Martina Albert:
CLASS OF 1971
Royal High SchoolClass of 1971
Simi valley, CA
Martina's Story
I’ve made a good life for myself. I was a single mum. I raised three sons who are good men. My two oldest are husbands and fathers. Between them I have six beautiful grandchildren. My youngest son is working on a second career and is home with me. He saved my life when I had cancer. All my doctors thanked him. I spend my days in the lovely city of Ventura enjoying all my favorite things: watercolor painting, cooking, cleaning, sewing, going to lunch or dinner and movies with friends, walking on the beach, shopping downtown, collecting rocks on the beach and painting them, and caring for my mini orchard and gardening. I have two dogs, a senior English Bully (12) and a senior mini Schnauzer (10) and they keep me busy! They aren’t horses to ride but I adore them. I’m going to the 50 reunion, if I’m well enough I’ll drive myself. I’m still battling with post cancer radiation damage, but, I’m healing just slowly. It’s so amazing cuz I was thinking about the good old days in Simi growing up and then I stumbled upon the reunion information. Most of my fondest memories were before High School though. I think of the fun things and people I did things with lately growing up in Simi Valley. I was suppose to graduate with the class of 1970, but got mono in 9th or 10th grade and had to graduate a semester later in 1971 cuz I was sick a lot. I was so stressed and angry about being sick I ditched school often. . I never shared what I was going through with anyone. Looking back now I got to know so many more wonderful people in both classes (1970 and 1971). But my memory isn’t so great especially after 42 days in a row of radical chemo. Chemo is pretty hard on the brain and body. Those of us who lived in Simi Valley since the early 60’s have fond memories of the Strathern’s so I think it’s a great place for the reunion. I went to Indian guides at the Strathern’s home, and swam in their pool a few times. My fondest memories areI riding their horses that pastured near my home bareback and barefoot in the hil...Expand for more
ls that are now the freeway and Ronald Reagan Library. The lessons I learned from horses helped me when I was being treated with the stage four cancer treatments (chemo and radiation). I hope some of you remember me, I was so disconnected in high school, but now doctors know so much about CFIDS, and I have a wonderful team of doctors, so I get the support I need and the struggle isn’t so hard. Life is good. Every day is a gift after you look stage four cancer in the face. It took me so many years to put the puzzle together. Challenges are like puzzles. And it’s true, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! I hope to just skate through now easily and I have a faith that could move a mountain. I am so thankful to be alive. Speaking of skating. I miss those weekends, too, when I was in my young teens at the Santa Suzanna skating rink. We use to skate it up! Greg and Julie Howard. Julie always beat me when we’d race on skates. Their mum worked at the snack bar, she was awesome! Julie was so quick like her brother Greg on skates. I remember skateboarding down shady hill with Greg Howard and Gary Davis. It was awesome. Our skateboards had metal wheels...crazy! I once won a contest in my twenties on Venice Beach roller skating and won a pair of roller skates called Cheap skates. They were orange suede and the wheels were like the kind on high end skateboards today. They were fast! I skated with into my late forties early fifties while my sons skateboarded on our block. It was funny cuz my cat Tiger Lilly would go back and forth with me in the street gutter, so did our Golden Retriever, Amber.
I hope to see many people of you and meet new friends, too. Ive been thinking about so many people from my past these last few years, and I hope I’m well enough to get to the reunion. It’s so fitting to have it at the Strathern’s Historical Park, the organizers did a great job planning! Thank you. Hope you’re going and hope you remember me. We’ve reached a milestone!
❤️Love and ✌🏻peace, Martina Albert
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