Yesterday we had a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 50 year high school class reunion at our house and we had close to 40 people here. It was easy and simple as we had help and people brought all kinds of foods and beverages to share. Our friends Beth and Jerry arrived a day before and stayed until a day after. Daughter Jenny and granddaughter Rooke "hand-crafted" the signs for our yard.
Morning of:
These are the classmates. Spouses are all over the front walk taking many photos with many cameras. I am amazed at how well we have aged and how much we still love to laugh. I don't think that ever goes away.
Night before: Ross and Jerry smiling and possibly pretending to listen to Beth! Who really knows as they just smile and let us do what we want and that's just how we like it. A little wine and a couple take and bake pizzas and we were good to go.
Out of the 44 people in our class 5 have died - from heart attack to cancer to car accident.
Beth and Jer busy doing the setup. These tables and chairs have been put to good use quite a few times now and still more to come this summer. Many people tell me I seem so calm and unstressed and that is mostly true. Thinking back we did things like this when we were newly married and very young and it was people that worked for Ross at Control Data whom we entertained at holiday parties at our house. I really don't remember getting stressed about it even in my late 20s!!!
We have a variety of careers from engineering to nursing to teaching to bookwriting to interior design of world-wide luxury hotels to being a school principal to a dietitian (me). We had a few guests I did not know but the names were familiar and were alumni of St. Joe's Catholic grade 1-8 school. Most of my hometown was French Catholic and many attended the Catholic parochial school so spent the first 6-8 years with the people I knew. When the country school closed I had to start 5th grade at the BIG school in town. The one leading the prayer of thanks and memorial to those missing was a former nun with a great and funny story and a very happy marriage and life after she decided the solitude might not be a good fit. I just love hearing people's stories - always have.
One of the long tables - I'm sure you could hear the laughter south of the Minnesota River!!
Jim the Engineer Guy serenading Peggy with "Peggy Sue" and we know all the words - happy former nun on the right.
Two of the spouses who worked very hard to bring this about - Beth's Jerry and my Ross.
Peggy got the "graduation cake" and her husband Mel made the fantastic banana cake made with what else but real cream and real butter.
John was the "so called Master of Ceremonies" and brought all these great photos. Judy made name tags for us using our yearbook picture and dang I wish I still had my cateye glasses!
Another table from the other side. I did manage to eat including 4 desserts and got to visit with a lot of people.
Another view and not one mosquito bite (I admit I did a little "treatment" that really works). We had a 2 minute rain shower which had everyone dashing for the canopy on the deck.
Sweet guys and old friends. On the left Ken is a retired teacher but still runs his floral shop and likes that even though he is now delivering to his former students from maybe 45 years ago!!! Andy on the right was our homecoming king and is married to my cousin whose brother now owns our old farm and they live only a few minutes from our son Chris and family.
My cousin on the right and another classmate on the left. They both attended the same one room schoolhouse that I did, Black River 124J, so we have lots of memories. Arlyce and I grew up on Schultz homesteads and shared 2 sisters who married 2 brothers as our grandparents - I would say that's "double cousins".
A few of the guys - these happen to be from Minnesota but we did have others from Washington state, Nevada, Iowa, Wisconsin and I can't remember where else!
More guys! The guys seem to have as much fun as the "girls".
Varuna - an old farm neighbor and one-room school classmate who is from a family of 12 children and she is the oldest. She looks fantastic!
Judy - one of the parochial school ladies. Some of them had not seen the others for 54 years.
So what's next? We decided we might not wait 10 years for the next because after all we are 68 years old. My mom graduated in 1943 and rarely missed a class reunion and was down to nearly every year by the time she was in her 80s and still enjoyed those old friends who were left.
I know I need to make a list identifying the stairstep group! Will do!
Then - it's almost time for the Schultz family reunion at Jolly Fisherman Resort. I'm starting my new list for that and also patiently waiting for my passport to get back to me as it sure is taking a while for the Brazilian visa to get processed and I really dislike being without a passport because "you never know".
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