Nancy and Bob Murdock, Editors - murmuse@erols.com

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July and August, 2003
CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:

MUSER GRADUATES CUM LAUDE! (Nancy Murdock) Click
HS GRADUATION SAGA (Becky Murdock) Click
FROM THE GRADUATE (Natalie Murdock) Click
BBQ JUDGE BUYS HOUSE (Roy Murdock) Click
PICTURES OF ROSE (Carl Martz) Click
THE MOVIE VERSION (Carl Martz) Click
OFF TO EUROPE (Clyde Howlett) Click
BUILDING A NEW HOUSE (David Leskinen) Click
PRICELESS (Daniel Leskinen) Click
SOAPBOX DERBY (Dotty Salminen) Click
ONE RINGY-DINGY (Gene Murdock) Click
Click for Part 2
GAME DEDICATED TO GRANDPA SLIM (Sean Murdock) Click
FORKSVILLE POWWOW - 2003 (Carol Howlett) Click
MEMORIES (Margery Aukstikalnis) Click
MY DAD (Meredith Murdock) Click
AFTER THE SURGERY (Polly Soberg) Click
SILICON VALLEY SLUMP (Valerie Davidson) Click
GLAD TO HAVE THE MUSE (Margery Aukstikalnis) Click
NEW JOB (Lori Turner) Click
BABES IN THE WOODS (Nancy Murdock) Click
IN THE NEWS (Gene Murdock) Click
SO-CAL (Nancy Murdock) Click
UP HIGHWAY 5 (Nancy Murdock) Click
WHAT'S IN A NAME (Nancy Murdock) Click
Click for Part 3
R.I.P. RICHARD LYON (Nancy Murdock) Click
NOTES FROM OUR CA TRIP (Bob Murdock) Click
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOB (Gene Murdock) Click


MUSER GRADUATES CUM LAUDE!
Nancy Murdock

On May 17, 2003, granddaughter Christel Michelle Murdock became our first grandchild to graduate from college when she received her Bachelor of Communications degree cum laude from Chapman University, Orange, CA. Her emphasis was in Public Relations, and we know she will be an asset wherever she goes.

Since she had given us notice of her big day a year ago, we were able to plan our vacation at the right time to see her walk down that long, grassy aisle to receive her diploma. We were really excited about this event! I told everyone at work that I was going to CA to celebrate my granddaughter Christel's college graduation and her sister Natalie's high school graduation.

It was a beautiful day, with an air of festivity over the campus. There were several stations of cookies and cold drinks to lure us afterwards. All that clapping had worked up some appetites.

After getting our snacks and dessert, we headed off for Christel's reception at a restaurant that featured games and popular music. Unfortunately, there were two of these with the same name in the general area, so Ian, Becky, NaTT, Tim, Meri, Bob, and I ended up at the wrong one. Parking wasn't easy, but finally we got both cars situated and went in, only to find no Murdock party in progress. Becky asked about the other one, and we retrieved the cars and headed back to Orange.

After touring the whole parking lot, we finally left the cars with a valet. This time we found the party. Christel found seats for us and introduced us to some of the fellow guests, and a waiter showed us the food table.

We had a good time talking with some people we had not seen for several years and some family friends we had not previously met. We were especially pleased to talk with her brother Robert, who was looking grand and businesslike in a suit and tie. Then Christel took the floor and talked about her goals and more about her guests and how each had contributed to her education. She was well prepared, gorgeous in her cap and gown, and exuding confidence. We realized how ready she was to apply her knowledge and experience in public relations.

It was a great time for us, and we cherish the memories. A few days later, Christel invited us to her house and presented us with a framed collage of her graduation photo, the invitation, and a photo of the three generations of Murdocks at the party. I keep picking it up to bring to mind that wonderful occasion.


HS GRADUATION SAGA
Becky Murdock

30 May: Good news, Natalie got her prom dress and bought her ticket, and she got a friend to do her make-up and hair for free. She is right on track.....She is going to finish adult school Tuesday, which is way ahead of schedule, even though in the beginning they told her that she wouldn't finish. She asked for 1 extra day a week and proved them wrong. So cross your fingers and say your prayers that she graduates.

