Several of us gals enjoyed the second luncheon that began with a casual mention about getting together for lunch sometime. (I missed the first lunch because I had to make an emergency run to the hospital for gallbladder surgery!) The classmates in the picture below met at Benham’s in downtown Dayton this time. The first get-together was at the Coldwater Café in Tipp City. Although the food was great, it was secondary to all the chitter-chatter going on among us. We all wanted to hear what everyone was saying, but since we feel like we have just begun to have fun together, we want to have another get-together in March and maybe another in June. Pam Jacobson Driscoll lives in Florida so we planned this one to coincide with one of her trips back to the cold weather to visit family. Jeannine White Cash was unable to join us in person because she was taking Pam’s place in Florida! Jeannine called us during lunch so we could share a few minutes with her on Pam’s phone, speaker mode.

We had no trouble at all spending 2½ hours together; the talk continued while we ate—no silence as usual when food is served! Some are still working and arranged a long lunch hour, and others are retired but so busy they wonder how they ever had time for work. If you are in the area or will be in the Dayton area and would like to be invited to our next luncheon, contact me (jawinkler@hotmail.com) and I will make sure you are notified of date, time, and location! Ladies only, please…

Introducing my first published book: The Rise and Fall of Mr. & Mrs. Shepherd. Currently available in paperback form and soon to be available in Kindle version along with a brief explanation and an inside-look at the book. The book can be purchased right here through Amazon.com currently with more purchase options forthcoming.

Jackie Winkler retired from Lockheed Martin Corporation in 2008 after working 12 years with several Lockheed Martin companies, mostly in Orlando, Florida. She worked as an Administrative Assistant in the Employee Learning and Development Department, for Human Resources Corporate Operations, and as a Senior Administrative Assistant for Supply Chain Management. In 2005 she transferred with Lockheed to Cleveland, Ohio, where she worked as a Technical Writer in the Congressional Department on a government contract held by Lockheed. Prior to going to work for Lockheed, Ms. Winkler spent one year as a cross cultural teacher (1995) in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), training Russian public school teachers how to implement a western style curriculum into their classrooms. Before making the trip to the CIS, Jackie served the community of Jackson, Tennessee, as a pastor’s wife. Her highest calling was as a stay-at-home mom to her three children for 27 years.

Ms. Winkler studied at Columbia International University, Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated in 1984 with an Associate of Arts degree. In addition to earning her degree, she completed the core curriculum for a four-year degree along with performing at-will services for the University. Her training in preparation for serving in Russia was the equivalent of one year’s seminary training. Her three children have given her ten grandchildren, all of whom reside from Alaska to Iowa to Florida. Jackie lives near family and friends in Ohio and is fulfilling one of her dreams: to write. Another dream is . . . as God wills.