Don't they look just like they're sitting in the big pod getting ready for Economics?
This is, of course, Mona and Angie at the branch and I have already mentioned how much they brought to help. Thanks again.
Other things that never change? Tony Barber called last night on his way to see Leon Russell in Huntsville. Tony and B like the same music (all of it) and keep each other updated. Sounded like a lot of fun...for an old man!
That's her email address, only her computer is dead right now. This is June and her husband, Doyce, and I think he gets Husband of the Affair. He was wonderful and he never even yawned.
June lives in Decatur and I hear from her every now and then. I know she's had some ups and downs in her life, but June gets Happiest Person Award. Doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, your day is better every time you run into her.
The second picture is June and Mary, but look at Tim behind them. He sort of looks like he's angling for a hug, too, doesn't he? Bless his heart, they won't let him play.
If you remember, Sherry Miller, Charlotte White and Brenda Jones missed the reunion because of children's graduations. I asked them to send me graduation pictures, and Sherry sent this...she has some good looking boys, doesn't she? Now, if I can just get her to send me pictures of the MOTHER.
Brenda and Charlotte just haven't gotten to the mailbox, I guess. Any time, girls, any time.
Mary Anne brought a ton of these and there weren't too many left the next morning. We ate at seven o'clock, we ate at nine o'clock and we ate at eleven o'clock. They're good.
1 large can Bush Original Baked Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound hamburger meat
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dark Karo syrup
Brown meat and onion together. Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish, drizzle a small amount of Karo on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Mary Anne: I really don't measure anything, I just guess. Most of the time I double the recipe.)
Thank you, dear!
These are from Robbie's camera and are from a little closer angle. Remember, you can right click on them and print them but you may have to resize them first. I'll try it later and see if it's easy. If not, you can always email me and I'll send them to you in an attachment.
(Okay, I tried it and I have a postage stamp. If you click on "View Larger" there is a bar to "Save To". Save it into a photo program and resize it. Or email me and I'll send it to you as an attachment.)
This is one of those "old" relationship things with the families and such.
About 15 years ago Bryan had to work a promotion in Marietta and I went along for the food. That meant that all day Saturday B worked and I sat in the hotel room. I knew Philip had been in Atlanta, so I picked up the phone book and sure enough...there was Philip E. Gooch. Now see, if you're from Center Star you KNOW that he only has one "L" in his name and that his middle name is Eugene. I called and he was there and I have never been so glad to hear a person's voice in my life. I think all I probably said was, "Come get me!"
We sat in a sports bar all afternoon and watched Alabama play and had a blast. He took me out to the airport and I will tell you...we don't want his job. (He's an air traffic controller.) The whole afternoon was just so...Center Star. Call your buddy and pick up where you left off.
THEN. Friday night at the reunion both his boys were there and they are cuties. Halfway through the night Lee, the older one, walked up to me and (no lie) said, "Can we have one of those torches?" I thought he was joking and I asked him, "What?" and he repeated it, "Can we have one of those torches?" We're talking fire here. Petroleum fuel and flame and the child wanted one to hunt crawfish with.
I think we found him a flashlight.
Tim Collier has always been Tim Collier, and it's a good thing because it would be hard to improve on the original. Friday night of the reunion his youngest daughter, Ramsey, came down to the branch. She used to look just like Tim's little sister, Joetta, but now she favors her mother. Which is where the story comes in.
Ramsey was standing beside us, and Tony Hendon was teasing her about something. And she was giving as good as she got. Later on, Mary Killen asked Robbie why Tony Hendon was picking on Tim Collier's little girl since he'd never met her.
Tim's wife. Allie Sue. Allie Sue Hendon. Tony's little sister.
That's another pair that we were talking about being so pretty...Allie Sue and Charlotte, Tony's sisters. Charlotte is married to Steve Oliver and she works at the bank in Center Star. (I know it's not Bank of Lexington, but for the life of me I can't think what it IS.) Notice sometime when you see them.
Tim told a story that, of course, I had forgotten, involving a blank report card and my handwriting. I think I've forgotten some of these things for a reason.
You know what I do remember? Tim getting on the bus in the mornings with hot fried apple pies. Jiminy. Hot fried apple pies for breakfast. Two kids ago I used to do that, and Daddy mentioned a while back that there wasn't a lot of point in me learning how to make them from Virgie if I never DID. Make them. So I'll add that to my list. Maybe we can do that at the next cookout.
