Cherylyn Petrie-Osthagen:
CLASS OF 1975
Langley High SchoolClass of 1975
Mclean, VA
University of Virginia - LawClass of 1988
Charlottesville, VA
National Business CollegeClass of 1977
Roanoke, VA
Wagner High SchoolClass of 1975
Clark afb,
Cherylyn's Story
Life
I am currently living in Foley, Alabama. I am just 6 miles north of Gulf Shores, the fastest growing tourist destination in Alabama! In 1991, when my son, Daniel & I moved here, Foley was a sleepy little town, known as "The Tree City" due to the number of huge (incredibly beautiful) old Live Oaks that lined the streets everywhere. We had a small Wal-Mart, a Winn-Dixie grocery store, a smaller "Greer's Grocers", a video store, Family Dollar, & a bunch of small, privately owned clothing, hardware, appliance, lumber, a nursery & feed store situated in an incredible big red barn w/ wood floors that were wprm smooth from years of people walking, a shoe (buy AND repair) store. Most in old, brick buildings in the "old town" area. My parents had lived here for 14 years, my Father got his teaching degree after retiring after 30 years in the Air Force. (Colonel) He got an ROTC Unit started in the High School, & was voted "Teacher of the Year" for Baldwin County in 1993. Baldwin is the largest county in Alabama, so that was quite an honor. Since we had been coming down here every summer for 2 weeks since before Daniel was born (1981), it was an easy decision to make (the move) after I was forced to retire (due to a job-related back injury in 1985) from my job in Old Towne Alexandria, Virginia. It had never entered my mind that we would leave Virginia; such an incredibly beautiful State, but with my income reduced, I could not afford to stay. I still miss Virginia.
Within the last 15 years, Foley has become a "boom town". A huge outlet Mall replaced an incredible wooded area, Wal-Mart became a "supercenter", about 10 fast food franchises came in, & now almost every time I go anywhere I end up seeing a building that wasn't there the week before. Daniel got to go from fourth grade through High School with the same kids, something any of you Military kids know is really neat. He remained a straight A student, graduating w/ honors & an "advanced diploma". ...Expand for more
He received a full scholarship to the Community College for an Associate Degree, which he took because all classes taken transferred to Auburn University, where he now is one year away from a Masters in Mechanical Engineering.
We have 4 dogs, which is quite a change from the "zoo" we had while Daniel was still home. At one time our "family" included a quaker parrot, 2 ferrets, dogs, turtles, iguanas, & an Argentine Tegu (lizard) (Due to its size after 4 years, Daniel donated "Goro" to the Gulf Breeze Audubon Zoo in Florida the summer before leaving for Auburn. They were so thrilled to have a rare tegu in fantastic health, hand-raised, that they built Goro a new "home", & he became one of the animals they took to schools, etc. for teaching, etc. due to his tameness; in a letter to Daniel the Director of Reptiles told him that "anyone can handle Goro; he will lay draped across anyones shoulders, and we have no fear of any child being bitten or even frightened." They even put up a plaque at Goro's habitat giving Daniel's name & that Goro was hand-raised & donated. I know how hard it was for Daniel to give him up, but he knew how busy he would be at school, & was more concerned for Goro's well-being than he was his own feelings. All you parents can imagine how proud I was of Dan's decision. As for me, unfortuneately my back injury was more serious than first realized, & I am now a "chronic pain" patient, with scar tissue pressing on nerves, & now involves my entire right side. Despite the anxiety & frustration at the medications needed, the never ending pain level, the days my right hand "goes dead", or when muscles decide to stay in spasm & more muscle relaxants are needed, I remain determined to be as active as possible, I read a LOT of books covering a variety of subjects, and volunteer as many places as I can. I refuse to sit in a chair in front of the T.V. and bemoan fate. I miss friends, & cherish the times I reconnect w/ one via the Internet.
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