9 June: Well, I'm writing to report that Natalie looked beautiful on Saturday for the prom. She bought a beautiful powder blue dress, that really brought out her gorgeous eyes (they are just like Ian's). She was just stunning to look at..... We took pictures, so I will send you some.

13 June: Natalie has passed everything that she needs to, and is graduating with her class on Wed. She was so excited she could hardly stand it. Her one class was a D, and that meant she wasn't going to pass. So she went to the teacher and said how can I turn this grade around. She told her to go write a 20 minute essay, and she would see if it was good enough. Natalie got to work, and did it, and the teacher loved it. The rest is history!!! Also, her softball team is playing for the championship right now. They are in 1st place. Natalie is inviting all her siblings to her graduation, so that should be a lot of fun. Ian and Natalie are going to a scary movie premiere in LA tonite, just up their alley.
FROM THE GRADUATE
Natalie Murdock

12 June: Hey people, it's me, Natalie. I have been soooooo incredibly busy lately; sorry I haven't gotten the opportunity to write to you guys. Well, prom was this past Saturday, and it was well worth all the stress and planning that went into it. It started at around 2 PM, when I went to my friend's house to get my hair and makeup done. After almost 4 hours there, I saw her off with her date and continued on my way. I went to another friend's house, where I met up with about 7 or 8 other friends. We all took many pictures and at 7 PM, our limo arrived. My first experience in a limo, and a very good one, at that.

We arrived at the Yorba Linda Equestrian Center at 8 PM, and walked the red carpet into prom. It was SOOOOO exciting. I got many compliments on my dress and my look in general. It made me feel really good. After the prom, around midnight, my friends and I left in the limo, where we got dropped off at a hotel for a party. The party was a little too wild for our style, so we met up with 15 other friends, and decided to get a hotel of our own. So, all the time that existed between midnight and 6 AM was spent hanging out and eating at Norm's Restaurant.

At around 6, we all decided to go to a friend's house, and we just hung out until like 8 AM. At 8, I went to my friend Anabel's house and we slept until 5 PM. I never even got home until 10 PM, Sunday night! But it was allllllllllll worth it.

As for graduation, I plan to graduate next Wednesday. The scary thing is that it all comes down to passing one final exam, but I have faith. Oh, by the way, I will send doubles of my prom pictures, real soon. Ok, I have to go now...take a shower, smell nice for the last day of school tomorrow.

19 June: I did it, folks! This won't be long, sorry - all the siblings are here, but I just wanna tell you that I am thankful for the support, and I now officially have my high school diploma, no strings attached! Thanks, and I'll write more, later - Love, NaTT.....La Mirada High School, Class of 2003!


BBQ JUDGE BUYS HOUSE
Roy Murdock

19 May: Our latest adventure is a web cam for our computer. It can either be a live video feed or it can snap pictures.

We're also in the process of buying this house. It will only be the second house we've ever owned. It was new when we moved in here two years ago, so we're the only people who have lived in the house. Now that I have a new, secure job it seemed like a good time to buy.

31 May: I got to be a judge at a barbecue contest today. There were 35 contestests and they came from all over. We judged chicken, pork, beef briskets and ribs. It was excellent! We got to bring home all our leftovers, which were substantial. I really enjoyed it and will probably take the one day training so I can become a "certified judge".

Khendra got all "A's" again this past semester, so she has a 4.0 average going. College has been a good experience for her.

1 June: I mentioned the BBQ contest I was a judge at- well, my picture was in today's paper. [Ed. Note: Khendra scanned the picture with their new scanner. However, it is copyrighted, soo we'll just summarize the text. It mentioned that there were 30 teams from several states at the Festival of the Four States sanctioned barbecue. In the closeup picture, Roy seemed to be having a fine time judging the only way possible, by taking a neat bite out of the tasty rib. And his hands looked clean!--NAM]

15 June: Hope you had a nice Father's Day. We went to the Holiday Inn to partake of their great brunch. Unfortunately, they didn't have the brunch today. Instead, they had a barbecue buffet- not nearly as good, but I still ate two large plates worth. Then we went bowling and had a good time. Tami hadn't bowled in over 23 years and she still had a 101! Pretty good for a 61 year old!

