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Your Great Replies (M-Z)

 John Marquart (Suzanne Marquart reply)

 Dr. Ron Mundy

 Liz Oldaker

 Andrew Renard

 Jan Shannon

 Kathleen Walker

 Linda Wilkins (Kevin Wilkins reply)

 Jody Zlock

John Marquart of Connecticut:

My new favorite quote comes from my wife Suzanne. Walking out of a Publix supermarket during a recent trip to Florida, I jokingly accused her of going there just to flirt with the "old guys." She immediately replied:

A Texan by birth, Suzanne Marquart is retired and living in Connecticut after a career as a Pan Am stewardess, elementary school teacher, and IBM advertising person. She also takes care of Guiding Eyes Puppies.

Dr. Ron Mundy of Sechelt, British Columbia:

This reply came to me awhile back when I returned to Winnipeg from my weekly trip to Northern Manitoba as a flying doctor. My roommate left a note saying that the place was a mess, that none of the dishes from the week had been done, and that she would get to it later. I left my own note, which said:

Dr. Ron Mundy is a physician with a rural practice in British Columbia. He lives in Sechelt, B.C., a ferry ride up the coast from Vancouver. While most of his time is spent in clinical practice, he is fascinated by language's effect on thinking, and vice versa.

Liz Oldaker of Culpeper, Virginia:

Over the internet, I exchange witticisms, often in the form of egregious puns, with an old school friend (we're both in our seventies). Our e-mailings generally go on until one of us gives up. After such a conclusion, my friend recently commented, "Still one round behind." I could not resist replying to this gentleman of the old school:

Liz Oldaker and her husband live on a farm in Culpeper, Virginia, where she paints and he hybridizes irises. She adds: "Our marriage of 55 years is a divine polarity as we tend to disagree on most issues. We read obsessively (he, biography and history; I, British murder mysteries). Other than arguing, we enjoy travel and even hiked the Inca Trail."

Andrew Renard of Port Elizabeth, South Africa:

I teach an English class that has a particularly energetic and intelligent group of tenth graders (age 15-16). We often enjoy lively exchanges during the course of a lesson, with a lot of good-natured, off-the-cuff banter. After a polite "put down" of one of the pupils in the class, a girl in front looked at me and said:

Andrew Renard is an English Language teacher at a large co-ed school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Jan Shannon of Austin, Texas:

Several years ago, my 25-year-old daughter had a 36-year-old male friend who was enchanted with her. She thought he was too old to consider romantically and had no interest in him. Whenever I saw him, he would ask about her and if she was dating anyone. Finally, I said to him:

Jan Shannon and her husband and two dogs live in Austin Texas. At age 49, she has recently become a full-time student.

Kathleen Walker of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey:

I manage an indoor rock climbing gym in Philadelphia. While recently working out with someone who was demonstrating poor balance (unusual for her), I asked what she was thinking. When she said, "My mind is definitely somewhere else," I replied:

Kathleen Walker lives in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, where she tends to her three koi, gardens for roses and tomatoes, and makes her own pesto.

Linda Wilkins of Southern California:

While dining at a Chinese restaurant recently, we overheard the waiter review the menu with the diners at an adjacent table this way: "We have pork chow mein, we have chicken chow mein, we have shrimp chow mein, and we have beef chow mein." My husband Kevin looked at me and quipped:

Linda and Kevin Wilkins are California natives. Kevin's great love of the English language was passed on to him by his father and he, in turn, is passing it on to their 11-year-old son, Brandon. Linda, a Manager of Administration for 11 years, sends a daily e-mail "Thought for the Day" to all employees in the company.

Jody Zlock of Johnson City, New York:

I was at an in-law family gathering recently when talk turned to happenings at their church. When I stated that I didn't attend church, my sister-in-law loudly replied, "No comment!" I said:

Jody Zlock works in the superintendent's office of her school district in Johnson City, New York. She has two daughters in college. Her interests include New York State wines, reading, and painting whimsical birdhouses.