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.

1955 Summer.  We had just moved out from the City.  This was the new house at 20 Chestnut Rd.  This is my Aunt Catherine, Butch (Hugh), me, and a neighbor kid.  On the right is my Aunt Stella and my Mom with her perpetual smile.  Moving out of the City was a big deal.  Northbrook offered better schools, a more rural setting, and the greater expectations of the Middle-Class.  There is a dream-like quality to this photo that has always mesmerized me.

Left to right, Jim's Wife (Terry?), unknown, Aunt Regina, Mom, Me, Aunt Catherine. 1957.  Aunt Catherine was my favorite Aunt.  She used to take me to Downtown Chicago for New Year's Eve.  We'd eat at a steak place and see a movie.  Erinn has the video tape interviews I did with her before her death.  Many Family historical facts in that interview.

I'm not quite sure what this is.  It has the feel of a promotional shot (7-up labels turned toward camera).  I think I remember Mom telling me something about it being local.  At any, rate that's me on the poster.  Check out the bow-tie on that guy.  It's hard to believe, but that's the way people dressed back then. 1953.

This is Camp Macajawan.    August 1963.  A one week Boy Scout camp in Wisconsin.  My Dad volunteered a couple of days to help out.  All I remember was the mile swim, and the eclipse.  There was a close to total solar eclipse while I was there.  It was very cool seeing it in the woods.  I'm not in this picture because I am taking it.  There should have been merit badges in smoking and skipping church, those are the two main  things I learned in Boy Scouts.

So, living in the Midwest, in the late 60"s, sports was a huge thing.  I was always good enough to make the team, but never good enough to star.  This is 1968 discus, 1965 football (I am #74).  I quit football in 65.  It just seemed a waste of time.  I stayed with discus so I could "letter" in a varsity sport.  Wearing a Letter Sweater was a prerequisite for dating a certain group of girls.

What a hoot!  Shot put was not my thing, but, I had to do it to throw discus.  Notice the young lady, clearly, approving of my form.  Nice facial expression!  I look like I'm passing a stone......

My Dad was always game for this stuff.  Two flatlanders mesmerized by the views.

Ok.....so that's kind of cool!  Kyle if that was you back then, you owe me a $75.00 bar tab.

My best friend, Rob Menary and I at Pat O'Reilly's bar on Bourbon St., August 1969.  Just a few days before Hurricane Camille hit.  I was going to school for one semester at Pensacola Junior College.  It was an excuse to play in Florida.  After 5 months there, I had had enough.  Too humid, too hot, too red-neck southern.  People used to yell at me from their cars because my hair was too long.  I grew it out after this photo.  They would call me a "Hippie".  I didn't care what they thought.  Rob is still a great, great, friend.  We were drinking the World famous "Hurricane" here.  You got to keep the glass for free.  The photo, though, cost a buck.

1961 or so.  My Mom would have these picnics in our yard, and invite relatives from the city to them.  Left to right, Mom, Butch (actual name Hugh Sours, Catherine's (Myrtle's sister) son.), Uncle Jim's Wife, unknown, unknown, Jake (Marion's son).  Jake was my favorite cousin, he was always getting in trouble and was a natural comic.  Butch is trying to hide from the camera, he was like my Mom that way.

So this is 1959.  The watering can trophy for best looking yard was a big deal in our neighborhood.  It seems so stupid now, though.  My Dad worked his butt off on our yard.  It looked like a fairway on an expensive Country Club golf course.  I always thought it was a waste of my time.  Mowing was my job and our yard was over 1/2 acre.  In the humid summers of the midwest, it seemed a needless ordeal.

Something funny about a geyser named spasmodic, no?  Yellowstone 1964.  These vacations always included great things like this.  My Mom would plan these a year in advance.  The very next year we went to the Grand Canyon.  I got to ride the mules down to the bottom and back.  There was always something about the West that I loved.  I knew even then that I wanted to live out here.  I'm starting to grow my hair out here.  The Beatles were the rage then and I wanted to go for that "Bang" look.

1964 in Colorado.  White Levi pants, dark socks, I'm 14 and this is what was "in" to wear at my high school (Glenbrook North).  Mom took the photo so she wouldn't have to be in it.  Dad was in "drive" mode.  I'm sure we had many more miles to cover.  My Father had a real problem relaxing.  He had ulcers and was a type "A" personality.  He also had a wonderful Irish tenor voice.  He would often break out singing while driving or fishing.  My Mom and I enjoyed it greatly.