In Your Dreams

One of the problems in writing down your dreams is what Freud realized - it's your unconscious mind at work, and usually about things so personal to you (e.g. sex) that the dreams are repressed, forgotten as it were, but still there.

Writing these dreams down is like opening yourself up, in a way you might not want to share.

Last night:  I dreamed I was a country club, spending the night.  Thinking no one was around, I heard noises and went to investigate.  There I found the end of a gathering of people, including a friend of mine, a former high school cheerleader,

As we were alone, I told her how everyone admired her in her younger days.  This truthfulness instantly backfired and she was offended.  I regretted being honest and saying what was on my mind. Then later she softened and started being nice to me, wanting to ask me out.  Now it was me, wanted to back off, to flip the script.  This was not how I wanted it to be.

It made me think that we might be destined to do the exact things over and over again in life.  Our personality is not going to change, no matter the circumstances.

Old Friends

My mother Kate has several friends who she has known since they all grew up on the same street in the 1930s and 40s.  Despite everything, they have remained friends and all are still alive and keep in touch as best as they can.  They've been through high school, college, marriages, divorces, young children, mid life, grown children, in laws, old age and deaths.

In addition to Kate, there is Marianne, Betsy, Francia and Fay.  People who know them call them the Wickersham Bunch.  That's the name of their old street in Houston.

Kate was telling me about Francia, who is now living in assisted care in Akron, Ohio where her son, a primary caregiver, has been relocated due to work.  I have suggested that we go visit Francia and hope that trip will come off in the future.  It seems only right to keep that good friendship stoked, no matter the distance or condition.

Fay is living in Houston but basically housebound.  Fay divorced in the 1970s and never remarried.  She always had a good head for business and is self supporting.

Marianne lives in Austin with one of her children, and suffers from dementia.  She is widowed from her husband, who also grew up in the same neighborhood as the Wickersham bunch.  He was very successful in the car business, investing in a little known Japanese car company in the 1960s, called Toyota.

Betty and her longtim6e husband lives in San Marcos in a senior living apartment.

Kate is still in her own home and has been married to my father since 1961.  Guess who her bridesmaids were?

Arctic Expedition

Listening to a podcast about an advertisement for women to join an Arctic expedition in the 90s reminded me of an old memory.

It was 1987 and I was under-employed living in Washington DC.  I had taken to going to the Georgetown University career office to look for job postings (there were none).  But there were job-hunting books to read.  It felt like I was doing something to find a job.

One day I saw on a bulletin board "Men wanted for adventure to South America".  So I called the number and met the person, Jimmy, who seemed normal.  He was trying to get a group of 5-6 people to drive from the US down to the far end of South America.  Everything sounded good except when he said he had no van and that we each had to come up with $1,000 or so to buy a share of the van.

As I mentioned I didn't have any job or money so that was a non-starter there.  Probably would have been a good trip with a little better planning.

I wonder what ever happened to Jimmy?  

Bodhi Yoga retreat 2017

Looking for the ideal vacation for Susan and me, I had the following criteria:

Get away from where people knew us
Do yoga
A healthy eating and living experience.

We had all of the 3 at the Bodhi Yoga retreat - although we did go with a couple that we knew. But they were the type of people to take along, not get away from.

We went to Isla Mujeres, off the Cancun, Mexico coast.  I had been to Isla Mujeres on a boat trip befor but only to the coastline.  I didn't know there were hotels and businesses there.

We stayed at the Zoetry Villa Rolandi right on the water.  We had our own beach and 3 pools.  Most everyone was in the big pool.  Waiter service constantly.  All inclusive food and drink - and the food was excellent.  "Not a buffet in sight" as Susan put it.

I was nervous about doing yoga twice a day but I did all the sessions.  From a tough 75 minute session to a Yin practice (easier) we covered the subject well.  Four different person instructed.  A lot of variety.  Bodhi Yoga in Austin was the sponsor.

We enjoyed meeting a lot of new people, and no one cared what you did or anything like that.  Very refreshing.  We hope to go again.

Our instructor Anna brought her whole family from grandmother to baby.  That was a highlight of the trip.  I enjoyed the family aspect a lot.

A Texas-sized Donation to Virginia Colleges

A Texas-Sized Donation for Virginia Colleges

By Gregory Turley, Washington and Lee Class of 1987

On the list carved in stone of Honored Benefactors of Washington and Lee University is the name of a mysterious woman.  Her name, Mary Moody Northen, also is on the Leyburn Library auditorium and lobby.  What motivated this woman from Galveston, Texas to donate more than $500,000 to Washington and Lee  in the 1970s?

