November-December 2003 Muse

November and December, 2003 Nancy and Bob Murdock, Editors - murmuse@erols.com

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CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE:

MOVING UP (Jerod Davidson) Click

SWITCHING GEARS (Valerie Davidson) Click

A SEA CHANGE IN CALIFORNIA (Ian Murdock) Click

CHAD (Ian Murdock) Click

LYNDA REMEMBRANCE: A QUILT OF HEARTS AND PHOTOS (Anna Brugge) Click

A BOOK, A DRINK, AND A BEAGLE (Cathy Howlett) Click

WESTMINSTER CRACKERS (Gene Murdock) Click

SEPTEMBER 11TH (Meri Murdock) Click

FROST FAMILY UPDATE (Orrel Frost) Click

HEADING FOR ARUBA (Polly Soberg) Click

R.I.P. MALCOLM F. CHARLTON (1918-2003) (Bob Murdock) Click

A NICE TRIP (Lori Turner) Click

Click here for PART 2.

QUILT ON ONLINE AUCTION (Nancy Murdock) Click

PROJECT MARS (Nancy Murdock) Click

MOVING UP
Jerod Davidson
Wanted to email to say hi. I hope you are doing well. I'm enjoying my new 2 story 1 1/2 bath townhouse in Sunnyvale (and yes, the city lives up to its name!) I recently received a "promotion." It's really the same job, same location, just a different supervisor and my pay check is now coming directly from the city instead of being routed through the contractor I was working for.

How bout those Yankees. I can't bring myself to cheer for the Marlins because they beat my Giants. J.T. Snow just became eligible for free agency, but I think they will still try to re-sign him, just for less money. Oh, and I think Ponson will be on his way back to Baltimore. The team wasn't very impressed, especially since in the end we basically traded Russ Ortiz for him,since we got Moss for Ortiz, and now we'll probably have nothing to show for it. I can't really get into football this year, so I'm hoping the hockey and basketball seasons are enough sports to get me through the fall and winter seasons.

SWITCHING GEARS
Valerie Davidson
Oct. 12: I've just had my first full weekend off since Labor Day, so I have time tonight to both send you a note and sit outside listening to the crickets.

It was pretty exciting switching gears from my first leisurely summer since the early '70s to working two jobs and going to evening classes for my credential. Totally out of character for me, I actually got mixed-up on one class' starting date and missed the first meeting. It allowed me to fully enjoy the Labor Day weekend, so it wasn't totally awful, but the class itself is English Curriculum & Instruction, which is the only class I have to take on the San Francisco State University campus, and it's a bear. I suspect that the department's faculty have some point to make when they load down a class with that much work for 3 credits.

My other class this semester is in Secondary School Strategies, or some such thing, in which we focus on discipline, and group work--something that is really featured in pedagogy right now. Even though students seem to hate working in groups, they apparently learn more, especially in today's heterogeneous classrooms, so there you have it.

Meanwhile, I've pared back the traffic school teaching to generally one weekend day per week, usually Saturday. I think I've hit my stride there and am astonished how much benefit I'm getting from the inherent pressure to entertain (well, I guess when you call it Comedy School the expectations aren't unreasonable). So far, it already came in very handy for a group presentation in my C&I class, causing our presentation to be the most lively of all--much, I'm sure, to the happiness of the rest of the class, since ours was last. Also, it helps to have a roommate who seems to be a natural comedian. (Have we done away with the gender differentiation on that word?)

As for the substituting, there's good news there, too. Now that I'm in my second year, the demand is greater and I'm starting my fourth straight week filling in for a Special Ed. teacher out for medical reasons (looks like it may go for at least 2 more weeks, too). After 3 straight weeks, the pay scale improves retroactively to the first day and the pay resembles a "real job."

I substituted for this teacher last year and she requested me for this assignment, and it is really terrific experience. She has two RSP English classes, which stands for "Resource Special Person" I think, but anyway it means a very basic English class with around 18 students from grades 9-12 who are "at-risk" and need special attention to learn anything. She also has 3 Study Skills classes (with even fewer students), in which I might have to help a student with his or her Math assignments, for instance. I must be doing something right, because attendance is nearly perfect, and that is far from a given.

Also, the head of the English Department at the same high school (where Jerod went, actually) has already approached me about finishing out the year beginning in March for an English teacher going out on maternity leave. Fortunately, the credential program I am in is designed for working teachers, so it all fits together nicely, although it also means, for now, working 6 days a week, with the traffic school commitment.

