Joan Elliott (Euans)

Oh my, Rich, that's a long wait for the book! We must've got in on the beginning popularity. The author, David Grann, is very prolific. He has also written Killers of the Flower Moon and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, so maybe you could get started on one of those. I have cards at a couple different libraries so I can usually get a book at one of them. I'm sure you have plenty to do traveling and making your videos. They are beautiful to see!

Kathleen Daulton (Dacey)

Hello All, I am a David Grann fan, too.  I have a copy of The Wager, Richard.  Are you in OC any time soon?  You may certainly have my copy.  My sister and I frequent Beach Town Books in San Clemente.  We give them books for credit and then we buy books. That's where I found my copy. We are supporting a cancer outreach at the same time.  Also, David Grann will be speaking at the Segerstrom Music Hall in Costa Mesa on April 16, 2025.  It is said, that most of his books are made into movies.  Maybe The Wager is in the works?  If anyone is in town and  would like to join me it would be a fun reunion.  I have not read The Lost City of Z about the British explorer, Percy Fawcett, who disappeard in the Amazon rainforest in 1925.  Worth a read?  Barbara Larsen Cummings and I got to see Kristen Hannah at the Segerstrom last year.  She was speaking about her latest book, The Women.  We lived through that time as very adults.  It really was well done.  I will get to go on a "behind the scenes" docent tour of WA DC in Octobor.  I will for sure pay my respects at the Vietnam Wall and the statue of the nurses who served there, too. 

Greg Cook

If you're anything like me remembering your passwords can be the most frustrating part of your day. I may have a solution.

"I'm thinking about changing my password to 'incorrect'. That way, when I log in with the wrong password, the computer will tell me, 'Your password is incorrect.'"

Jerry Labuda

Good idea Greg

Richard Maurer

Kathleen, thanks for the offer of sharing the David Grann book.  I don't have any plans to be in Orange County in the near future.  Also, this may be heresy for a book lover, but I do almost all of my reading now with a Kindle.  I like that it can store multiple books, has a backlight to read in the dark and I can readily change font size.  I can "check out" Kindle versions of books from our local library and they offer other books by Grann which I have put on my wish list for the near future.

Kathleen Daulton (Dacey)

Hi Richard,

I read on my Kindle, too.  Our OC libraries uses Libby.  It is a bit unfriendly when I am trying to find a title to read on Kindle.  I like the backlit screen, the ability to change the font size and the dictionary feature, too.  I still like to hold a book.  I usually buy used on Thriftbooks or at our little Beach Town Books "trade in" store.  Besides David Grann and Kristen Hannah, I have enjoyed several of William Kent Kruger's titles. Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land were two of my favorites.   The River We Remember is my next read.  

Richard Maurer

For an avid reader there is nothing like browsing the shelves in a library or book store and sampling a bit of interesting titles.  The covid pandemic essentially blocked my ability to enjoy that pursuit.  Now I almost never get to a library or book store.  The Kindle is so convenient, if not as enjoyable as a trip to the library.

I have also read a great many of William Kent Krueger's books.  I enjoy the Minnesota setting and characters.  I just checked and he has written some books in the last few years that I haven't read.  It will be good to return to his territory.

Books I have enjoyed in the not too distant past (the only ones I can sort of remember) include Vigil Harbor and The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass.  Another interesting book was The Dutch House by Ann Patchett.

Kathleen Daulton (Dacey)

I have not read that author.  I will look those up.  I also enjoyed The Dutch House.  I have read others of Anne Patchet's  but I can't think of the titiles at the moment. I am in a book group, my sister and my daughter and I trade books. We got through the Pandemic by rereading some classics.  My sister and I reread all of Jane Austin, Charlotte Bronte and Dickens. We met in her garage with a little heater for our book discussiolns before we were vacinated.  Talk about reaching for things to do. Yikes! I recently read Demon Copperhead that was amazingly written by Barbara Kinglover.  She won the Pulitzer prize for that book.  It was such a genious recasting of the orginal novel, David Copperfiled. A retelling of a coming of age story in a modern setting. The characters and events closely followed Dicken's David Copperfield.  It was a tough read due to the sad drug abuse cycle in that part of the country but as I said, the writing was amazing. Thank you for the new author and titles.  

Richard Maurer

I also have read a number of books by Ann Patchett.  I particularly liked The Magician's Assistant and Tom Lake. 

I have also enjoyed a number of Barbara Kingsolver's books.  Perhaps my favorite is Unsheltered.  I think most homeowners can identify with discovering that your house has vastly more serious problems than you ever realized.  I don't read much nonfiction, but I also liked Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, her story of moving to a farm and trying to eat locally produced food and to raise much of the food for her family.  I have to admit to being frightened away from Demon Copperhead by the apparent relationship to David Copperfield.  Maybe I have to get over my trepidation as I do like her writing.

Linda Wonn (Carpenter)

Richard, Thank you for sharing your wonderful music and your inspiring videos. I think you will enjoy Demon Copperhead, which is indeed inspired by the characters in Dicken's David Copperfield. While I personally love Dickens, I could not get my students (high school or college)  terribly inspired by his longer works, although they they grudgingly read Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and A Tale of Two Cities. Charlie Thurston narraes the Audio book  of Demon...which should be available at your public library. Like you and Kathleen, I too, think Kingsolver is wonderful writer. Let us know what you think.

Kathleen Daulton (Dacey)

Hi Linda, So good to hear from you.  I have missed seeing you at the plays.  I know that was suspended during Covid.  Are you still involved with the drama department at the high school?  Planing any trips to London soon?

