Well, here it is...my review of our GREAT 40 year Reunion Weekend!

(And WHAT a weekend it was!!)

What a Night!!!
We held our usual Friday Night Social out at Johnny J's Pub and Grille, on E. Waterloo Rd. (It sits on the same property where we spent a lot of our youth: the old Coliseum bowling lanes used to be, out in Springfield Township.)

So that I could set up my sign-in tables, get name tags ready, and things like that, I went early. Or, so I thought.
When I walked in the door, I heard my name hollered.
I looked to my right, and there sat The Madonios. They had come early to have dinner out of the way, for when other Classmates began arriving.

Of course they did.
(They've always been smarter than me!!)

Guess who was sitting with Michael and Diana.....go on, guess.
Betcha can't guess, because she was the last person who would have popped into my head.
I mean, I don't believe she has come to a single class function in 40 years, as she moved to Nevada, SO long ago!


It was Cindy Calli!!!

WOW!!!
Can you believe it????

Cindy Calli!!!

It was SO good to see her.......and, I have suddenly come to hate her!
Why?
Because she looks just as good as she did 40 years ago!!!
HOW DID SHE DO THAT? Hmmm........

Well, after I chatted with the three of them for a few minutes, I headed to the back of the place to grab a table where I could spread out my stuff.
Then, I looked up, and my dear, faithful friend of probably 50 years had come early to keep me company, just as she said she would, just as she always does.....Bless her Heart.....


It was Linda Harp Engle.


Linda helped me get the name tags in order, get my sign-in sheets just so. (THANK YOU, Linda......)


Then, I heard a voice.

WHAAAT?

Could it be?
Who called my name?
We haven't seen this guy at ANY of our functions for probably 10 years!!


It was Bobby Weakland........ Isn't THAT something?!? ............. Bobby Weakland!!


Let's see, I can name a few people who were there whom we don't get to see very often......
For one, there was Janet Stump Feeman!! Yep!
I believe this was the first Reunion that Janet has ever attended! WTG, Janet!! It SURE was great, seeing you.

Then, I saw Don Harvey & Paul Suso. Also, I got to see Joe Caccioppo, and Ed Krayeski!!
It's been SO long since I've seen those guys.


Now, let's not forget those who really TRAVELED to get to us:
I know of 2 Classmates who truly came some miles to be here: Kathy Kocher came from Denver, and Juan Castresana came from Miami!!
Oh, and Kevin Marsh and his brother, Joe, (Class of '77), came from Florida, as well. They brought along for the ride another Elletian: Joni DeBoard, (Class of '76).
And, you know who ELSE came up from Florida (Deltona)? Vicky Cutlip Lee!! She brought her new husband, Mike Lee, along to show him off and make all us girls jealous!
(I think it worked, too, Vicky!!)


It sure was good to see all of these folks, y'know?

I realized just now that there may be some others who came from far away, as well.
If I missed you, I apologize for the oversight.

You know, the actual 'happenings' of the evening were way too many.... over too quickly.... for me to describe, right here.

But, it's all told in pictures!!

LOTSA pictures!

Pictures of many Classmates I haven't even mentioned, here!

You'll be able to see them, if you click on the link below.

But first, before you go look at pictures, let's skip a bit ahead in our weekend...all right?

We met at Mark and Candace Manning's house for the picnic this afternoon, as we have done a few times, now.

Burgers, hotdogs, and sausages were cooked once again by Jay Gurnish, who is Mark's cousin and next door neighbor, (and member of Ellet's Class of '72).
Also cooking for us was Terry Dansby, one of Mark's longtime friends. (He's "Uncle Terry", to Mark and Candace's kids.)

Before I go any further....I want to thank these two guys for donating their time and energy, this day, to do all the grilling so that no one (Mark!) from our class had to 'man' the grills and be kept away from the fun.
They have done this for us, every time we have gathered at Mark and Candy's home, and they need to know they have always been really appreciated. Thanks, fellas!

You know, everyone attending brought some sort of "covered dish", whether side dish or dessert, to share.
Believe me, there is absolutely NO reason anyone should have gone home hungry today!!