Speaking of Jerod, he just switched employers without switching jobs, and now instead of working under contract he is actually employed by the City of San Jose and managed to procure a 25% pay hike in the bargain, so he's pretty jazzed. Also, his third try at a living situation has him finally much happier--a lovely 2-story townhouse in Sunnyvale (closer to his job), which he shares with his best friend.

We're in our Indian Summer now and the days are beautiful, the nights cool. I can almost forget at times about the ridiculous political scene into which we have just plummeted (note that the Bay Area didn't want Arnold for Guvinator). In fact, our State scene isn't very different from the national one now, to my extreme--well, let's just say that I read the paper and then try to keep my breakfast down!

I hope this note finds you well and happy, and it's been a pleasure sharing with you.

A SEA CHANGE IN CALIFORNIA
Ian Murdock
Oct. 13: I don't know how much coverage it got nationally, but we had a wonderful thing happen in California this past week, bringing to us a new face and some badly-needed leadership to restore order. After several years of mismanagement under the old guard, I am 'cautiously optimistic', and I feel as though a wonderful springtime is right around the corner. I am, of course, referring to the news that Rupert MurdocH's News Corp., parent company of Fox Broadcasting, has agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers, the stadium and all minor-league holdings to a private Boston-based investment group headed by my newest hero, real estate developer Frank McCourt. Who did you think I was talking about, Arnold Schwartzenegger? As far as that goes, I voted against the gubernatorial recall, and cast my ballot for a certain well-known magazine magnate with a heart on, uh, his sleeve for the First Amendment.

The boys in blue and white had not won a post-season game since the Reagan era when News Corp. bought the organization from the venerable O'Malley family in 1988, and it has now stretched into fifteen long, painful years without a playoff victory. Hope, however - that lifeblood of the horsehide fanatic - springs eternal!

Oh, somewhere clouds are forming, and somewhere children pout But there is much joy in El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciúncula - mighty Rupert has bowed out.

GO BLUE!

CHAD
Ian Murdock
Oct. 16: Close call at the voting booth: Voting in Los Angeles County, we were forced to use the infamous punch-card ballot system, due to be discarded by the next real election; and when I went to hand mine to the polling officer, he cautioned me to check that the little paper chads had fully disengaged. It turned out that my vote for Hustler publisher Larry Flynt had in fact NOT removed the offending chad, and I was obliged to pull it off the card by hand, in front of God and everybody. I shudder when I think how I nearly threw my vote away! By the way, it was (Democrat) Maria Shriver who divined Becky's realness and unmobness, and made her one of two people that she shook hands with. Or maybe it was the way Becky was screaming, "Maria!" For his part, Arnold pressed more flesh than a workaholic Chinese restaurant duck processor, including the flesh of Beck and NaTT (sorry I can't be more eloquent than that, but Game One of the Series is on the TV behind me, robbing me of brain power).

Speaking of baseball, how about those cursed Cubs and Red Sox? Both teams were five outs away from winning their respective pennants, and both were denied. The Curse of the Goat and the Curse of the Babe are very real in the superstitious minds of many players. Down 5-2 to the Sox in Game 7 of the ALCS, Yankee Derek Jeter turned to dejected teammate Aaron Boone and said, "Don't worry, the ghost [of Babe Ruth] will come." Those words seemed to come true as the Yanks scored the remaining four runs in the game, culminating in the bottom of the 11th, when Boone himself turned out the lights with only the fifth Game 7-ending home run in Major League history.

Had the Red Sox held their lead for the last two innings, pitching legend Roger Clemens (born 8/4/62) would have ended his remarkable career on an ignominious note when he was replaced in just the fourth inning, trailing 4-0. Instead, he has been bestowed with one last chance to ride off into a more picturesque sunset, with his final game possibly coming as the sweetest of pitching accomplishments: a triumph in the Fall Classic; the once-in-a-lifetime Centennial Series, in fact (sorry I can't be less eloquent than that, but Game One is still on behind me, imbuing me with baseball power).

LYNDA REMEMBRANCE: HEARTS AND PHOTOS
Anna Brugge
We were overwhelmed when we received the beautiful "Remembering Lynda with Hearts and Photos" quilt and the story about making the quilt. It brought happy tears to our eyes when we saw it. You all have been wonderful and loyal friends and she treasured your friendships. You were her family away from home. Thank you for being so good to her, especially the holidays when she could not be with us.

The Special quilt will be hung in Lynda's room. It will always be Lynda's room. I just could not change any of her things. We miss her so very much. Not a day goes by without the memories. The other quilts are hung down the hall where everyone can enjoy them. Lynda's prize possession was her retirement quilt. As you must know, she took a picture of it to the hospital. We can never thank you enough for giving her so much pleasure at that very difficult time.

