Linda Brown Shea

I got married young and divorced young- I had three kids before I divorced and then another one after I got married again. We lived in Thousand Oaks for twelve years and then Santa Ynez, for another twelve. Then my husband was transfered around a lot and we lived in Colleyville, TX, Rocklin, CA, Ft. Wayne, IN, Carlsbad, CA. Then Tom retired and we moved to Nipomo, CA. A beautiful little town between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo - out in the country where we now have chickens, guinea fowl, two cats and a
friendly turkey we could not bring ourselves to "you know what" her on Thanksgiving.Along the
way the boys grew up and now we have four grandchildren - 3 girls and a boy- I call him my favorite grandson - he smiles and says Yeah right, I'm your only grandson - I'm glad he realizes that.
I always wanted a little girl and I quit work and took care of my wonderful little granddaughter while her parents graduated from Cal Poly. She is now rewarding me with a great grandchild. A little boy to be born in May. What fun - I will still be able to carry him around and play with him - I hope.Our youngest granddaughter - 14 -is a
-softball great already. She plays for traveling teams in the Orange Co. area and she has already been scouted by some colleges.
Wherever we lived I usually got a job and took night classes. I actually worked at Gunn High School for the first five years of its existence. A lot of my teachers from Cubberley were there. Mr, Hathaway was now Vice Principal , Mr. Leydecker and Mr. Bow were keeping all the kids hopping in the gym as usual. I never could bring myself to call them by their first names, they were always Mr. to me. They actually became friends which was a neat experience. As a single parent their
advice was very appreciated.
I worked in schools most of the time - kids were always my biggest interest. I also worked at a newspaper in Santa Ynez and I managed a Big Dog clothing store that sold great sunglasses till the Sun Glass Hut bought us out. A few people I went to Cubberley with happened into the store - I mostly remember Diane Summers and her husband Dave Asplund - what a surprise.

I have been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling with my husband on business trips and with girl friends.Once a friend and I went to Piru and Machu
Picchu and we climed up to the Sun Gate. We also saw the Nazca Lines from the air and Lake Titicaca - the highest fresh water lake in the world - I wanted to go there ever the 6th grade and we all had hysterics when the teacher told us
about it.
I really enjoy seeing my grown sons having problems with their own teenagers - I laugh hysterically and they ask me to leave their house!!
After a long life it seems family is still the all important glue that holds the world together.I look forward to seeing you all in July - I hope I will recognize you.

I actually graduated before most of you. I went to night school and graduated a few months before June 1959. It took me about 10 years to get my AA degree at night and I still go the night school whenever I see a class I like. Maybe I will get a BA someday.

I traveled alone thru both New Zealand islands and visited all the areas and sights where they filmed "The Lord of the Rings" I even got my first tatoo - it was the same one the actors who played the nine main characters got and I got in
the same tatoo parlor in Wellington - by a Maori.
. I had to set it up ahead of time on the phone and the guy who did it asked me if he could bring his son cuz he didn't believe grandmas got tatoos.

Since we are retired we don't do all the dare devil stuff like skiing and water skiing, playing soccer and co-ed softball. We still kayak and travel - mostly to visit our grandchildren. Tom is a real golf nut and I keep busy volunteering and gardening.

I didn't have a blurb cuz I had no idea what I wanted to do or could do. I was a late bloomer and I have done many things I couldn't have dreamed of as dumb little girl at Cubberley High.

Yes