Greg, I think that is a great idea about sharing a highlight or two from the last ten years since our reunion.  I am not as good as you are about posting photos here.  I will work on that and put something together soon. I hope many other classmates will do the same.  

I am traveling to DC soon for a "behind the scenes" docent tour of many museums.  We will visit the Marjorie Merriweather Post home.  Richard, I try to read a non-fiction book as I rotate between classics, fiction, and  biographies.  I will read The American Empress about Post's life before I go. Fun to talk about books!

Richard Maurer

It is great that we can talk about books here on the Savanna site.  Joan, thanks for getting this discussion started by mentioning David Grann's book, The Wager.  I am still waiting to check out the Kindle form of that book from our local library.  Kathleen and Linda, thanks for continuing and expanding the book discussion.  The Savanna Class of 1965 web site has lately been somewhat quiet.  Maybe this is an opportunity for at least an occasional book discussion.

Linda Wonn (Carpenter)

Hi Kathleen, Your upcoming excursion sounds absolutely delightful. Yes, I am still doing the plays for the Edison Students at South Coast Rep (God Bless Them as they are now giving  13 of our high school students free tickets to each play  with a new program they are promoting called Theater Access. I will be at  at SCR on September 25 for The Little Shop of Horrors. The kids are so thrilled to have this opportunity and I feel quie confident  that they will become the subscribers of the future. . and I still have my Premium and curtain call season at the Segerstrom only this year I am on Thursday and  Friday nights. I see an occasional show at LaMirada,The Carpenter Center  or Laguna Playhouse and  I have a handful of people waiting in the wings to do the London and Paris theater tour I set up right before COVID hit. Ae you still interested in that?  I am also keeping very busy caring for my 102 year old father though he now has two full time fantastic caregivers whom he will actually listen to so that has been such a relief. Norm and I are in the middle of a house remodel which Norm didn't want to do in the first place, and it has truly become a comedy of errors, if only it were funny.  Let's get together. And yes, I am always up for theater, travelor to go hear a lecture. Thanks to Mr. Jeter,   I  remain a Life Long Learner.

Charles Harvey

Jerry Labuda

Sounds about right, Charles.

Greg Cook

You're right Charles! Once

again The Savanna Class of

1965 solves one of the

world's great mysteries.

Richard Maurer

A new travel video, this one of the Bizz Johnson National Trail in northern California.  I and my younger brother, Ron, visited the trail a few weeks ago.  The east end of the trail starts in Susanville, California and the trail wends it way west along the lovely Susan River.  The trail has a number of bridges that cross the river and a couple of tunnels that were carved through the rock walls of the canyon.

Michael Elliott

Haven't been on the class website for awhile so missed all this wonderful book talk!  Cheers and Happy Thankgiving!

Karen Riegle (Taillon)

Michael, happy birthday!  Like you, I haven't been on the site for awhile so missed alot of the conversation.  It seems the closer I get to full retirement, the less time I have - how does that work?  Anyway, have loved watching the travel videos and reading about everyone's ventures.  It's hard to believe it will be 10 years since our 50th reunion.  Such great memories of the committee meetings and preparations as well as the wonderful time catching up.  Thanks to Nancy for keeping the website up and running and to all the contributors.  Just a little update since 2015:  January 2020 we started the serious move out of California.  Purchased a half acre lot in a small town outside Boston and put our home of 35 years in Newport on the market. January 2021, after packing, storing, shipping and other necessary 'move' stuff, including building a new home remotely (that's fun!!) we left California, drove cross country and landed in Wrentham, MA, a town of 13,000 residents located 40 minutes from Boston but 20-30 minutes from our kids and grandkids.  That entire experience was a miracle and God was in it all the way!  We are now well-settled, almost fully retired, and California is a distant memory (albiet a great one).  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving as we move closer to the end of another calendar year.  Blessings.

Richard Maurer

It has been a while since I last posted a music video.  This one is definitely just for fun.  From way back in the day, some of you may remember the 1962 movie, Hatari, starring John Wayne.  The movie was an adventure film about collecting animals in Africa for zoos and circuses.  The song, Baby Elephant Walk, was written by Henry Mancini for a scene where three baby elephants walk to a waterhole.  After viewing the scene, Mancini is reported to have commented that the baby elephants were walking to a boogie-woogie beat.  Mancini earned a Grammy Award for the catchy tune in 1963.

Another song from long ago, this one is Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues.  The song was first released in 1967.

Charlie Groh

How cool you two work (and I mean *work*) on music together.  Good for the brain, body and bonding!  Love your renditions (Mancini is a toughie, eh?).

Jerry Labuda

Very nice Richard.

Linda Wonn (Carpenter)

 These are delightful and you are both so talented. Thank yu for sharing! 

Greg Cook

🎉🎆 Happy New Year, Class of 1965! 🎆🎉>h2>

Can you believe it? We've cruised into 2025—our 60th graduation anniversary year! It feels like just yesterday we were zipping around in cars with fins bigger than our dreams and jamming to records that spun out the soundtrack of our youth. Now, we're the vintage models, running strong and proving they don't make 'em like they used to.

We've conquered six decades of adventures, challenges, and a few "what-was-I-thinking" hairstyles. We're like classic songs—timeless and still able to make people smile (or laugh). So, raise a toast to us: the legends who have mastered the art of staying upright, laughing loudly, and cherishing every moment.

Here’s to 2025—may it be filled with more joy, humor, and love than a senior discount at the diner. Cheers to the road ahead and the memories we've yet to make! 🚀💫

Jerry Labuda

Thanks Greg, very interesting. Happy New Year to all my fellow Rebels.