Gus Calls for a Shoutout

One of our more prominent ’63 Highlanders lives in the area of Colorado that has, since last Friday, been devastated by several days of flooding.  She is Susan Begley, who I’m sure most of us recall as a gentle and beautiful soul.  Her home is undamaged however, all but one highway leading in and out of the area has been washed out, power is off and likely will be out for an extended period, as will the lack of stable roadways.

Susan has been a silent and significant contributor to the blog over the period of some months.  She has adequate family and friend support nearby which should be enough to aid she and her husband weather the difficult time ahead.  Faithful to his Hippocratic Oath, her husband is out, helping others.

I want to try an act of Highlander “crowd sourcing” support and I am calling on all ex-Highlanders to write just a line or two of your best wishes and encouragement.  If you recall anything specific in your recollections of her back at EHHS, a short anecdote perhaps, I'm sure those would be particularly meaningful and uplifting.  

Please, use your own words and post them to the Facebook thread or email to me at ehhs1963@yahoo.  I plan to paste your words into a blog page that I know she can and will read when I let her know it’s there.  (Her Internet is also out so, she has to log in from somewhere else now and then--it's a 2-mile hike to the closest car)  Since the blog is open to the world, you tell me how to style your credit line….first name and class only, or both names.  It’s your choice.

Let’s see what we can muster from a bunch of older characters ….we got 80 to the 50^th in May.  Maybe we can do better than that here.  Older and younger classes who recall Susan are very welcome, too.  I’m sure she will appreciate your thoughts. 

 

Video:

Main Road to town

Go Highlanders !

1. As Highlanders we are all family and all seem to come together during times of need. Prayers for all who are in Colorado during these tragic times. May God keep everyone safe! Ginny Darnell - Class of 1977

2. Susan, I am so sorry to hear that you and yours have been so affected by those terrible floods. Hopes and prayers that you stay safe and that things get better as each day goes by.  Kellie Pelham Maisch  ‘62

3. Susan , I will keep you in my prayers!!  So sorry you you are affected by the terrible floods!!!  Stay safe!  Dianne Hardin Sztamenits

4. Sending thoughts and prayers to our classmate Susan Begley Anderson, EHHS '63, who, according to Gus, is unharmed but in the middle of this devastation. Be safe, Susan, and tell us how we can help.  Susan Craig Gregg ’65 (Bill Hunsaker’s lil’ sis)   

5. Oh, my! Susan, we're sending our good thoughts and prayers and are thankful that you are safe.  No one ever expects something like this to happen to them...take care! -- from Donna Seate, EHHS '64

6. Hope all is well and things get back to normal very soon, Susan.  Nick Loesch ‘65

7. My favorite memory of Susan Begley is her rendition of "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly!" in the Big "E" Beauty pageant. I'll bet she is maintaining that same grace and poise in dealing with this crisis.  Susan Craig Gregg  ‘65

8. Susan, we're praying you and your family during this very difficult time in beautiful Colorado.  Carolyn Dake Eads ‘65

9. Susan....so sorry to hear the news about the flooding in your area but thankful your home is okay.  With the necessities of life being strained, it is our prayer things will ease soon.  We actually have family in CO but they have not been hit as your area has been.  May God's sweet embrace bring you comfort and peace as you walk out this journey at this difficult time.  Please know we are thinking of you and praying for relief and protection.  Love ya!  Carol Crowder (Dacy)

10. Susan & Gil: With the world news available anytime and at our fingertips on all of our electronic gadgets, we are constantly confronted with the good and the bad that happens in our global world. Even though we did not know her, in 1987 we worried all day about Baby Jessica who was trapped in a backyard well in Midland, Texas. 

The recent Colorado disaster was not just a flash flood or another another hint of global warming. When the pictures/videos became available it was insane and devastating. Sure there were Texas Thoughts such as: Why do they get all the rain and we are still in a drought?  and  Will the ski slopes be open this winter? 

But when you know good people that are affected by it, the situation requires more focus. Susan & Gil, we are glad that you are safe and will rebound. After all, someone recently wrote: Don't stop thinking about tomorrow . . . keep moving, growing, learning, seeking, traveling and Being.

I specifically remember one busy night in 1976 when I was working at Colonial Country Club. There was a dinner hosted by the Tarrant County Medical Society. I stopped by the room to make sure all was OK. I stayed to listen to the award presentation to Dr. Grant Begley. The Society had honored your father with the Gold-Headed Cane Award.  Later I learned that it was an old English custom where respected doctors donned white wigs and carried gold-headed canes. 

Your face was proudly beaming. Not only because your father's dedication, but maybe because you realized that you were also from good stock. As a father of three daughters, a beaming face is always better than an award cane.

