Bonnie Brae will be celebrating its centennial in 2016 with a large party at BB. Here is a Centennial website, and if you have a solid connection to BB, then the invite can be seen in the 2010 decade: Address comments or questions to George.Edw@Gmail.com

Bonnie Brae Drummers on CBS News

On Wednesday, January 14, 2009, the Bonnie Brae Drum Line made the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. The direct link to that report is here.

Or you can visit the BB Alumni Blog here for commentary and a few pictures.

Go Bonnie Brae !!!

Bright Full Moon

Look up and be amazed at the wonder of our heavens. "The night sky is set to be illuminated by the biggest and brightest full moon for the past 15 years. The next encounter with a moon this close and full will not be until November 2016."

Lucy Cockcroft informs us that, "Each month the Moon orbits the Earth in an oval-shaped path, and on December 12 it will move past it around 28,000km closer than average.

The unusual feature is that this will coincide with a full moon, which will make it appear 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than most full moons this year, on Friday night....Another astronomical treat that could be seen over the weekend is the annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the year's best displays of shooting stars. Up to 100 meteors an hour can fly across the sky. The meteors, which are easy to spot with the naked eye, appear to shoot out from the constellation Gemini, hence their name, but they can be seen all over the sky.

The best chance of seeing them is to look away from the Moon." Source

50 Things Everyone Should Know

Can you (a) change a flat tire, (b) administer First aid if needed, (c) parallel park, (d) manage your time and money, (e) build a fire, (f) hold a baby, et cetera? Sure, you can do some of those things, and more, however here is a list of 50 things that Marc suggests are necessary.

More specifically, Marc says, "Self-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life. To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades. Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one."

News: Youngest daughter Christina (no, that is not her) is expecting her third daughter, Sara. Poor Derek (smile). How about hearing news from you too? Anyone can view this Blog, but only BHS Class of `57 alumni can contribute, so ask your Class of `57 alumni friends to send their e-mail address and they will be added. Send a message to George.Seymour@Gmail.com

Best, George

Anyone a fan of Mark Twain? If not, you may want to reconsider. Some of his more famous quotes include [source]:

* I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
* There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.

A recent book about Mark Twain describes his, "Top 9 Tips for Living a Kick-Ass life," some details of which can be read here.   See if you don't agree that they provide some interesting and valuable observations.

Best, George

Any State

It doesn't matter if or how far you have moved from Bernardsville, there is beauty to be found, and here are examples from each state in the Nation: Link.

How about some news from you?

Regards, George

A Cozy Home

Each day we awake and later go to sleep in our homes.
Why not consider a few things to make our homes more pleasant? Susan Carmody says "Let your home embrace you with warmth" in her report titled, "Ten Ways to Make Your Home Feel Cozy."

The link can be found here. And some of them may be just right for you. A more complete list of articles can be found here.

Regards, George

Remember The 1950s?

Oh yes, we recall the 1950s.     Remember Blackjack, Clove, and Beemans chewing gum?     How about candy cigarettes, Red Lips, and wax bottles filled with juice, or Sky King and The Honeymooners on TV?     It's all here in a seven and a half minute video.

Can't get enough?     Here is another brief "Do You Remember" video, as well as the top one hundred songs and some statistics from 1957 listed here.

Regards, George

P.S. Jerry, thanks for the comment. Yes, I enjoy the days with my seven grandchildren (aged 11 to 2) as often as I can.

Wow!!

Thanks so much for this ,George, Just one more great idea I never would have had! Had a little trouble signing up, but hopefully it'll be easier from now on. We still have the end of great skiing in Northern Vt and ~2 feet of snow left from this near record year snowfall. Judy and I just got back from a week in Disney world FLA with my 3 grown children and spouses and 8 grandchildren (1-11y/o) and it seemed like a solid week of roller coaster rides! Well, I'll get off line now, but I look forward to reconnecting with class memories and all the fond memories of those times and folks. take care, Jerry

The Value of The Dollar

Do you recall what wages were like in 1957?    Are you curious about what income would be equivalent to that wage in purchasing power today?    The answer will surprise you.    According to the U.S. Census, Department of Commerce Report dated May, 1958, the average salary for men in 1957 was $3,700, a gain of about two percent over the previous year.

Now how much would you have to earn in 2007, fifty years later, to have the same purchasing power?    According to MeasuringWorth.com, $3,700 in 1957 has the same consumer purchasing power as $27,252.77 in the year 2007.   Try it here for yourself.

Regards, George

About New Jersey

Some energetic people have put together lists of unique facts about New Jersey. One of them can be found here. This comment surprised me, "In November of 1914, the New York Tribune, cooperating with Mr. Bertram Chapman Mayo (founder of Beachwood) issued an "Extra" announcing: "Subscribe to the New York Tribune and secure a lot at Beautiful Beachwood. Act at once, secure your lot in this Summer Paradise now!" This was the greatest premium offered by a newspaper - nothing equal to it was ever attempted in the United States."
Here is another similar list titled, Stupid Facts about New Jersey.
Best, George

Women in Science: 1957

Each of us understands how our culture has changed, radically in some cases. For example, in 1957 few doors into engineering and science welcomed females. A recent report titled, "Women in Science: The view from 1957" can be seen here. It serves as a reminder that the opportunities for our grandchildren are much wider.

Anyone remember Mr. Wizard on T.V. back then?

On a more general note, and for nostalgia fans, here is a presentation called Take Me Back to the Fifties. You can use the pause button if needed.

Comments welcome.
Best, George