Note: for some reason there are two 314’s, yesterday’s and today’s. that was a screw up on the numbering on my part back in 2008.

Folks,  Bernadette’s sister arrived from Japan yesterday and her brother and his wife from another island here in the PI, Mindanao. They will all be here until after the new year. Her other sister lives next door, so all of her siblings will be together for the holidays.  Bernadette is the oldest and by far the healthiest. Her sister from Japan has a few ailments, but over all is pretty healthy. Her brother had a stroke several years ago that has affected his right side and his mind. He can walk, but very slow. When he came yesterday he called Bernadette by their sister’s name, but he remembered me.  He was such a brilliant guy too. It’s sad. Her sister that lives next door is nearly blind from the affects of diabetes. Had her brother and sister had proper medical attention afforded to them with the proper medications they probably would be OK today. We had a lady borrow $30 from us last week, so she could get her 6 month old granddaughter out of the hospital. They would not release her until payment  was made. They released her to an area within the hospital that was guarded so she could not leave until payment was made. In this country, folks in hospitals, with no money, are refused treatment, even if their condition is life threatening.  There is no welfare.

Bernadette’s sister from Japan is longing for good old Filipino food while she is here, so she has hired a full time cook, just to cook for everyone, while she is here. They normally prepare special food for me, because I don’t eat a lot of their foods.  Normally for every meal, including breakfast,  they will have rice with some variation of fish among other things. We had lunch at the mall today though.  Gary

From Esther Murray Flemming (65): 

Hi Gary;

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish everyone the Merriest Christmas and the richest of New Years, and also the best of health. I really enjoy all the e-mails and keeping up with everyone.

The weather here in Flint, MI is really terrible today and winter is not officially here until Sunday the 21st.But you can’t stop it. Tell Bernadette that I said hello and you folks have some wonderful holidays.  Got to go.

God Bless you all

Esther and family

Reply from Dick Johnson (68): 

Gary and Friends,

Rich Campbell’s reply about playing basketball reminded me of our luck
when it came to the game . In the sixth grade I couldn’t wait until the
next year when we could play seventh grade basketball. They then made it
7th and 8th, so we sat on the bench, Oh well, next year. The next year
they made it junior high basketball, we sat on the bench again. I
remember always wishing we could play but the older guys got the floor
time. It was my favorite sport by far but riding the bench wasn’t really
that exciting. I do remember getting in near the end of a very exciting
game against Wolford over in Rolla  in ’67 at the district tournament.
We were down by two points and three of the main five had fouled out.
With only a second or two left I passed the ball in the lane to John
Bogus who nailed it for the tie at the buzzer. I remember Don Egbert
jumped out on the floor from the stands and picked me off the floor. In
the overtime we went back and forth until the very last seconds when a
Wolford player threw a ‘hail mary’ shot that bounced off the support
structure and fell in for a one point win. Mr. Hepper protested loudly
that it was out, but it counted and we lost by one point. I still don’t
know if the basket should have been counted, but the officials ruled it
was in so we lost! Thanks Gary!

Dick

Folks, isn’t this a beautiful picture of Bill Grimme with the Schnieder sisters? The Schnieder girls got together with Bill when they were visiting down in his area of Birmingham, AL last year. It looks like they had a nice dinner setting too, next to the windows in what appears to be a high rise building.  Gary

Dunseith News Povided by Neola Kofoid Garbe: