Murdock Muse
March-April 2004
Part 2


NEW GRANDSON
Carl Martz

Jan. 26: Alexander James Movafagian was born at 11:59 today at San Antonio Hospital in Upland, California. He is 8.6 lbs and 21 inches. The birth went very fast and was "easy" according to Jennifer. Alexander is healthy and bigger than Jenny thought he would be. He appears to have darker hair than Camille. Eye color is uncertain at this point. Jenny will probably be released with Alex to go home tomorrow afternoon. The father, Cam, is doing well, too. Thanks for all your well wishes and prayers.


SILVER SNEAKERS
Tom Howlett

Jan. 23: Almost time to head for my Silver Sneakers class. Three times a week for 45 minutes we do stuff for cardio and the like. Ralph and I signed up in September for this program, which is paid for by our HMO. Good times with nice people all of an age--I think I am close to being the youngest at 68.

Except for the cold weather everything is ok here.

Have you ever eaten at Panera Bread (Au Bon Pain)? I love the tomato basil bread! If you haven't yet, there are 4 in your area according to the PB website. Try, and enjoy!


IN THE NEW HOUSE
Cindy Leskinen

Well, we're in the new house, Amen! I'm out of work due to back problems. David is coaching basketball again and working on the bedrooms to the house.

Caitlin is cheerleading and of course doing basketball. She also has a boyfriend who plays basketball. Brett is in a play and in Boyscouts and Snowboards. He is doing great in school, as well as Caitlin. Lisa is still living with her mom but will be coming back. My mom is awesome and living happily with us.

I'm happy to be back on the Internet and hope to hear from you all. My email address is caleskinen@yahoo.com and my IM is bearcal3@aol.com.


MARS FLICKS
Darrel Murdock

I have really been enjoying the Windows Movie Maker. Now Mars has 4 little clips I made, including one with narration. See the new Mars page and movies at http://d21c.com/AAALynx/CB/mars.html.

I also put up a cockatiel flick and two - soon to be four - shark flicks. I'm working on some other projects, too. Let me know what you think, how they run on your puters.

AAALynx


GARDEN AND GROVE
Steve Howlett

Jan. 20: Oh oh, it's my birthday,...which means it was Nan's five days ago, and I simply forgot to send a birthday greeting,....please forgive me. :):) Sooooo, Happy, Happy Birthday to you! And have many, many more.

Oh yes, I remember the grove and its wonderful times picking blueberries in the summer,......and eating them. :) And then the cookouts there; it sure does bring back wonderful memories.

That stone wall once broke my nose,.....when I fell out of a tree (Ash????) near the sandbox onto that wall. Wow, that was not much fun! Good old Doctor Sauder put a piece of tape on it and said it would be just fine. (?????)

Dad's flower garden near the stone wall and the birch trees was always pretty, even in the worst weather. And the vegetable garden was usually a place to stay away from.... Those weeds grew real fast, and anybody anywhere near there was expected to pick the darn things. :):)

My health has really been OK, I guess, although I do have days when I don't exactly feel great.

I guess getting older is OK with me. Also, the alternative is surely not very pleasing.
IT MUST BE THE OATMEAL
Mer Murdock

I was at my friend Margaret's house last night, and she and her husband were complaining to me that they were gaining weight, despite the fact that they go dancing 2 or 3 times a week. "It must be the oatmeal I'm eating," my friend said.

Alarmed, I asked her just how much of the healthy stuff she's consuming. "A serving at breakfast," came her response. She then told me each serving was 100 calories. Uh huh. I told her that I was certain the oatmeal wasn't the culprit, but she remained unconvinced.

Later, I went looking for a cookie, as they had purchased a large jar a few days ago. "Oh, we ate the cookies right up," Margaret told me. "In large handfuls." Now the oatmeal was no longer under suspicion.

However, another suspect was located. "Bill," my friend asked her husband, "didn't you eat those bags of grapes really fast?" "Yes," he said. "In large handfuls!" They are not going to buy grapes or cookies for awhile because of this revelation. What about taking out a small amount and putting away the bag? I brought this up, but both decided they didn't trust themselves. Well, at least the oatmeal is no longer on the line for a crime it didn't commit!
DEATH IN THE FAMILY
Teddie Doane

Jan. 8: Such a tragedy. Billy's brother and his wife, Cyndi, lost their 18 year old daughter, Rebecca, to a skiing accident at Mount Wachusett last evening. She was a wonderful, vibrant, friendly girl. She had just finished her first semester in college where she planned to go into nursing. She had taken dance lessons for 9 years and was a "regular" at the gym. She will be missed by many. [Ed. Note: We extend our sympathy to Teddie and Billy on the deaths of both this lovely young niece and the elderly Gertie. Rebecca sounds like a really terrific young woman, and Gertie was an indomitable, spirited person.]