One. You know, the BAD thing about film and video is that it records EVERYTHING, not just the things I want it to. And it sort of records them the way they happened as opposed to the way I SAID they happened. So. We really did have a concert at Dales and it was a really good one at that. Yesterday I was changing video tapes in the camera and guess what? We have Tony and Shelaine on video. Playing music. Very well.
Never mind.
Two...It has been suggested that I do a list of our emails for everyone so people can get in touch if they'd like. Charlotte White in Texas specifically mentioned this as a way of staying connected. The problem is that the list is in Print Shop and I'm not sure how to convert it to a different file type that everyone can open and that will keep it in nice tidy rows. If I can do that in ten minutes or less I will. Otherwise I'll take five minutes and retype it.
(Johnny and Cindy Allen)
Actually, it's his voice. I could be in Hong Kong in a crowd of a million people and if he were behind me and said something I'd know it was him.
Cindy is another one who helped above and beyond the call of duty...she brought a ton of food and then kept insisting we CLEAN UP. I never did make her understand that...oh, it'll take care of itself. Tomorrow. Or the next day. Maybe.
...so here's Shelaine's official Cutest Girl portrait. She also got Least Changed, which is a previous post.
She and I had a lot of fun doing this. We go back a long way (I didn't come to Brooks until seventh grade. Our parents are friends so we have known each other always.) and she makes me laugh just as much today as ever.
Her husband, John, is another spouse you have to sympathize with. How boring must we be to other people? He was a trooper and a super nice guy and I've got a good picture of them together I'll find later.
Randy Harden was elected Hottest Boy. This is his official "Hottest Boy" portrait.
You should hear Shelaine squalling. SHE'S the one who came up with the categories, but now that I'VE got the pictures and I'VE got the computer, she's worried about how this all looks. Hmmm. Too bad, I promised I wouldn't tell.
This is that moment everyone had when they looked at the picture on the badges. Good Lord! Did I look like THAT?
This is Randy and Pamela Black. There's a bio in the old postings but they never sent a picture so I took my own. Robbie was telling stories about Randy's basketball skills; I'll have to get him to tell me again so I can write some of them down. I didn't remember, but Robbie says Randy had a motorcycle accident our junior year and hurt his leg. Didn't faze him on the court. Pamela's parents live on Shoals Creek, so maybe we'll see more of them.
The second picture is our table...people taking pictures of people taking pictures. And Randy and Pamela laughing at the annual. And B and Cindy wondering what in the world they're doing with these people.
Just kidding! These are actually two of the nicer rear views present. Except for B.
Tony and Robbie wanted to dance but no one would dance with them, so they led each other all around the floor. Never did get it worked out as you can see in #2 as one dipped and the other didn't! They need to keep their day jobs...this exquisite move looks like Tony has just socked a good one to Robbie's jaw.
As has been mentioned we kept waiting on this concert and the next thing I know, we're all standing out in the parking lot! (Or, outstanding in the parking lot, which actually is a more apt description.)
This is Tony Barber and Shelaine, and then Tony, Shelaine and Aaron (calvinks1400@comcast.net) our spinmeister.
We had the group picture from Killen Elementary in 1962-63. The first picture is y'all trying to figure out who's in it. The second picture is the old picture, and the third picture is all of the people in the group picture who were at Dale's.
This would be Tony Barber, Tony Hendon, Connie Williams, Tim Rippey, Angie Owens, Mary Tidwell, Phillip Peck, Shelaine Goodwin, Robbie Killen, Phillip Parker and Randy Burbank.
THIS is the funniest man on the planet! In later years I would make that statement and people who only knew him as principal would A: not have a clue who "Coach" Smith was, and B: look at me like I was crazy. Which just proves my point, it takes a superior intelligence to understand even a fraction of his dry wit. I alway leave a conversation with him KNOWING he has hung me out to dry and I didn't catch half of it.
Coach Smith is the first person to ever tell me I could write. Funny how little things (you know he doesn't remember that!) can change the course of a person's life.
Phillip is single and not looking, so I got to be his picture mate.
Robbie and I have stayed in stitches over Phillip and Dennis Smith. They are hysterical and if someone had his ducks in a row he could open a Comedy Club with just those two.