I took the retirement quilt to a Quilting Store to see if I could have it put into a case to display it. They had never seen a more beautiful quilt, nor one like it. They advised me to place it on the wall without glass or plastic, which I did. This way I can touch it and feel closer to Lynda.

Please let me how many worked on the "Hearts and Photos" quilt. Tell the ladies how much it means to us.

[Ed. Note: The quilt was made from heart blocks made and given to Lynda Brugge by Faithful Circle Quilters when Lynda was ill. You may recall her death in February 2002. Later I volunteered to make a quilt from the blocks for her parents. I alternated the blocks with photos featuring Lynda's quilting connections and her family. The photos were printed onto fabric, using our InkJet printer.]

A BOOK, A DRINK, AND A BEAGLE
Cathy Howlett
Sept. 14: The kids are all busy with work and families, and the grandkids have either gone back to school or, in the case of Nick and Tommy, continue to enjoy a life of leisure. Sean and Kris are making plans for Tommy's first birthday celebration in a couple weeks. Lori and her crew will come for the weekend, so weather permitting we'll do some apple picking.

John's gardens are beginning to look worn out. I processed a batch of Roma tomatoes this afternoon, but that's about all we'll have "put by" this year, except for herbs, of course. We have been enjoying a marvelously sweet summer squash crop, and will have three butternut squash to save for Thanksgiving and Christmas if the critters, both the winged and furred varieties, will leave them alone to ripen for one or two more weeks.

John is into the fourth week of his new job. He enjoys using his care skills, and is challenged a little by the large patient load; but he has already observed some policies that he is not quite comfortable with, so I doubt if he'll stay out of mischief.

I continue to consider switching jobs, but a little voice keeps reminding me "Better the devil you know than the one you don't," so for the time being I'll keep my resume polished and an eye on the want ads.

Hope this prelude-to-autumn day finds you well. I think I enjoy these days the most of all: the colors are beginning to develop in the maples, and contrast well with the flowers; the sun is warm, but the breeze is cool; the birds are very active at the feeder, but the insects are not so active and are feeding off us less. Perfect time for sitting on the deck with a book, a drink and a beagle.

CLIPPED BY A CAR MIRROR
Daniel Leskinen
Oct. 11: In case you hadn't heard, Annabelle (7) was hit by a car last Thursday. She was walking across the street and got clipped by the mirror of a car. Stephanie (17) rushed her over to Emergancy Room within minutes. Carolyn showed up as Stephanie was filling out the paperwork. I arrived as Annabelle was going into Xray. After 3 stitches in her chin, she survived with only bumps, bruises, and scrapes. Amazing!

WESTMINSTER CRACKERS
Gene Murdock
Back before 1950 we used to get some soup crackers from Westminster, Mass., a town just northeast of Hubbardston where we lived. The crackers were aptly named Westminster Crackers and were as good as they come. They were bigger, thicker and rounder than the standard Saltine cracker, and had a better taste. They were a little denser in texture so they didn't quickly turn to mush in a soup. As such they were the cracker of choice whenever we had just plain crackers and milk for lunch, a not too uncommon thing during the Depression and war years.

The factory they were made in stood right on main street in Westminster, a big bright red wooden building three stories tall with the word WESTMINSTER blazoned across the front of the building between the two top stories. The first crackers were made in 1828, and the magnificent landmark of a building erected in 1842. They made crackers right up until the 1970's when for some reason they shut down.

A few years later a company in Vermont bought the recipe and rights to the crackers and started putting them on the market again. I have seen them advertised in the Vermont Country Store catalog and have often thought of sending for some just for old times sakes, but never got around to it.

Last week I was in a local restaurant called the Cracker Barrel, a name many of you travelers will recognize as a fun place to stop when on the road. They have good rest rooms, a great gift shop and a wide menu to fit all needs. I ordered a light lunch of a cup of soup and a half-sandwich and settled in to eat and read my USA Today.

I reached for the little packet of two crackers and was amazed to see the name "WESTMINSTER CRACKERS" on it. I looked close and saw that the logo was indeed the familiar red building and, checking the back, saw that they were made in Rutland, Vermont. I tore open the wrapper and took a bite and WOW! They were the real thing – the flavor was the same one that I remembered from years ago! So I pushed aside the soup and just nibbled at the delightful crackers, filled with memories of the days of crackers and milk.

When I got home I looked them up on the Internet and found several references to them. The Vermont Country Store mentions them and has the audacity to say: "Our Westminster brand Vermont crackers are made from a recipe that originated in 1828. For 172 years folks have been enjoying these firm and flaky Vermont crackers."