Feb. 28: The Country Hen in Hubbardston MA, where Penny Salminen works, lost a large barn to a bad fire yesterday. About 13,200 chickens died in the fire. This is a large, international company (in the U.S. and Brazil) that produces eggs with a lower fat content. The sign at the road says "Free Walking Hens." The hens are not confined to little cages. This is a very serious loss for the farm. [Ed. Note: Teddie sent us a news clip about this, but we couldn't access the details because we don't have a subscription. --NAM]


MILD WINTER
Chris Estep

Jan. 1: We have had a mild winter so far- two storms but they didn't last, and it's now seasonal with high 20's but only 4 or 5 inches of snow. Yesterday we had lunch with Pris and Roy, celebrating their 45th anniversary, and it had a spring -like feel to the air!


HEY, IT'S ME, NATT
Natalie Murdock

Hey guys, how's it going over there? It's cool over here, but I have been really busy lately. I started a new job; I now work with my mom. I also go to college on Mondays to study sociology.


MY HUSBAND THE MARTIAN
Nancy Murdock

No, he wasn't born on Mars, and he didn't travel there on a secret tour of our fellow planet. He became interested in Mars when our friend Jim sent us notice of its approach. Since it wasn't going to come quite near enough to hop over there, Bob immersed himself in star-gazing knowledge.

Now on brightly dark nights, I entice him outside in his warm jacket to point out who is who up there. I can pretty much find Venus, Orion's belt, and the moon, but after that it gets shaky. So Bob does his husbandly duty of once again gently pointing out Saturn, Sirius, Jupiter, and - any time it shows its red little face - Mars.


GOOD NEWS FOR PETE
Bob Murdock

Pete DiStefano, my brother-in-law, must be feeling pretty good. His beloved New York Yankees have acquired baseball's most sought-after player, "A-Rod" from the Texas Rangers. That would be Alex Rodriguez, arguably the best player in the American League.

Last year the Yankees made it to the playoffs, and then beat the Boston Red Sox - much to the consternation of scores of Sox fans in Museland. But it delighted Pete no end, and he called the Muse offices to gloat - er, I mean report. "I had a bet with your brother Art," he said. "And I expect that he and Lorraine will travel out here (to Liverpool, NY) to pay me off!" Pete, sounding very gleeful indeed, said that he was also able to rub it in with Sally and Ernie Bacon, who live in upstate N.Y. but are Red Sox ans.

The Yankees in 2003 got to the World Series with very strong pitching, but lost to the upstart Florida Marlins. With A-Rod's batting strength added, they could go all the way. If so, I will keep the phone line open for the call from Pete.


IN HER MEMORY
Reported by Stephanie Chamberlain

[Ed. Note: Bob and I were unable to attend the memorial gathering for Orrel because Bob's limit on trips to New England is now one per year. Stephanie called to describe the get-together and update us on her family. We were both on the speaker phone with Stephanie, and Bob took some notes. Below is what we have pieced together.--NAM]

The family organized a gathering for Thursday, Feb 19, at 11:00 AM at the Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor. It was a lovely gathering. The facility was definitely a class above the usual rental space, and it was much more cheerful than a funeral parlor. The family decorated with cheerful colors, and the flowers were beautiful. Even the food was worthy of Orrel.

About 84 people were there, and many spoke of their good memories of Orrel. There was no service, just a celebration of her life. There were not only people from her church and all the local groups she was part of, but also some classmates from the Athol MA area.

As an update, Stephanie is now working for a doctor in Maine. All her children are doing well. Matthew, her older son, has finished both basic training and Airborne School in the armed forces. He is now in "Ranger Hold" status, waiting for deployment in special services.

Chelsea has started community college and is also working. Ethan, the youngest, is very dedicated to sports. So when his mom moved to a new job, he elected to live with his father, where the sports opportunities were much better than in the York ME area.

Stephanie will always cherish the memory of a recent conversation with her mom, in which Orrel told Stephanie she was a good mother.

Orrel leaves behind many people who will remember meaningful words from her.


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