It is that confidence that will guide you through the next few months and turn this  Rocky Mountain Low back to High.  From: EHHS Classmates - Danny McCoy 1963 & Linda Dorough McCoy 1964

11. Don’t know exactly what to ask for but I am praying that God will put his loving arms around you & let you know that you aren’t alone in this difficult time.  God knows who you are & what crisis that you may be experiencing.  There are times in all of our lives that things seem hopeless & you feel isolated, just know that others care.  God bless & may things start to look brighter soon.  Sincerely,  Susie W. ‘63

12. Susan, praying for you and your family!  Sharon Hubbard ‘63

13. Susan, We are all watching the news about the flooding in Colorado. So sorry you are caught up in this tragedy and wish you all the best. Nature seems to be testing us a lot these past years and that is when the comfort of friends and family are needed the most. We will hold you in our prayers. Take care.  Biff Flatt ‘62

14. Hi Susan . Hang in there . Hopefully you won't need an Ark ! I'm sorry you are too near this bad  flooding ! Hope you and yours stay dry  Keep your oars ready and be vigilant . It was nice to see you in May. Dona Blackstone Brandt ‘63

15. Susan, Through all the many years and life's challenges, large and small, we can all count on the support of our Lord and the encouragement of our classmates! Stay safe and strong,  Meg Garland ‘64

16. Susan, please know that all your Texas friends are hoping that you & all the other people of Colorado will soon see a "ray of sunshine" break through & that the rain & storms will stop.  Our prayers are with you all.  I have cousins in Boulder with a flooded basement, so was already aware of the hardships.  Take care & good luck!  Gail (DeVore) Longley

17. Susan, so thrilled to be reconnecting with you, but so sorry it's under these circumstances. I, too, still remember you as our EHHS Beauty Queen ~ as beautiful on the inside as you were on the outside. I'm so sad for what you are going through because of the devastating floods in Boulder--but so thankful you, your family and your home have been spared. I'm praying for God's continued protection, provision and for your strength and endurance in the coming days.
    With much affection,  Sherri Sledge Pulliam '64

18. Hi Susan, I was sorry to hear you were affected by the terrible Colorado floods. As the Chinese, who know a thing or two about natural – and manmade disasters – like to say, “che dao shan qian bi you lu.” When the cart reaches the mountain, a path through will appear.  In other words, Everything will eventually work out okay.  Best to you and your family,  Larry Guthrie

19. Susan, you were always easy to notice and pleasant.   Thanks, and thinking of you and family as you get your lives back in order.   Cheers,  Mel Fenn

20. Susan and Gil, it was so good to visit with you at the reunion.  Can't believe what has happened in CO!  And more disturbing,  that you guys are caught up in it.  I hear Gil is doing the doc thing which is wonderful.  Hope you have electricity soon.  Knowing how resourceful you guys are, I am sure lemonade is being made somehow from the lemon drops from the sky.  And I am sure you are both finding additional ways of assisting others.  Many thoughts and prayers are coming your way.  Take courage.  Vicki Held Burns

Susan checks in,

Hi Gus,  Thanks again for the heartfelt posts on your blog.  Thanks to each of you for your calls and emails.  As I have said in most of my messages, we are going hour to hour and day by day here.  As our flooded creek has receded, the road equipment that went across our front meadow has managed to complete a one lane dirt emergency access road and bridge across the creek.  Above us it is particularly muddy and slippery and dangerous, so the Road District has asked us to take our cars to the other side of the bridge and limit traffic.  Who knows about compliance, but we have taken both cars to the bottom of our hill.  

Since hiking is one of our favorite things to do, we will just add hiking with a backpack of groceries up our fairly steep hill -- interesting choices of food and weight to consider at Safeway -- powdered milk in my morning chai, of course!  (Gus note:  Susan was one of those EH gals who could send you to the dictionary having to look up a word that she used in casual conversation; chai = tea.  Gus still makes do with Maxwell House original grind....black !  She used "unobtrusive" on me back at EH...had to look it up...and never forgot it !).

Since we are in the "no flush" zone (our sewer connection was damaged in the flood), Gil has cleverly constructed a camping toilet in the garage -- also one for my studio!  Those orthopedic skills are coming in handy in retirement!

My sister was evacuated by helicopter and has no car, so we will get our car to her at the end of the month.  With no place in particular to go (our main access highways to the front range will take months or even a year to repair, so our 1 hour drive to see the grandchildren is now a mountainous 5-6 hour drive), Gil and I are sure we can make it through the winter with only one car.  We are so much more fortunate than most flood victims -- my sister has no way to get home and no idea of how long it will be till she can see her husband and her friends again.  And a good potter friend lost everything -- home, studio, kiln, and art gallery -- all swept away by West Creek, which is usually a tiny stream with wild raspberries along the path, tempting hikers and bears alike to nibble in the fall.  (We are hoping the road holds so Leah can share my studio this winter -- and so we can deliver our work to galleries.)

Rumors fly -- mandatory evacuation, National Guard rescue, FEMA funds to fix our road, phone and Internet restoration, and all sorts of dire threats of famine and pestilence.  But the best part have been the people, volunteering with shovels and Bobcats and ATVs (not my favorite part, for our meadow was the only access for the neighborhood and now sports mud wallows and track marks everywhere).  Still nature will heal the meadow much faster than other flood damage can be repaired and roads can be replaced.

It got down to 38 degrees last night, so we are grateful that our gas line is not damaged and concerned about our friends down the hill without heat or stoves.  There's new snow on Longs Peak, and the aspen are beginning to change, and the elk are gathering their harems  -- the natural world continues to delight and amaze us, leaving us awestruck in the face of such power.  My heartfelt thanks to every one of you, Susan

21. Dear Susan,  I'm sorry that you all are in the midst of the rains and flooding.  Please know that I'm praying for you and the others who are experiencing this tragedy.  May God give all of you healing and hope.    Sincerely,  Julie Hudson Beadle