We signed all the papers and officially bought our house this past Tuesday. Our monthly payments immediately went down! [Ed. Note: Congratulations, Judge!--NAM]

PICTURES OF ROSE
Carl Martz

June 5: Hello again wonderful relatives and friends.

I have completed placing pictures of Rose on the Website where I posted her biography. Just follow these steps:
1. Go to www.mem.com
2. Type in Martz at the search field.
3. Click Martz, Rose.
4. Click *Images* on the menu to the right.
5. You will see Rose's bio picture and a large picture of her family in 1937.
6. Scroll down to the thumbprint images. Click each one to see a larger image plus a caption. Use the scroll bar for the thumbprint section to bring up all the images. There are 20, including the bio picture. Please let me know if I need to make any corrections in the captions.
7. Another neat feature is the slide show. Just go back to the menu where you clicked Images and click *Slide Show.* All the images will appear one at a time in sequence.

This biography and picture project has helped me assure myself that Rose will be remembered by her relatives, friends, and the grandchildren who will never know her. By the way, Jenny is expecting again in January.
THE MOVIE VERSION
Carl Martz

21 June: I am thinking a lot about Rose tonight, since tomorrow would be our 35th wedding anniversary. You may not have seen the movie version of the pictures I posted on Rose's life since I did not mention it in my last e-mail to you. The movie presentation is quite well done. All I did was to upload and arrange the pictures, the software did the rest. I hope you do not feel I am pushing these pictures too much; it is one way for me to keep the memories of Rose alive for those who knew and loved her. To see the movie, go to www.mem.com Type in Martz at the search field Click Martz, Rose Click Movie on the menu It may take 20 seconds or 20 minutes to load the music and images, depending on your computer, your Internet connection, or the time of day, so please be patient. Once you click Movie, everything is automatic. You might want to maximize your screen when the movie begins.

[Ed. Note: Carl has done a wonderful job on this tribute to Rose, who was just as nice as you would gather from the Website.
OFF TO EUROPE
Clyde Howlett

Has been a cold and snowy winter. Sure glad that it is over. Looking forward to planting our garden on the deck.

Leave for Amsterdam June 9th, then fly to Moscow on the 11th for a day tour of the city. Then fly to St. Petersburg and stay there until the 14th. We will then fly to London and stay there until June 18, when we will return to Bedford NH. Hope to have lots of pictures.
BUILDING A NEW HOUSE
David Leskinen

Hello, have to make this quick. Cindy is in the hospital, the kids have to be picked up/dropped off here, there, everywhere, and I'm trying to build a house. So please forgive me for not writing more or elaborating on a few things. When things settle down I will update everyone.

My new e-mail address is d.leskinen@att.net. Iamgr8dad@aol.com is no longer in use. Coming soon: new address and phone number.
PRICELESS
Daniel Leskinen

This year's Father's day was the best one I've ever had. Since I've been teaching my kids to be thrifty, they try to punish me by not purchasing any gifts. Well, the gift they gave me was priceless and it didn't cost them a cent. I let the kids sleep in Sunday morning until 9:00am. Then we loaded up with garden and cleaning tools and hit the front yard. We clipped and cut, swept and scrubbed, pulled and dug, and finally threw all the trash in my truck. Alizabette fed us all lemonade as we took a break, and then we headed out to the back yard. We did everything as in the front and then some. Calder laid brick pavers in a muddy path. Stephanie (God bless her) cleaned the back porch where the dogs had made it look lived in. Annabelle delivered trash bags and crushed cans. Carolyn filled in holes where the dog tried to dig to China. I raked areas where the lawn mower was afraid to go. We worked together as a team? No, we worked together as a family. Final cost: ½ gallon lemonade, 99 cents; Box of trash bags, $3.98; Trip to the incinerator, $19.80; Spending the day with my family doing yard work, priceless.
SOAPBOX DERBY
Dotty Salminen

6 June: It was not Gene who reminded me that you have a birthday. It was the soap box derby that I attended last Saturday;. It took me back several years (about 65) to when you were in a soap box derby. I believe it was held on Cross street in Gardner where there was a neat little hill.

I don't think I was allowed to go, probably because Mom couldn't handle three of us and she might have been pregnant or just had Barbara or something like that. And of course thinking of that reminded me that you were about to have another birthday! Oh; by the way, Casey was in the one that I attended and his cub pack took second place out of eight. They had built their own boxes out of wood, not soap boxes, but the name remains the same and the excitement and cheering from the sides remains the same. Casey is 10 and I believe you were 10 when you raced.

