MISSION BAY HIGH SCHOOL
What's Going On?
December, 2007
I can hardly believe it is December, already. What a year we have had. It has been a year (December 6, 2006) since we lost our friend and executive officer of the Taroga, Vickie Paul. She did a tremendous job when she took over for an ailing Bill Rice. During this year we have seen the passing of Pat Sain Smith, James Prato, and the skipper and creator of the Taroga web site, Bill Rice.
But we have all had our own personal joys: births of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, graduations, promotions of children and grandchildren and other successes in our lives-events that will bring pride and joy for many years.
Now we have a new year now to look forward to with hope and anticipation.
December is a month full of special days, Christmas being the one that comes to mind first.*** December 2 is the beginning of Advent, when we celebrate the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. It is a 4 week celebration in which a candle is lighted each week until Christmas.*** December 5 is the beginning of the 8 day celebration of Chanukah, or Hanukkah. The celebration commemorates a miracle that occurred more than 2000 years ago. After a victory in Jerusalem, the Jewish people rededicated the temple. When they lit the oil lamp, which was supposed to remain lit forever once it was lit, they found that they had only enough oil for one day. However the miracle that happened was that the oil stayed lit for 8 days (when presumably more oil was received to continue the burning), which is why the celebration is for 8 days.***December 5 is also "Repeal Day". It is the day that the 21st amendment, ending prohibition, was ratified in 1933.*** December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day. We remember that, even though we were all very young in 1941.***December 12 is Poinsettia Day. I thought this was pretty interesting. It is to honor Joel Roberts Poinsett, who died on Dec. 12, 1851. He was the first Ambassador to Mexico and he brought the poinsettia plant back to the U.S.A. and grew them on his plantation in Greenville, S.C.***December 21 is the winter solstice, or as it is otherwise known, "The Shortest Day of the Year". But looking on the bright side, the days start getting longer the next day!!***December 25 is Christmas Day, and may you all have a Merry one.*** December 26 is the celebration of Kwanzaa, a relatively new holiday started in California in 1966. It celebrates history, culture, family and community.***December 31 this year (it changes from year to year, much like Hanukkah does) is an Islamic holiday called Eid-Ul-Adha, a time for prayer and sacrificing, but not fasting.***December 31 is NEW YEAR'S EVE. Time to celebrate the past year and make our resolutions for the new year. What is your's?
I left out several other observances: National Fruitcake Day, National Eat a Red Apple Day...we have so many this month. One observance that we have every month is First Saturday, Breakfast Bunch. It fell on December 1st this month, so we got off to a good start. I will try to get pictures on tomorrow.
Don't forget to go see our own Santa clone, Bill Swank tomorrow (Saturday) morning at Gaslamp Square, or Balboa Park tomorrow evening, or Andersen's Nursery on Sunday morning. Details on the front page.
For those who missed it, see below.beneath the breakfast pictures.
December 1, 2007
Everyone invited Saturday Breakfast Bunch Everyone invited
We had a small group this time; several of the bunch had been excused to travel for the holidays. The rest of us had a great time, as usual. We collected some money for our hard-working waitress, Thelma, and she was very happy.
LuAnn Easterly Giegler, Joan Hacacky, Don Giegler, Ray Hacacky --Sheila Mura, Orpha Higley, Walter Andersen, Lu Ann
Easterly Giegler, Joan Hacacky
Bill (Santa)Swank, Bob Davila, Rosemary Pleger Jackson Marie Gilmour Davila, Barbara Grayson
Thelma's happy with her Christmas gift
Classmates that were here:
1956: LuAnn Easterly Giegler, with husband Don (class of '54 La Grange, Ill); Ray & Joan Fredericks Hacacky
1958: Sheila Mura; Marie Gilmour Davila, with husband Bob (class of '55 New Braunfels, TX); Orpha Higley , Walter Andersen & wife Jody Christman Andersen (class of '62); Bill Swank
1959: Rosemary Pleger Jackson; Barbara Grayson
The next breakfast is January 5, 2008
Where: Coco's Bakery & Restaurant, 5955 Balboa Ave (at Mt. Alifan/Mt. Abernathy)
When: the first Saturday of the month (January 5, 2008), at 9 A.M.
Make it YOUR New Year's resolution to join us in 2008!!!
A Visit from St. Nick (at Walter Andersen's Nursery)
Waiting for Santa Some people just never give up (John & Judi Michael Shacklett)
All I want for Christmas is... Maybe Santa has too much fun.
Some kids were happy to see Santa Others...
Santa
in civies. If you missed the breakfast you missed it. Here with
Orpha Higley, and Marie Gilmour Davila (classmates of Santa from North Pole High
School)
December Birthdays
Click on the name to send birthday greetings.
Should your name be here. Let me know.
Hope you all have a Happy New Year