Somehow, we didn't get a picture of Phillip's car. When he came down the hill Friday night, everyone there just stood up and stared. It is too cool. 1977 black Thunderbird.
Phillip is another one we don't see often enough. Glad he was there.
(Pam and Tony Hendon)
They live in Elgin and I'm on Houston Town Road so we see each other a lot. We both have four-year-olds. There are days he wishes I'd move back to Texas (he's who I called when I needed my refrigerator moved and a new one picked up in Florence. I told you my husband loves him!) but he's stuck with me.
Pam has a neat home furnishings shop in Madison and I'll find the name of it in a minute. She has more energy than a tornado and the patience of Job. She used to own MooMoo's in Elgin and I am the witness...the girl can cook! So here's her recipe for white sauce, which we used on the beer can chickens. I brought ALL the leftover sauce home with me.
Miss Pam's White Sauce for Chicken
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons white apple vinegar
Garlic powder to taste
Coarse ground black pepper
Milk to thin if necessary, but it's usually not.
(John Martin, Shelaine's husband, Mary Tidwell Killen and Amy Greer Cruce.)
I can't remember what was so funny here but it doesn't matter. We laughed all night long. When we left Bayou Blue, there was a table of people on the patio who were our new best friends. I found a phone number in my car the next morning...I bet we invited them to the next reunion.
Wonder who they were?
Notice the name tags. We took the pictures from the annual and gave each classmate and spouse a nametag with that picture on it. It was funny. Most people were horrified...remember the HAIR?
I have three rolls of film, so I'll be adding for a while. Send me yours if you have extras. I put these into a little album this morning and then realized, the album says "For Baby" and has ducks and lambs on it. Welcome to my world.
(Mona Perry Cody and Angie Owens Tidwell.)
Mona and Angie showed up with this BOX of life saving "stuff". Food. Paper towels. Necessities. It was like Christmas.
Shelaine sent me an email that was sort of funny because SO many people said the same thing about Angie. Angie is a saint. With a DEVILISH sense of humor. Here's part of the email:
I am still so exited over seeing everyone again. It was just like old times. I know our class was the closest of any; it's just like we picked up where we left off. Maybe the older you get the more you appreciate friends...this was great. Also as I mentioned earlier, Angie (Owens) Tidwell is one of the sweetest people I have ever known. I knew in school she was good but she is more, she is genuine to the core. And Shannon, is he wonderful or what? I could go on and on but I won't. Yeah, maybe I will.(not). And yes, I agree with you on Mary Anne, Mona and Rose, they are gems. Talk with you soon! Shelaine
And then I got this message from Mona. Weren't you glad she, Randy Harden and Randy Black were there? It never seemed right without them.
Sorry, my kids kind of have a monopoly on the computer, and I don't know how to do much but type a letter and do a little searching! I hadn't checked my email for over a year until the other day, and I had 81 messages to read! Most of them were ads. Did you hear that my youngest son Jacob, and Angie and Shannon's daughter Allison, having been dating for a year? Angie and I are so excited that we might be in-laws! Mona Perry Cody
Some day I'm going to publish all this, and show these emails in their ENTIRETIES. You wouldn't believe what I leave out.
Some things, and people, never change. You guys make me smile.
(Tim Collier and Randy Harden.)
They both had the best time all weekend.
When we did new Class Favorites, Randy got "Hottest Boy". There is a reason.
He did, however, nearly get shot out of the saddle by Coach Smith, who only lost by one vote.
(Phillip Parker, Mary Tidwell Killen and Randy Harden)
Here are our prodigal sons! Randy and Phillip both missed the ten and twenty-year reunions. It's good to have them back. Mary is our official Greeting Committee because she does it so well. Just ask THEM!
Remember I said I had resigned as chairman of Arts Alive, because Parks and Recreation and the Florence City Council were taking half our profits...which we raise for area schools...in "fees"?
Later on, it looked like P&R was going to look the other way and we weren't going to have to pay the fees. So I took on the Gala...let's feed and entertain 250 people Saturday night, May 15. I have an out-of-town artist friend coming in to stay the weekend, and we lost our caterer for the judge's luncheon this Friday so I'm making ten pounds of chicken salad and four strawberry cakes as we speak.
Turns out, P&R DIDN'T look the other way and the fees DO have to be paid, but hey, I'm in over my head now.