LIAR, Liar, pants on fire!!! They give the impression that they were invented in Vermont, but of the stated 172 years, about 140 of them were in Massachusetts! They even say that while showing the Westminster, Mass. building in the logo!

But they are delicious, and I shall return to the Cracker Barrel for an occasional cup of soup and squirrel away as many little packets as I can.

SEPTEMBER 11TH
Meri Murdock
Well, the curse of September 11th goes on. Johnny Cash died yesterday after a long period of illness, and one of my very favorite people of all time, John Ritter, died suddenly of an undetected heart defect. I'm still in shock over that one. He had to be one of the nicest people I've never met.

"Jack Tripper" gone at 54. My mind just can't even comprehend it! I think we need to make the calendar go from September 10th directly to the 12th next year. 9-11 of any year needs to be gone.

FROST FAMILY UPDATE
Orrel Frost
Oct. 20: Stephie came to dinner last evening. She has a new job which she thinks, once she is into its routine, she will especially enjoy. I sure hope so, as she is a hard worker, and deserves to enjoy what she is doing. She has moved into a garage apartment, which is much closer to work than where she has been living the past few years. (hope it is bigger than our garage apartment here!) Not enough room for any kids, I think, but they are all dispersed, anyway. Matthew is in the Army, Chelsea is in Springfield, and Ethan is with his father in Granby, MA.

Pam is doing a spectacular job teaching art to mentally retarded participants. She enjoys it very much. She has had two art shows of the participants' work, both well received. She is slowly and steadily thinking maybe it is time for a larger apartment, or even a small house. We shall follow this with great interest!!

Derek is in Paris at this moment. He is the roving reporter, so to speak, of Loftware, Inc., which was Roger Anderson's company. He travels quite a lot. I went with him one time to England, and had a blast!! Jeremy, Derek's daughter, launched her professional career last Saturday in Nashua, NH, with a performance of Sleeping Beauty. She and a girl who lived next door in York, now share an apartment in Medford, MA.

HEADING FOR ARUBA
Polly Soberg
Sept. 13: Our latest news is that we are leaving for Aruba on Sept 23rd for a 10 day stay. I'm really excited about this and hope the weather is perfect for sitting on the white sandy beach.

When we return, Clyde will leave for a trip to France and England with his sister, brother and friends. He recently celebrated his 94th birthday with a party in Boston at a restaurant where this entire group helped him celebrate.

Well, will close for now as Kevin, Kevin Jr, and Lori's cousin Tony have arrived with camper to stay for the night and go to the races tomorrow here in NH. Also Shannon, Buddy and Matt came over and Rennie is expected later. (He worked last night so is getting a little shut eye first.)

R.I.P. MALCOLM F. CHARLTON (1918-2003)
Bob Murdock
Malcolm F. Charlton ("Uncle Mal") was my mother's second brother. He had been living in Arizona with a daughter, Penny Carter, and would have celebrated his 85th birthday on October 10. But on Sept. 14 we learned from cousin Priscilla Januskiewicz, Mal's niece, that he had departed from this world.

Here is the text of Priscilla's Email message:

"Sept. 14, 2003 - Tommy Charlton called my sister, Donna, this afternoon and said that his father, Mal, had died this morning at 2:30 a.m. He was in a hospice unit at the hospital and died very peacefully. He had been there since Thursday. Tommy wanted us to let everyone know. Mal will be cremated and Tom will scatter some of the ashes in the ocean at Washington State, where Mal loved to fish. Penny will keep some of the ashes in Arizona. There will be no service, since that's what Mal wanted."

In addition to his children and grandchildren, Malcolm is survived by an older brother, Emanuel (95) and sister, Ona Fellows (91).

Nancy and I are grateful that we had a chance to visit with Uncle Mal in May 2002 at a Charlton reunion in Vermont, hosted by Donna and Chris Estep.

Click here to see a memorial Web page for Uncle Mal.

SETTLING IN
Sean Howlett
Sept. 2: Well, for those that did not know, Kris, Tommy and I have moved out of the grand city of Concord and are now renting a house in Chichester. We have moved into the house across from my parents on Robinson road.

It is taking some time to adjust to the new things like mowing a lawn or having to drive to get rid of our trash, but heck, it's been fun so far. Well this was all the time I had. Tommy is waking from his nap.

A NICE TRIP
Lori Turner
Oct. 13: My fiancee and I just got back from a 3 week vacation, visiting in California and Idaho. It sure was a nice trip. Man the California weather was of course lots warmer then Wisconsin.

And now back to the weather getting a bit cooler in Wisconsin. Hope all is well with everyone, things are still great here.

I got a new job about 4 1/2 months ago. I am the Administrator for the hospital in town and I love it and the pay is awesome!

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