Marsha Gardner:
CLASS OF 1968
Starpoint High SchoolClass of 1968
Lockport, NY
Marsha's Story
Been a long time since we graduated and I am not sure of how many even remember me. I live in South Alabama now, and have for the last 20+ years. We are about an hour north of the Gulf of Mexico. You can see from my profile picture we have some beautiful beaches on the Emerald Coast.
I have one son, no grandchildren, :( but we have many adopted grandchildren that we have had in our lives over the years. Some are having their own children now, going to college, to Haiti to help with relief, or still in school.
Love to tailgate at Auburn. We are big fans. We have a bunch of very dear friends that we spend weekends in Auburn with eating, shopping, watching football on tv, eating some more, take naps, eat, then go to the game and then we eat again. We are outdoors most of the time and we love it. Different then Western NY as far as weather goes, we may start the season in a heat wave and then end and we are still in shorts. Then other years we huddle around a campfire and complain about how cold we are. WE have acclimated to the weather here and don't do well when it is below 50.
We will celebrate our 39 years of wedded bliss in July. Never imagined that when we married. Knew I wanted to marry for life, just never really thought about how long life would be. My husband graduated from Lockport Senior High in 1961, so he was a cradle robber and now I am married to an old coot on Medicare. Wow, can you imagine that in about 5 years for most of us we will be too. Where did all the time go?
I had a catering business and a ceramics studio in Lockport, sold the "Loaves & Fishes" and closed the studio when we moved to Tuscaloosa. Dick transfered with Harrison Radiator. We felt like we had come home when we arrived in Alabama.
I worked several jobs, retail, and a accounts payable clerk while I went back to school and got my AS degree in Accounting. Then life slipped a curve. I was very ill in 1991 and didn't work for a while. A friend asked me to care for her children for the summer and I thought it would be fun. It moved into a new way of life for me. WE put in a pool, for the kids, bought a camper, for the kids, we lived for the kids. Then their mom asked to become their Nanny. I was at their house at 5:45 in the morning to get them up for school, etc. They got off the bus at my home each day. Mom was usually there to pick them up in time for bed, all five, three boys with ADD (Sam, Albert & Willie) and two lovely girls (Sharon & Rachel).
After they were old enough to care for themselves pretty much and mom's job moved to a home office another family found me. This one in my neighborhood. A family from India with one 9 year old girl (Pallavi) and twins (Devyani & Nandini) one week old. I was their full-m...Expand for more
e Nanny for 4 years until their dad was called to a new hospital outside of Pittsburgh.
My last family was Chinese. Mom and dad born there but the children all ABC (American Born Chinese). I lived with them for 4 years and would probably still be there today if the house hadn't shrunk when grandma and grandpa arrived from China and needed our room. We still visit regularly, they come here and we vacation at the Beach together. The youngest (Vivian) was just 6 months when we arrived and is in kindergarten this year. The oldest (Vanessa) is now a freshman at University of Michigan in pre-med. The second child is Victor, the only boy and smart. He and his sister Valerie are both taking Chinese over the internet with a teacher from China. Vanessa and Vivian both learned at a young enough age from their grandparents that they speak very well. Amazing to me.
I love to garden and my husband laughs that it took over 30 years to make a "gardener" out of me. We have just over two acres and lots of flower beds (about 20 or so) a huge vegetable garden, herbal gardens and my pride and joy an asparagus patch. I spend most of my waking hours from March to November outside. Either working in the yard, swimming in the pool or being at the beach. What a life. Always something that needs to be done in the yard, even when you think it is finished, something will need to be moved, added, thinned or trimmed. I love it and can't imagine why it took me so long to have a passion for it.
If I won $100 million, I'd give half of it to spread the gospel, then spend the rest on getting extended family together in one place for a great visit, setting my mom & stepfather up for the rest of their lives and just blessing people when i see the need.....
My best friend would tell you I'm very caring, but people who don't know me very well would probably describe me as a bit abrasive and snooty until they get to know me and spend some time with me one on one. I tend to stand back and look people over and not jump in unless there is an instant connection with someone. Ever had that happen?
My first job was at Henry's Hamburgers in Lockport on Transit Road, where I got paid $1.25 an hour to take orders for hamburgers etc. and clean the joint. What I remember most about it is was great work experience, good friends and a way out of the house as a teenager. Made some money to buy clothes while still in school and stopped by the Transit Inn across the street for some libation even tho I was only 15 when I started that job. Lied about my age. What a way to start my work life.
Enough for now. Would love to write to anyone that is willing. I wish I had kept in touch over the years, but it isn't too late.
Hope to hear from some former classmates soon.
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