The point is...these are the last posts until Monday. Robbie's and my pictures should be ready today or tomorrow, so come Monday I'll be full steam ahead but in the meantime...if you come to Arts Alive (and you should) come see me in the garden behind Kennedy Douglas. Remember my workboots and t-shirt last Friday night? That'll be me.
And another thing...someone asked last night: "Do you stay on the computer ALL DAY?" The answer is, no. The COMPUTER stays on all day, but I just pass through. Each of these posts is probably one hour from when I start it until when I finish it, but I only spend eight or ten minutes total working on it. Two minutes here, three minutes there. Then the phone rings or someone has a bike wreck or the cats eat the hermit crab. Again.
Again, thanks for all your help and all the great feedback. And NO. We will not do this again next weekend.
Like I said, you can print these by right clicking on them. You can also right click, save them into a file and open them in your photo program and play with them. (I just lost 50% of you there, didn't I?)
There should be five prints here. They're all from the same camera, which means later there may be others that are better. If you'll notice (this is the point where I got accused of being bossy but pay attention, the people who didn't do what I told them to are hidden behind other people!) if you go through them all, eventually you can see every face. Unless there were still people outside and I haven't had time to check yet.
The emails and phone calls just keep coming. Mona Jane said last night she hasn't checked her email in a year and look...she's back! I'm going to post regularly for at least another month, or until I get through all these pictures and papers. I'll do the class favorites...they were fun and there were comments on the ballots I'll post. I've still got to tell you about the neat stuff...Phillip Parker was there, and Randy Black. Lots of the old regulars. Coach Smith. Who almost won an award. I've got to get Charlotte White, who had an almost-daughter-in-law graduate from college that night, to send us some info. Brenda says she can't believe she missed it, either, but she was at graduation, too.
If you took digital pictures, send them to me and we'll post them all. One of the emails last night just said, "More, More, More!" I'm dancing as fast as I can!
And still smiling. You people are the greatest.
...with Bill Murray.
Aaron Sumner was our entertainment guy and he was great. The room's a little small for the music, but he did a wonderful job of learning early 70's music REAL quick. I think he's 20, which means he was born in 1984. Jeez. If you ever need entertainment, he has a wonderfully versatile voice and his email is calvinks1400@comcast.net People kept asking all night, "Where did you FIND him?", and he told me later that everyone was really nice to him. Like he was surprised or something. Go figure.
Anyway, that's Tony Barber and Shelaine doing their lounge lizard thing, only they never got around to it. They kept fiddling around and we all kept waiting and the next thing I knew we were leaving. Maybe they were just vying for the photo op.
I just crack me up sometimes.
Okay, here's the group picture. If it's too dark on your monitor let me know and I'll lighten it up and repost...my monitor is too dark and I can't tell what things really look like. And I've tried counting...were there still people outside? They are so dead if they were.
If you'll notice, after all my arranging we still have heads behind heads. So I think I have three of these on digital and I'll post all of them and everyone's face should be showing at least once. But right now I've got to go cook supper!
Look what a good-looking bunch.
(This is the only picture of Tony like this I can find. I'll add one of him by himself later.)
Something else. And I'll get in trouble for leaving people out, but I can only tell the stories I remember! You're welcome to add yours!
Rosemary is beautiful. She walked up and my jaw dropped. I don't have a good picture of her in the digitals, but maybe Robbie or I have one at the developers. I don't know what she's done, but she is Elizabeth Taylor drop-dead gorgeous.
And speaking of movie stars. Mary Anne looked like one. She had this great dress and she was just so serene...only word I can think of. Elegant.
And then MONA came in and jeeze...it ought to be a crime to have skin like that. Robbie and I were talking about this later and you ought to see her...what are these people DOING? (I'll tell you what they're NOT doing...they're not chasing four-year-olds.)
Then. I'm going to clean up this story for a public forum, but this improvement thing has been going on for years. Shelaine mentioned last night that Tony Barber was just gorgeous...the best looking thing she has ever seen. Bryan and I have friends on Court Street who have a Handy Party every year, and a couple of years ago Tony went to the party with us. He only knew one other couple, but it's a fun crowd and so he made friends left and right. Later in the night, one of our friends asked us if we (Tony and I) were an item in high school. And I have no idea where this came from, but Tony told them that my friends and I had this "list" in school of "acceptable" guys, and he wasn't on it. So no, we'd never dated because he wasn't on the "list".
