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, write it down?' she asks.
Irritated, he says, 'I don't need to write it down, I can remember it! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!'
Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs.
She stared at the plate for a moment, and said, 'Where's my toast?'
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, 'Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly.' The other man said, 'What is the name of the restaurant?' The first man thought and thought and finally said, 'What’s the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know, the one that's red and has thorns.'
'Do you mean a rose?'
'Yes, that's the one,' replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, 'Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?'
Hospital regulations require a wheel chair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet, who insisted he didn't need my help to leave the hospital. After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator. On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. 'I don't know,' he said. 'She's still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown.'
A man was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect.' 'Really,' answered the neighbor. 'What kind is it?'
'Twelve thirty.'
Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. The doctor spoke to Morris and said, 'You're really doing great, aren't you?'
Morris replied, 'Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.''
The doctor said, 'I didn't say that. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur; be careful.'
All the best,
Thomas N. Blodgett
Harvard 1961 Class Committee Co-Chair
P.O. Box 84, Dublin, NH 03444
603-924-8030