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Nancy Neal - the classmate formerly known as
"Witch"
Occupation:
Retired
I retired at the end of 2004 and have not missed
driving around the state (45,000
miles per year), or any of the other drudgery of work as a lawyer.
I’ve been kept busy with long overdue home repairs and remodeling;
gardening, cooking classes, and clearing out and selling my Mom’s old
home - a lot of us have gone through that, I know.
My Mom, by the way, is 94, and is wheelchair bound, so has moved from
assisted living to Miller Nursing
Home in K3. I get out to visit her
and touch base with all her caregivers about once a month.
I have truly come to hate flying in the U.S., but it’s always good to
see her. My 2 daughters and 1 son
are scattered and living in Manhattan; Juneau, AK; and Kansas City, MO.
Scuba diving has been the passion of my life since 2000.
I never did make it to the Red Sea, because of 9/11, but my diving buddy
& significant other, Dave and I went to Micronesia, Truk Lagoon, instead,
where we dove and explored Japanese ships sunk there during World War II.
There were jeeps and tanks and even
a Zero airplane, covered
with coral after all these years. Really
incredible. I’ve finished all the
training and testing to be a Master Scuba diver, and have enjoyed diving in Honduras,
Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Bahama Islands. Belize, Orcas Island ( Puget
Sound), Cozumel, St. Kitts, St. Bart’s, St.
Maarten’s, Nevis, Grand Cayman, Saba (a Dutch volcanic origin island,
where the exterior shots of the original King Kong movie were filmed) &
Hawaii. We just returned from a
trip to Antigua and Montserrat, combining scuba diving and volcano watching.
I have found
some good political candidates whom I’m working for on a volunteer basis.
After 10 years working in
the State Capitol, I can tell the greedy phonies from the honest public
servants. There are far too few of
the latter, so when I come across one, I try to help them get elected.
Just returned from a trip to Dublin to take a continuing
legal ed. class on law of the European Union.
I was privileged to be one of only 4 observers at an emergency session of
the Irish Parliament and met a
number of Senators and Representatives
there - they were a lot more eloquent and
willing to take a public stand on tough issues than their U.S. counterparts.
Ireland was beautiful - saw great old monasteries, and lovely country
gardens. The people were bright, humorous and friendly, and the theatre was
grand. I went to the theatre 3 times in 4 days - a personal best
record. I also made a side trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland - a beautiful city
with a tragic history, and I hope to return there next summer to take a law
class at Queen’s College on human rights and then
visit wild
northern Scotland.
Added May 2019: My
2 daughters, after decades away, relocated to Pittsburgh - one from
San Francisco (20+ years w/ FEMA, now an administrator at CMU) &
the other one from Manhattan (banker in both places). My son
lives in Seattle where he is an investigative reporter for an NPR
affiliate. My house borders on Pennsylvania woods so my bird feeders
attract deer & wild turkeys in addition to the usual avian
menagerie. My 3 rescue kitties & I enjoy watching the wildlife
from the safety of my 2nd floor deck and fenced side terrace.
I
keep busy - sometimes too busy - as an officer of a local AAUW
chapter, a member of the local chapter of the international Dickens
Fellowhip (that's Charles Dickens - Sister Mary Edgar would
approve!), local judge of elections & member of the Building Code
Appeals Board of my township (suburban Pittsburgh). I love attending
the world class Pittburgh Symphony & my book discussion group,
and am totally addicted to Netflix (Grace & Frankie keep me in
stitches!). My philosophy (from the Old Farmer's Almanac): Live
simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and enjoy the
ride. And of course, Go, Steelers! You can email me at nancyn237@comcast.net
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