My friend turned around and looked at me incredulously and in a voice that probably carried to Tupelo said, "He's so gorgeous everyone here wants to meet him and he wasn't on your LIST?"
So. Here's to all the gorgeous people at Dale's Saturday night. Who are almost 50 years old. I didn't see an ugly one in the bunch!
The previous picture is of Randy Burbank, Phillip Peck, Robbie, and Debbie Ainsley, who hung in there with the best of us.
And have I mentioned that you can right-click on any of these pictures and print them?
I think I'll get on a soapbox here and talk about my friends.
The emails and phone calls have been overwhelming. I've heard from people I haven't talked to in years who have called or emailed to say how much they enjoyed seeing everyone and what a pleasure it was spending time together.
When I walked into Dale's, I was late and flustered. (Instead of finishing the name tags early and having a nap and a leisurely shower, I had a family emergency involving a broken down tractor in Colbert County and my day was shot.) I was loaded down...I had the name tag stuff and a sack of papers and a bag with my cameras...I brought four. I walked into the room in a panic, and there you all were and the years just fell away. Everyone was laughing and talking and I think I grinned from ear to ear and just quit worrying.
If you had turned on a tape recorder at any time during the night, you'd have recorded laughter.
Several weeks ago, Robbie and I were having a conversation about y'all and what you mean. We have a friend who has gone through a twelve-step program and some of the people in the program insisted that you have to break ties with all your old associates in order to stay clean. And Robbie and I were talking about how other people don't understand, we didn't just meet up on a street somewhere. A lot of us had parents who went to high school together, and grandparents and even great-grandparents buried in the same cemetery. We have a history.
Some of the comments, I think, bear repeating.
Mary Anne sent me her bean recipe and I'll print it later. In her email she said, "Since I did not grow up here it does amaze me the ties people have with each other. That is one thing I wanted to give my children, a home where they were able to grow up with their friends."
Randy Harden sent an email that was too sweet, and in it he said, "Thanks for everything, you really made me feel like I was home again." Which is strange, because two seconds after he drove down to the branch, we'd all have sworn he'd never left Killen.
Mary Ellen was talking about the reunion after it was over and she said the same thing. "We go to my reunion and we have fun but it's just sort of 'Hi, how are you'. I wish we had what y'all have."
And most touching, I think, was from Angie. She doesn't talk about it, and you sure can't tell from looking at her, but Angie has had cancer twice in the last few years. She said, "We're not getting any younger and it would be nice if everybody could be at the next one. Whatever their excuse is, they need to lose it. Life is too short not to grab every minute of fun that you can."
The whole weekend was a fuzzy sort of Kermit-the-Frog feel-good thing and I walked away from it feeling grounded...like I belonged somewhere.
If you left that room Saturday night with any other outlook, you have my sympathy. You guys are the BEST!
We redid class favorites, and Robbie and Shelaine were voted "Least Changed Boy and Girl". (I have the ballots. By the way.) Here's them at the ten-year and again at the 30-year. This is scary.
I have four rolls of film at the developers, and Robbie has some, too. Right now we're running on digital, of which I know I took 60 Saturday night. I'm waiting on Pamela Black to get home and see what she has...the girl was clicking.
I started to take this picture and told them, "Boys. Line up." and OF COURSE one of them said, "Who you callin' 'boy'?" I kept waiting on one of them to say, "You call a shark a fish?" (REMEMBER that?) but it's a done deal. You may get grey and bald and old and fat, but you will always be my boys. You look, to me, just like you did 30 years ago and I wouldn't trade any of you for anything. (Well, maybe a good babysitter but we won't go there.)
I just had this long thing ready to post and X'd it out. Dumb.
Friday night was too much fun. The picture is the last one I took before my camera batteries died...this was Philip who was one of the 2 a.m. crowd. As you can tell, we were laid back. Literally. The waterfall sounds beautiful at night and we debated the cost of hammocks. We also solved a lot of the world's problems.
Okay...let me do my thank you's. Thanks to Robbie and Tim Collier who sat here one whole Saturday afternoon on the phone and computer while we found 90% of the people we were looking for. They then beat the bushes for the remaining 10%.
