The Kwaj Kat Blog

Those of you on Kwaj in the early to mid-70s probably remember that Colonel Russell was the island commander at the time. His son David was in my grade, and we were good friends in high school when we both returned to Huntsville. I got word yesterday that Colonel Russell’s wife Gloria (David’s mom) passed away this week. I didn’t know her especially well, but I used to see her whenever I’d drop by David’s house during my high school years, and she always made me feel welcome. Her funeral will be tomorrow in Huntsville at Good Shepherd Church.

I’ve been meaning to post a notice on here plugging the home business of a Kwaj classmate but I can never seem to remember…until now. Jeanne Baysinger Wallace runs Jeanz Beanz offering “Home Decor with a Texas Accent.” She also has a presence on eBay. Her website has some neat stuff on it, so check it out. I think she offers different products at different times, so you won’t find the same stuff month after month. It won’t cost you anything other than a little bandwidth to explore.

Unrelated to Kwaj, a life-long friend of mine (I’ve known him since I was 6) abandoned his career in the IT industry a few years ago and started a home-operated business making scented candles. He was always somewhat of a chemistry nut. I’ve tried his product and it’s every bit as good as popular store brands like Yankee Candle (my wife thinks his are better), but he can offer you personal service and lower costs than what you’ll typically find in stores. If you care for scented candles at all, I encourage you to give him a try. I think you’ll be pleased and I know he’ll appreciate the business. Visit Madison Candleworks to see his extensive list of candle scents.

And no, I’m not getting any kind of kickback or discount for this.

Those of you who know me from Kwaj also likely know Deidre Wingate (Lloyd) who was in our class. I was privileged to get a note from Deidre today, but was discouraged to receive the news that she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She began treatment in January with a lumpectomy and lymph removal followed by the start of chemo this month. The chemo treatment will continue for the next 4 months.

I’m sure her prognosis is good at this point, given recent advances in cancer treatments, but that doesn’t ease the difficult road she has ahead of her. She has asked her friends to support her through prayer, so I’m passing that request along here. Please keep Deidre in your thoughts and prayers as she and her family navigate the rocky terrain before them. Deidre’s close friend is supposed to include me on periodic updates, which I’ll pass along here as they become available.