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August 22-23, 2018: A Visit with Larry and Denny in Leander |
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July 3-7, 2018: The Fourth of July in San Antonio |
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Return to the Index for 2018 |
This year, we are going to resurrect a tradition that we followed for many years beginning in the mid-1990s- celebrating the birthdays of a few members of our circle whose birthdays all fall in an eight-day period in early August.
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We began with Fred (August 6) and Ron Mathis (August 1), and later added our friend Mario (August 8). There were a number of reasons why we stopped getting together, but I am happy that we are able to start again. This year it will be Fred and Ron; perhaps next year we can expand again to include Mario (who moved from Dallas to Hurst a year ago, and now lives quite some distance away).
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A few years ago, we began to visit again fairly regularly with Ron and Jay, but they always came down to my house in Dallas on a Saturday or Sunday and we would go out to lunch together. During those visits, Ron and Jay told us of all the changes they were making at their house, and we looked forward to seeing what they had done. That happened early this year when we visited them and Jay fixed dinner (as he always used to do). What they have done is pretty amazing, and I hope to give you some idea on this page of what those changes have been.
Another reason that our birthday parties tapered off (either in Plano or at my house) is that the usual guest list had contracted a great deal. If you look at pictures elsewhere in this album of our gatherings at Ron and Jay's house or at mine, you will see lots of folks who, for one reason or another, are no longer available to join us at these birthday celebrations.
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Distance has separated even more of us. Our mutual friends Tom Harris and John Evans have moved to Philadelphia, while Prudence, Ron Ruckman, Nancy and Karl have all moved to San Antonio. My neice Jeffie attended when she lived in Dallas, but she moved to Atlanta (and then Prague) quite a few years ago. Brent Whitley stopped coming to visit us in Dallas after his good friend Mike Racke died. Mario and Steve have moved to Hurst, and while that's not all that far away, Steve's work schedule means that most evenings are difficult or impossible for him. And our friends, Larry and Denny, moved a couple of years ago from Dallas to Leander (near Austin) when Denny retired. Our friend Brad, the airline pilot, has a travel schedule that no one would envy, and so it is very, very difficult to plan gatherings for the few days a month he is actually at home. That's much the same for Lynne Richardson; she runs a pet sitting business, and it keeps her busy almost all the time.
So who is left? Greg is still here in Dallas, but this particular evening he was away on a trip. Lou, recently retired, still is in Oak Cliff, and so he was able to come. This may be harder in the future because Lou is soon to become a certified "dance host" on cruise ships, and he tells us he plans to cruise as much as he can and see the world.
So if the pictures on this page seem way underpopulated, that's the reason. If everyone still in the area could all come at the same time, we'd still only have ten folks our of our former roster of more than twenty. Still and all, Ron and Jay are two of our most longtime friends, and I hope that we will continue to see more of them, if not as much as we did ten or fifteen years ago- even if no one else can join us.
The Renovation
The birthday party was actually the second time that Fred and I have been at Ron and Jay's house since their multi-year renovation project, but it was the first time that Lou had seen the amazing changes they've made. I want to take a bit of space here to throw some kudos towards Ron and Jay and record some details of those changes. To do this, I am going to juxtapose some of the pictures we took this evening with pictures of the same part of their house from ten years ago, so you can get an appreciation of the transformation that has occurred.
We might begin in the kitchen, where everybody gathers anyway, as a good example. Facing the kitchen from the dining room, which was between the kitchen and the front of the house, there used to be a breakfast area by the bay window to your left, a doorway into the living room to your right, the wall of the dining room and the door into it behind you and the kitchen in front. Between the kitchen and the family room, there was (and still is) a large passthrough/bar. Here are two pictures taken of the kitchen, both looking from the family room through the bar opening:
 The View c. 2007 |
 The View Today |
I might mention that they took down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, and now the space is bright and open and there is actually more room to move around.
Going to your right through the doorway to the living room, that room used to be panelled with dark wood. There was a brick fireplace at the front of the house, and ahead of you on the far side of the room a doorway leading to the hall that connected the two bedrooms and office. To your left was the large opening leading to the family room. That living room has changed dramatically, although it is still, structurally, the same, as you can see in these views, both taken from the opening to the family room:
 The Living Room c. 2008 |
 The Living Room Today |
I might point out that even before the major renovation, Ron and Jay had been changing the living room around. Originally, their pool table used to be in the family room, but when they changed that room into a media room, they put the pool table in the living room. As a part of the renovation, they got rid of the pool table altogether, so now the living room is much more traditional. The carpet is gone and the panelling's been painted, with the result that the room seems much larger and is, of course, much brighter, as this view looking back towards the kitchen shows. You can see another angle of the original living room here.
Another major change has come in the family room. It became a media room years ago when the pool table was moved to the living room, but Ron and Jay have gotten new furniture and a larger, 75-inch flat screen TV. They watch a fair amount of television, and we are always comparing notes on what's worthwhile to watch. You can see the other changes in this room by comparing the views below:
 The Pool Room c. 2006 |
 The Media Room Today |
The renovations that Ron and Jay made didn't stop at the more "public" rooms of their house; the office, guest bath, guest bedroom, master bedroom, and master bath have all been transformed. I wish that I had "before" pictures to show you, but I guess I never found the need to take pictures of bedrooms and bathrooms; our gatherings were always in the "public" rooms. But today I've taken a selection of pictures that showcase the work that Ron and Jay put into designing and implementing their changes. I can tell you that each of the "private" rooms is pretty much totally different, with new designs and new furniture:
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The Birthday Gathering
Jay is an excellent cook, and as he has done so many times in the past, he cooked a wonderful meal, after which we shared the birthday cake we'd brought. With the pool table gone, conversation was more the focus of our time together- which was also pretty nice- as we were all able to catch up. Here are two other pictures that Fred and I took before we had supper:
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We had a great time at Ron and Jay's, and it is our hope that in the future we can repeat the celebration and bring back as many of the original gang as we can, no matter where the gathering is held. Friends are important; but take my word for it that you won't realize how important they are until they are out of your lives for a while.
You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.
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August 22-23, 2018: A Visit with Larry and Denny in Leander |
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July 3-7, 2018: The Fourth of July in San Antonio |
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Return to the Index for 2018 |