Thank you to Shelaine, who had Tuesday meetings with me at the tennis courts at Turtle Point when she left work while we waited on my eight-year-old to finish lessons. She did the tables, the new class favorites and handled the money and reservations. She also kept me laughing the whole time
Thank you to our ministers!! I walked into my parent's house yesterday to hear my sister telling my mother about Randy Burbank's beautiful prayer at the branch Friday night. And I was wishing Saturday night for a Lauren Bacall version of Stanley's voice for myself. They both spoke of the beauty of enduring friendships, and I myself am just tickled to death I got to spend the weekend with all of y'all. (Stanley told me last year he can always place what part of his life people come from by what they call him. "Stanley's" are always one of us.)
YOU need to thank Tony Hendon, who hauled tables and chairs and did the weedeating and cleaning and unloading and who put up with me Thursday and Friday when I panicked because I thought I'd left too much until the last minute. My husband loves him.
Thanks to the spouses who put up with us...can you imagine anything more boring than sitting in a room full of people who've known each other for 40 years and listening to them talk about things you've never heard of? I made two new friends...Randy Black's wife, Pamela, and I have conversed over the last month or so, and Dennis Smith's wife just rolled right in there with us...she's got to be funny to hang in therewith him!
THANKS FOR THE FOOD! I heard from Angie yesterday and they made the beer can chickens at home Sunday. Her green beans were a hit, as were Mary Anne's baked beans. Miss Pam (Hendon, but my kids have to call her Miss Pam) made white sauce for the chicken, and Johnny's wife, Cindy, brought a ton of stuff. I don't know who the other dishes belonged to but I tasted them all.
Thank you for my gift certificate, which will NOT involve kids.
The problem with thank-you's is that you always leave someone out, but I've got time. I'll cover it all eventually.
Here's The Green Bean Thing, from Angie:
2 LARGE CANS OF ALLENS CUT GREEN BEANS (DRAINED)
2 CANS MUSHROOMS (DRAINED)
1 CAN SLICED WATER CHESTNUTS (DRAINED)
2 TABLESPOONS (REAL) BUTTER
SPRINKLE OF ZATARAIN'S CREOLE SEASONING
SPRINKLE OF GARLIC POWDER
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE
MICROWAVE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
This is Mary Anne bundled up Saturday night. But what's funny:
She and I had to go to the bathroom. Happens. Except the door to the girl's bathroom was locked. And ten minutes later, it was still locked. And ten minutes later, it was still locked. So FINALLY, I went into the guy's restroom, LOCKED THE DOOR, and did whatever. When I came out, the door to the girl's restroom was still locked and Mary Anne was still waiting. So SHE went into the guy's bathroom and locked the door.
When she came out, there was a guy coming out of the girl's bathroom. She looked him up and down and said, "Sicko", and came back outside.
This is Mary Anne and Tony Barber Friday night...she's the clothesline in disquise. No kidding, the girl nearly froze to death all weekend...that's what happens when you get skinny. There's another picture somewhere of her wrapped up Saturday night, too.
Tim and Mary Anne had the most appropriate Branch Vehicle, and later Tim pulled it behind the Great American Exploding Grill and played music that made everyone smile and remember where they were when they heard it the first time.
I've just realized I don't have a picture of Phillip Peck's car. 1977 Thunderbird. Shiny black. Tony Barber kept trying to steal it all night. At least, I THINK that's why he kept going to the barn.
It is probably not legal to have this much fun in one weekend.
We have had an absolutely wonderful time the past three days. If you missed any of it...well, shame on you. This was one of those times when you could not have planned for all the great things that just "happened". Friday night was too laid back for words and CERTAIN PEOPLE didn't get home until 2 a.m. Saturday was an absolutely beautiful day and the clean-up crew sort of...sat. Saturday night was too much fun...there were people there we had not seen in 30 years. We elected new class favorites and I'll post that and pictures later. We had the cutest kid singing 70's music...he wasn't even THOUGHT OF in 1974. We had classmates performing with the band, and we had a "floor show" at the end of the night. I have photographic evidence of all this so stay tuned.
The guy in the picture is Topper Price...he is a session harmonica player who can make you cry he is so eloquent. Allman Brothers, Dickie Betz, my knowledge is limited but he is famous among musicians. B and I have always followed him during Handy Week. After Dale's shut down Saturday night, we went to Bayou Blue and Topper was playing. We sat outside on the patio and laughed some more. Perfect.
