Reunion Thoughts, Part 4: Friday & Saturday

Though the focal point of the reunion was the reunion itself, there was a whole lot more to the weekend than just the major events.  The first part was having dinner at my sister's and getting to hang out with my nephews.  A highlight of that visit was sitting with Mark (who is almost 6), telling him stories of things his mom and I had done when we were little.  I had never gotten to have that kind of quality time with Mark (he's much more interested in playing with Jonathan than listening to Uncle Brian tell stories).

When I got to Kokomo, I stayed at David Carey's house.  David became my best friend approximately the first time I met him.  Actually we talked once on the soccer field when we were in 5th grade, but on the first day of 6th grade, we were instant best friends.  He wasn't able to make it to the reunion, but I stayed at his house anyway - his mom has always been my "second mom" to the extent that she (like my real mom) cries when I leave.  It was good to hang out with her a little bit (even if her dog doesn't like me), and it made things convenient for the reunion.

On Saturday morning, I went out to Converse, IN for the 5K run (I'm going with my watch time instead of theirs; it took me several seconds to actually get started with the disorganized start) - but I already blogged about that here. A highlight of the run was hanging out with some friends, but I thought "if I'm already in Converse, I ought to drop by Rainbow Christian Camp, where I went to church camp every year."  I pulled through, and I guess I was a little too spooked by all the old ghosts I'd left there, so I didn't get out of my car.  I thought the "old" section (which was the "only" section when I was there) was a little shabby - overgrown bushes and so forth - I don't know how much they use the old dining hall.  I was disappointed that the old Coke machine was gone.  Not surprised, as it was the kind that held glass bottles, but I remember it being a rite of passage into highschoolhood to be allowed to use the Coke machine.

On the way home, I stopped by Macedonia Christian Church, where I grew up. I hadn't been there in over 20 years, and I was happy to find a door open (a women's group was meeting) so I could go in and explore.  I found the old puppet stage we used for years back in the day, and I got to go through the "new" section (where the "old, old building" used to be.  It was also good to see some of our dear family friends.

Then on the way back to Kokomo, I had a chance encounter with the husband of one of my favorite teachers (actually I never had her class; she was our cheerleading sponsor) at a garage sale in Greentown. After lunch I went to Northwest Park to see a friend (whose husband was playing in a softball tournament).  It was a really relaxed way to hang out and remember... plus it was fun to meet her kids.  And as a bonus, I ran into my second cousin and his family when I was there!!!