What has happened on our way to the Fortieth Reunion??
Most of you know I married Larry Johnson, CHS'62, on December 4, 1964. I keep telling him, "If you don't straighten-up, it won't be another year" Ha! Ha! After making Memphis and Sears home for twenty plus years, Larry accepted a transfer (Lipton Tea) in 1989 to Chesapeake, Virginia. I had a terrific career selling real estate. We became owners of our first Corvette (1975) in #2 condition, found it in a next door neighbor's garage, and joined the Beachcombers's Corvette Club of Chesapeake. It was a Wild Ride and Exciting Fun.
In late 1995, we move to Charlotte, North Carolina, and bought a franchise printing business. I wanted to do some volunteer work, so I began working Tuesday and Thursday afternoons at an ACTS Retirement-Life Community called Plantation Estates, in Matthews, North Carolina. A long story made short and through no real desire of my own, I am currently the Director of Resident Services. I am working for 400 plus of some of the most interesting and wonderful people I've had the pleasure to know.
We do not have children, but we have been blessed with the best pets a couple could have. Larry bought our first puppy, Noelle, a cute mixed breed with big feet, as a Christmas gift to me in 1970. Noelle enriched out lives for almost sixteen years. In 1988,close friends had a little black Cocker Spaniel ready to give birth, they thought to about four, maybe five puppies, but six and half hours after delivery began, they had nine puppies-a herd.
We had agreed to take one of the pups, but when we saw a palm full of black puppy make a move one way and a little larger fawn puppy mimic every move (this was the following day, eyes closed in the whelping box) we agreed to take numbers eight and nine of the littler. Nick (10/88 to 10/02) and Nora (10/88 to 02/00) were so wonderful and provided us with more love and devotion and so many special moments, their memories will never fade.
Traveling is another passion Larry and I share. We do a lot of radd travel, but vacationing in the Virgin Islands is our favorite. We have friends who have a home on St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands, and several other friends who join us in renting villas.
Europe was exciting, romantic, beautiful, and the history incredible. A special group of life-long friends celebrated their fiftieth birthday in 1992 (not me) on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I had a special (2001) trip with my sister Debbie, two aunts and some girlfriends of theirs (no guys allowed) to Hawaii.
I get to travel quite a bit in my occupation, one to three day guided tours, primarily in the southeast, beaches, and mountains, taking in the scenic, cultural and historic locations.
That's it in a nutshell. Getting excited about the reunion.
See ya soon!
BettyJo Olive Johnson