I do hope that you have had a happy birthday.

21 June: I will be having at least three doctor visits and one surgery during your vacation but will certainly want to see you and hopefully get in a lunch and Scrabble game. (Casey beat me yesterday!) I will have my first cataract done and have a second visit regarding my peripheral vascular problem in my left leg. No biggie!

Looking forward to seeing you both.

ONE RINGY-DINGY
Gene Murdock

Telephones have changed a lot in my day. In the 1930's in Gardner we had a basic black desk set - our number was 419R, but I don’t remember any crank or anything attached to it. When we moved to the country around 1940 we had a brown box on the wall with a crank for alerting the operator. The mouthpiece was attached to the front of the box and the earpiece hung on the side.

Party lines were common then with shared numbers. The first person on the line would be 66R1, the next house 66R2, and so on. When the operator plugged in to 66 she then added the number of rings indicated so the right person would answer. On lines with a lot of households the rings could be a combination of long and short rings, which is easier to comprehend than many short rings. This of course meant that anyone on the line could pick up and listen in on the conversation, and they did.

In Hubbardston the operators were the Wheeler sisters, Kate and Bessie, and the switchboard was installed in their house. To call someone, you gave the crank a vigorous turn, which rang the bell at the switchboard. The operator plugged in and you gave her the number. She then pulled out a wire with a jack on it and plugged it into the right hole on the switchboard much like Lily Tomlin did in her role as an operator on the old Laugh-in TV series.

As kids we had a form of telephone made from tin cans. A small hole was punched in the bottom center of each can and a string inserted with a knot on each end so it wouldn’t pull out of the can. When the string was stretched tight, the voice going into the can would cause the flat bottom of the can to resonate and the vibrations would transfer down the taut string to the can on the other end, which the other person held up to their ear. I have seen it used on TV with the string hanging slack. WRONG! The string has to be very taut to work. But the distance apart was limited to the ability of finding a long enough string that wouldn't break when stretched to its limit. Usually the two parties were close enough that the usefulness of the things as a telephone was negated - you could hear what the person was saying without listening with the can to your ear. Much testing and trying went on, and as my son Scott, who suggested this article, says, this was probably the origin of the phrase "Can you hear me now?" that we hear in today's irritating TV commercials.

In 1943 a new system was installed in Hubbardston consisting of dial telephones for local calls. For long distance we still had to go through the operator. A new numbering system came as part of the change in 1947 when we went from just a few numbers to the three number exchange followed by a four number house identifier. We became 928-3347. Many exchanges with this type of number substituted a word to indicate the first two numbers, making the whole thing easier to remember. The classic example is from the great Glenn Miller hit "Pennsylvania 65-000, which would be, in numerical terms, 736-5000. I don't remember any such designation for Hubbardston, but I do remember as late as 1962 giving the operator a Barre number of something like Barre Flanders 59143, which was, of course, 355-9143.

By 1975 the system had advanced to where no operators were needed for routine calling by the use of area codes where you could just dial the whole number yourself and somewhere along the line we gradually went from dial to touchtone phones.

While serving in Greenland in 1962 there were no phone lines across the waters, so telephone had to be relayed by radio. We went to the local MARS station on base (Military Affiliate Radio System, I believe the acronym comes from), and they would hook up by radio with a MARS station in the States or contact a ham radio operator (Bless their pea-pickin' hearts!) near where you were calling. This worked all right except it was hard to explain to the folks on the farm back home what was happening, and that you had to say a sentence or two, then end the sentence with "OVER," so the radio operator could know when to flip a switch from transmitting to listening and get your reply. Chris hated the system and never got used to it, so we used it sparingly and wrote daily letters back and forth.

In recent years (by my way of counting) there have been many advancements as we acquired such things as call waiting, caller ID and conference calls. The mobile telephones have shrunk from the huge "walkie-talkies" of World War II down to small folding gadgets without wires that fit in your pocket and even telephones hooked up to the Web with built in cameras.

Yes, we've come a long, long way from Lily Tomlin's "One Ringy-dingy" days.

Can you hear me now?


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