Saturday, November 17, 2007

 
The Hussar Scrapbook
An amazing story has just come to a successful conclusion.

The young lady second from left is Helen R******. This photo was taken over 40 years ago on the occasion of Helen's induction into the Red Hussars, an all girls drum and bugle corp that was a part of Port Arthur's Thomas Jefferson High School since the 1920's. Of course when the high school was merged a few years ago, the Red Hussars ceased to exist as an on-going organization.

Because the high school was going out of existence, I stayed on the look-out for TJ memorabilia. My wife and I often go antiquing and I spotted this photo at a flea market and bought it. I actually had a connection with two of the people in the photo, but I did not know to whom the photo belonged. Several months later, at the same flea market, I found the personal Hussar Scrapbook that once belonged to Helen R*****. I was concerned that such a personal keepsake was being sold at a flea market. I feared that Helen had passed away and someone not knowing the importance of the scrapbook was trying to sell it. So I bought it , not knowing what to do with it, I kept it safe. The photo I sent to the Hussar Alumnae Association. I really did not see that the two may have been connected.

Then recently, I learned that Helen was indeed alive and through a mutual friend, I contacted her asking if she wanted the scrapbook. She was delighted to know the fate of the scrapbook and gave me a shipping address. I mailed it today.

This brings to a close a quest that lasted several years and hopefully will bring Mrs. Helen some amount of joy as she recalls her friends and years in the Red Hussars.

yea Rouge, yea blanc, yea Hussars, allons.





Sunday, November 11, 2007

 
Oops I Missed the 40 Year Reunion - Cancer Got in the Way

Well, I missed the 40 year reunion. I can't say it was an accident. We planned to see our daughter in Seattle and it just so happened that the dates coincided.

My wife did not feel well for most of the trip, and soon after we got back she went to the doctor and was subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Our lives have not been the same since.

She has undergone three chemo cycles over the past few monthe and major surgery last week. Results of the surgery are good. It is my prayer that she recover and be fully healed. Signs as of right now point towards that. Praise Jesus.

In the mean time, our reunion seemed to be somewhat lacking in attendance and maybe lacking in fun.

I've heard from of of my favorites, Jo Nell, and she did not go either. June just seems the wrong time for a high school reunion.

One of the things I was going to do was to update my website: http://www.waltersinsight.com/index.html with more thrilling insights into high school. Specifically, I was going to develop content on the usefulness of my high school learning, a serious examination and i was going to develop humorous - at least to me - content about all my high school sweethearts. Then I got to thinking, with what is going on in my life, why waste time on high school? As you can see, I've lost a lot of my sense of humor over the past few months. Maybe I'll get it back some day.

Is anyone out there?
If you read this, leave a remark.


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