So, right here, let me mention this:
Karl Krausse's Sauerkraut Balls are the only food I have ever heard ANYONE on the Reunion Committee ask be repeated, from one Reunion/Party, to the next!
They are absolutely CRAVED for, by those who have had them at any of our other get-togethers.


Well, have I got a REAL treat for all of you who have asked me for the Recipe!!
Karl wrote it down for me to give to you, and you'll find it at the bottom of this page.


But, stay with me here, for just a minute more.....

It was SUCH a Sunny Day....not at ALL like the very beginning of our last Reunion Picnic!!
This time, there was no rain.
YAY!!

So, I found myself a nice little niche where I could sit with MORE Sign-in Sheets, and MORE Name Tags, yet be in the perfect place where I wouldn't miss much of the fun. I had everything JUST so....


After a short while, Eric Pirogowicz and.....I THINK it was Garry Moneypenny or Billy McGurk ....came over and insisted on moving me.
They'd been watching me, sitting there smiling at everyone, having a good time, baking like a cake in the sun!!!
OMG!!! I had burnt to a crisp, and it wasn't even Noon, yet!!!
So, I had to let them move me back a bit.
Geez-Oh-Man!!! BURNT to a CRISP, I tell ya!!
And, you know, it wasn't until Saturday, at BEDTIME, that I really noticed how much of a burn I'd gotten, because I had been having SO much fun!!


But, you don't wanna hear this stuff!


You wanna know who was there....the 'who' and 'what' about everyone there!


Well, lemme think.....Who did I see?

There was Randy Hatfield, and his son, Randy, Jr.....and, Dennis Denham, Billy McGurk, and Roger Chaplin.

Oh my. I can't believe I didn't mention this guy when I told about Last Night's fun... all the way from Benson Arizona...Jeff Boggs!! Jeffy FINALLY made it to a Reunion!
And, boy...if you weren't there....you SURE missed him!!

YOU'LL see....just go look at the pictures..............but, in a minute!
Or, go ask Candy....Jeffy really did NOT know what to do, at THAT moment!!! (and, neither did CANDY! ROFL!!)

Who else was there?

Hmmm.......how about Pam Stephens Decker? She came in from Texas.

And, Rick Dickey came in from Philly, where he has lived for quite some time, now.

Kent Taylor and Jackie Tucker Taylor made it to the picnic!!

As did Kevin Breth .

It sure was good to see all of them, again.

Oh! Guess who else? We tracked down Dennis Wolfe!!
We'd been trying to reach him for SO long, and right before the weekend started, someone ran into him and gave him the info that let him find us.
It sure was great to see Dennis, again....



Oh, there were SO many familiar faces....friends we still had, but hadn't talked to in a long time.
People who came to surprise someone else. Classmates who were able to get away JUST for the weekend, and hopped ...whatever... to get here!

You'll be SO ready to start saving your ruples for the NEXT Reunion/Get-together, to be sure you get to come.
I just KNOW you will.......


But, the weekend's not COMPLETELY over, yet.......No, there was still lunch to be eaten, on Sunday!

I don't want to leave this out, because quite a few of us DID meet at Belgrade Gardens.....(Jeff Boggs' choice for some reason).....for lunch, on Sunday.
In fact, there were 22 of us!
But, it was raucous frivolity, it wasn't non-stop hysterical laughing. No, it was a pleasant meal with friends.
I think the reason it was a little more subdued than yesterday's picnic is because, #1 -- there WERE fewer of us, and # 2 -- we knew at the end of that meal, we were saying Goodbye, for another long while.
Sure, several of us stay right here, a fairly easy trip across town to see one another, but quite a few of us were leaving Belgrades to go pack for the trip home, or were hitting the road for home from right there.
THOSE people, it's not so easy to see at any given moment.
So, we ate --BOY, did we eat!! And, yes, we laughed...REALLY laughed. But then, we said goodbye out in the parking lot, with hugs and tears a'flowin'.
It was pretty much unspoken that we loved each other, as only life-long friends can.
We kept to ourselves the fact that chances are, by the next Reunion, more than a few of us might have.........
..........had to start using L'Oreal!!!!
Ha!! You thought I was gonna get sappy, over here, dintcha!!
WooHoo!!
GOTCHA!!!
Now, go....look for that recipe you've been dying to get, and then go sneak a peek at what everyone was up to at the