Quinn gets the job!  Quinn was offered the position of ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher on April 7th.  He will be working for the AEON Corp. (http://www.aeonet.com/).  He will leave for Kuwana, Japan on June 3rd. for 13 months (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwana,_Mie).

Quinn promises to update us frequently on his new adventure!

Harry Welsh

Harry Welsh was my Mother's father.  He came from a fairly wealthy family.  He and Myrtle were married shortly before WWI.  Harry, like many, was exposed to poison gas in the trenches in France during that great World War.  He returned a broken man, with respiratory problems that led to his early death around 1927.  I thought I had lost these photos, but found them today in an old Google account.  You can see in his eyes and nose who Erinn, Kevin, and I favor.  Quinn and Kyle look much like my Dad, and I would imagine his Dad, Patrick J. Murray.

That is Harry holding Mom, 1923.  Harry went into decline shortly after this and died when my Mom was about 5, in a Sanatarium after a long battle with Tuberculosis.

The telegram...

For more than 150 years, messages of joy, sorrow and success came in signature yellow envelopes hand delivered by a courier. Now the Western Union telegram is officially a thing of the past.  This telegram was sent by my father to my mother.  He had just learned he was shipping out from Hawaii for the Pacific Theater in WWII.  He was allowed one phone call before they shipped and he wanted to make sure my Mom was home when he called.  For all they knew that might be the last time they ever heard each other's voices again.  Of course, if that had come true, none of us would be here now...  Imagine how my Mom must have felt waiting all day for the phone to ring......

Quinn's Graduation 12/11/10

Quinn graduated from WSU yesterday.  He "walked" under his real first name John as a tribute to his Grandfather whom he is named after.  I am so proud of him!  He was the only Asian Studies graduate and so had his own department.  The paperwork got screwed up and he almost wasn't allowed to participate but he gave them hell and they ended up moving him to right at the top of the program.  Well done Sir!

Thirty three years ago today against a snow filled sky in Coeur d'Alene, my sweet baby girl, Erinn was born.  Happy Birthday Erinn!

In the spirit of Halloween.  1956.  My Mom made the costume, it's Michael the Arch-Angel of course.  Aluminum foil and wire hangers, I thought avenging angels were pretty cool at 6.  The only "Crusade" I was on was for candy.  That's my Dad's helmet on the kid next to me.  On the right Danny Steele and his sister.

Senior Prom, 1968.  I had just washed the Ford LTD and ready to pick up my date.  I have no idea why having ill fitting too short pants was in, but there you have it.  I had to rent the tux.  My Dad insisted on taking the photo.  Senior Prom was a really big deal.