Committees are forming in Alexandria, Louisiana and excitement is already in the air. Doug Ardoin and "The Boogie Kings" will play at the dance, it is rumored. Yee ha. It will be a fun weekend.
None of us can wait to see how many show up. The last time (photo above) was our 40th in 2000 and out of a graduating class of 278, it appears there were close to 200 of us, if I remember correctly. A GREAT time was had by all.There was a party out at a campsite and then a brunch the next morning, which is this photo above. The culmination was that Saturday night dance where most of us danced barefooted and danced EVERY dance. It was a blast, as we used to say.
I wasn't sure for that 40th reunion if I wanted to go. I'm SO GLAD that I did. I reconnected with old friends and have stayed in touch with many thanks to the internet.
We were a very close class. It was an innocent time. The most exciting trouble we could get into was either drag racing out in the country on a long stretch of road in our black leather jackets. Or climbing the water tower, which I never did. I was the lookout. Oh yes, and we skipped school to go to Valentine Lake. It WAS the age of innocence. 1960.It was before Kennedy, assassinations, Vietnam, drugs or hippies. As you can see from the photo above it was the time of crinolines and "girly" dresses. Southern belles. I wouldn't take anything for the hayrides, the house parties (with parents always there) or sock hops.
Rebecca Wells wrote two books chronicling our lives in Alex back in those days. Both were hits and one was made into a movie. I read them and saw "our gang" in almost every page. I could identify Castor Plunge, Valentine Lake and the drive ins we used to go to. The books were, "Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" and "Little Altars Everywhere".
So, May 2010 you can rest assured I'll be driving to Louisiana to reminesce with old friends and dance a LOT. I remember when my Mom went to Chicago for her 50th and I thought, "Why would all those old people want to get together?" NOW I know. It almost makes me cry.
This is "the gang". Hope they're all there!
6 comments:
A lovely group of ladies - ageless that ;-)
Never have made it to any of my class reunions - 4 years to go for the fiftieth - will have to follow yours - maybe it will inspire me to go ;-)
If you are in those photos, where?
I´ve never been to a reunion of any sort whatsoever.
Ms Babs
Beautiful post - truly wonderful you have stayed connected over the years. Personally, I am so looking forward to the post reunion blog...
There was a line in the movie (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) where Siddalee fiance, Connor said "You are much more normal than you have any right to be" - My goodness, I loved that line!
Thanks again...
Felipe, she's the one in gausey (I know stuff). Miss Babs always wears "GUASEY".
Okay, I'll bite. What is "gausey?" And whatever happened to TM?
Larry
Gracias Calypso. Felipe, I'm in the first row in the middle in the white dress.
candiangrl, I SO identified with that comment. I went to 17 schools in 12 years. No, my dad was not in the military.
RUCO, you DO know "gauzey" cause I taught you that! Ha. Great to have you back commenting.
Larry, gauzey is kind of a lightweight, sometimes see through fabric.
TM has gone the way of "shiny pants" - no longer in the picture..
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