My ribs hurt I have laughed so much. Later I'll start posting pictures (they are SPECTACULAR) and commenting. And boy, do I have some commenting to do! Like, I AM NOT BOSSY. You just need to get it right the first time.
I have a ton of emails and phone calls about how everyone enjoyed seeing everybody and can we please do this more often? Mona Jane looks just like she always did. Randy Harden looks better. Robbie looks like he's a hundred years old and everyone was just being nice. GRADY WAS THERE! And Dennis Smith is still the funniest human being on the planet.
Yes, we will do it again in five years...probably the outdoor thing. Which lasted three days for some of us. We may have to take Mary Anne up on the port-a-potty offer. You should have been there for "clean up" Saturday. We were vegetables. We've decided to invest in hammocks.
I'll post more over the next week or so. I was so glad to see you people...it is hard to explain to people who didn't grow up like we did that y'all are not just friends...we have a history that, in some cases, goes back generations. Robbie and I talked about this a couple of weeks ago and you brought it home this weekend.
I'm going to bed now. At a decent hour. For a change.
That's Randy Harden (he has not changed ONE bit!), Tony Barber, Tim Rippey and Tim Collier. They look so good!
We had a blast last night...and if you were there when the paint can exploded that has a meaning of its own (apparently when we were weed eating, we set a can of grill paint on the platform the grill rests on. When all six bags of charcoal got going REALLY good, one of the cans blew up. Scared half of us to death, and the other half never noticed.)
I'll do some more pictures next week...thank you to everyone who worked so hard...we had enough food for an army and it was wonderful! Angie's green bean recipe to follow.
This was the grill full of chickens...before we ate every one of them.
Maybe the next time we do this, we need to consider just throwing BREAKFAST into the mix, too. A good time was had by all.
And y'all...wait until you see Phillip Peck's COOL car!
We found her! You know, the missing Reunion Secretary! She's back, we have lists and plans and it's time to just sit back and enjoy.
A couple of people are coming who haven't made it before...some from a ways. Phillip Parker is here from California (one of the things about living in Center Star, you hear everything. I learned this in the grocery store in Elgin: turns out Phillip called his mother and said, "Guess what, Mom? I'm coming home for Mother's Day!"). Randy Harden is on his way in from south of Atlanta, Randy Black from north of Atlanta. Philip Gooch hasn't missed one yet and has cranked up the old motor home and will be tooling in from Memphis. Robert Baugher will be here this time. Mona Jane is coming. Coach Smith will be at Dale's.
We'll also be missing some regulars...Brenda Jones, Sherry Miller and Charlotte White have children graduating from college and they usually come. Grady Miller had a HEART ATTACK, but when Robbie went by to check on him yesterday he had been discharged so we hope he's better.
Oh yeah...I THINK I know who has little kids coming Friday night and who doesn't, but kids are welcome and will have a blast...just bring them lots of extra clothes! Philip Gooch's boys, Lee and Todd, are eight and ten, so are Tony Barber's son and daughter, Claire and Sam. Tony Hendon's Hayden is four; and my Pariss and Allie Craig are eight and four. And we have a guest eight-year-old for the night. So if you have an extra one around the house, bring 'em on.
710-1177 is my cell phone if you need us this afternoon. Looking foward to seeing you all.
Kenny Johnson isn't going to be there Saturday night....job obligations...even though I have offered to go beat up someone for him. There's nothing more intimidating than a nearly-50 year old Mom with a fly swatter.
He did, however, send this along and I agree wholeheartedly...I don't want to rust.
"LIFE IS NOT A JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A PRETTY AND WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE, THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY PROCLAIMING----WHEW----WHAT A RIDE!!!" author unknown but a product of the 70'sWhere we are is in a tizzy. Mark my word, I'm going to kill Shelaine Goodwin.
Judging from my email responses, there are a TON of reply envelopes sitting in Shelaine's mailbox. So we're set up with Dale's for Saturday night...six o'clock social hour and we'll order at seven. Nice little DJ who has been instructed to find "Band on the Run", and then educate himself on 70's feel-good music. Sorry, no Pink Floyd. I didn't like them 30 years ago and I think it would interfere with my digestion now.
Friday night at the branch...local people are bringing side dishes. We will have whole chickens and desserts. Bring drinks and ice. Tony and I will do the set-up Thursday...bug spraying, torches, extra tables and such. 710-1177 is my cell phone if you need us Friday.