Not only did Mary Moody Northen donate to Washington and Lee, she also was a major donor to Virginia Military Institute (when she was the first honorary woman graduate) as well as Hollins University.  She did not attend any of these institutions of higher learning.  But with total gifts of nearly $5 million, she made an impact on these colleges in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

Mrs. Northen was a successful businesswoman in her own right.  She was President of 52 companies, engaged in banking, cotton, insurance, ranching and hotels.  She was born in Galveston, Texas but her story begins with her grandfather in Chesterfield, Virginia, near Richmond.

Her grandfather, William L. Moody (appropriately known as W.L.) graduated from the University of Virginia (1847), and thereafter moved to Fairfield, Texas and began the practice of law.  Finding that a bit dull, he entered the mercantile business and later moved to Galveston, Texas. 

During the Civil War, he rose to the rank of Colonel in the Confederate Army, and was known for the rest of his life as Col. Moody.    Col. Moody was married to Libbie Rice Shearn Moody.  Libbie was cousin to Susannah Pleasants Cocke, who with her husband, Charles, were founders of Hollins University.

Libbie and Col. W.L. Moody had 2 sons, William Jr. (father of Mary) and Frank Bradley Moody.    As  a teenager, William attended classes at Hollins and lived in Hollins East dormitory for a time.  Thereafter he attended Virginia Military Institute for 1 year (1886) and the University of Texas.    Legend has it that he was fond of saying that he had learned all of his manners “as a young lady at Hollins”.

The Moody family had a summer home in Lexington, at 601 S. Main St.  It was later bought by James Whitehead, longtime registrar of Washington and Lee.  The family also owned the Mountain Lake Hotel at Pembroke, VA, made famous for its providing the set location of the classic 1987 movie Dirty Dancing.

William L. Moody Jr. had 4 children, Mary, Shearn, William III and Libbie (who later married Congressman Clark Thompson.)  After the death of  her father, William, Jr, who died in 1954,  and the death of her husband Clyde Northen, who died within 7 weeks of each other, Mrs. Northen became head of the Moody businesses. 

Mrs. Northen thereafter made a number of large donations to Virginia Military Institute, resulting in the name of Moody Hall off the parade grounds, as well as the Mary Moody Northen Library.      In addition to her status as the first honorary VMI alumna, she also served on the Board of Visitors, established an endowed professor’s chair in the Arts and became the first Life Member of the Institute Society.   

She also donated over $1 million to Hollins University and her generosity can be seen in the Mary Moody Northen  Swimming Center as well as the Moody Center, the student center (named after her parents William Moody Jr. and Libbie Moody).  She served as a trustee of Hollins and was an honorary alumna and honorary trustee for life. 

At her death in 1987, a VMI honor guard paid their respects to one of their own.    She is buried in the family mausoleum in Hitchcock, Texas.    She was 94 years old.

Blondie + Garbage - Friday Aug 11 - Austin ACL Live

Thanks to Bob FM 103.5, I won 2 tickets to Blondie with Garbage opening.  I had signed up months ago primarily because the ACL Live theater is a great location.  And I won.  So, be sure to enter those contests.

Kyle came down from Arlington for the show.  We recalled Blondie from the early 80s.  We didn't know much about Garbage from the 90s since we were changing diapers at that stage in life.

A great mini weekend.  Thursday night, we had dinner at the Yard House (brewpub) and then walked around the Rock Rose section of the Domain.  Like a little 6th St.  I would not have done that otherwise.

Friday I took Kyle to golf at Lions Municipal, my old home course.  I had fun telling everyone about "there used to be a tree there" and such.  Kyle said he could tell it was a special place for me.

The show was very good.  Blondie is now in their 70s primarily and you have to remember how cutting edge they used to be.  The crowd really liked "The Tide is High".  I wanna be your number 1.  Garbage reminded me of Evanescence, which was a good comparison.  I thought Shirley Manson was a great lead, and the show had a nice arc to it.

Out of control

Another dream:  I was driving an old Cadillac which had small brakes for such a heavy car.  I can't stop the car which is barreling along.  I have to crash land the car in an open field near an airport.  Fortunately my friend Keith can fix the brakes.

Out of control/ no control/ heading toward disaster/ narrowly averted.  Must have a lot on my mind.