Dear Vannette: It's wonderful to hear from you, after all these decades. What was your surname in High School? It's truly interesting to hear from someone from the old neighborhood! I have a long & complicated story, which I'll try to simplify for this e-mail. Married at 20; 7 children altogether, & 6 living. We have 7 grandchildren in CA (3); NE (2); & Austin, TX (2) & of course love them all. During our marriage (55 years in April), we've lived in MO, NM, AZ, CA, & now, back in NM, where we've lived the last 12 years. We lived 21 years in Palo Alto, CA. My wife & I both graduated from College in CA. My degree is in English, hers, Sociology. My father was my first guitar teacher & I've played guitar continuously for 42 years. By profession, I'm a non-fiction writer & have been the author or co-author of 104 books, with others in progress now. One of my grandmothers was born in Eire, which I've never visited yet. But I'll go there for my 75th birthday on 4/20/04. I'll be joining our youngest daughter & her fiance. We'll stay 2 weeks. I often get back to the Midwest for my wife's family's reunion. Half the years, it's in Higginsville, MO; the other half, it's in Emerson, IA. I've many hobbies, of which genealogy is one (obviously). That old mando-harp sounds fascinating. I'd like to see it! I teach part-time here at the Meadowlark Sr. Ctr. & at a nearby elementary school. (A volunteer at both places.) I have 3 guitars: a fine 12-string & a fine 6-string. (Both have metal strings.) I also own a classical (6 nylon strings). As ever, Dan Daniel F. O'Connell, Rio Rancho, NM USA: semi-retired writer, acoustic pick-guitarist (6-& 12- string), publisher, fisherman, folksinger, philosopher, web developer, political activist, husband, father, & granddad. EMA: docrrnm@aol.com. RELIGION: Active member of & choir singer in a local Liberal Catholic Church. Browse to www.liberalcatholic.org/history.htm for an overview. GENEALOGY: researching the Connell/O'Connell/Scanlon/ Scanlan & Kennedy/Flinn/Riley families of Co. Mayo (Eire)/Quebec, Kansas City, Blue Springs, & St. Joseph, MO, & Southern IN. POLITICS: Supporting Sem. John Kerry for President. Browse to http://www.johnkerry.com/ for further information. ================================= When even one American who has done nothing wrong is forced through fear to close his mind & shut his mouth, then all Americans are in peril." -- Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the USA (1884 - 1972)