Friday Evening, August 21

When we first met each other in this group, we were all young people in our high teens. The guys usually met at a local business on Saturday and Sunday evenings to decide what was going on and where to go for the evening. Youth For Christ was a popular choice or revival meetings. Sometimes they went bowling, played miniature golf, or did another activity. After deciding where they were going, they would get into cars by groups, and all go to the same place, or maybe to two or three different places – depending on the guy’s choice. The ladies came later when the guys began dating – then there was a lot of double and triple dating. That is when I learned to know these guys and girls.

We have been getting together as The Old Gang since our children were small – usually for a picnic – with activities changing over the years. Eventually are get-together became a meal similar to Friday evening.

Now 60-plus years later most of us are in our 80s. I think there may be one or two ladies in their high 70s – and a few men are getting close to 90. Several were missing – mostly due to health issues.

This time we met at Bob and Lois’ house for a delicious buffet supper – dinner rolls, chicken with a creamy topping, mashed potatoes, green beans and a salad. Dessert was a choice of chocolate cake with peanut butter icing or white cake with raspberry filling and soft ice cream.

The caterer was Bob and Lois’ daughter-in-law Laura – and our niece. She is the oldest daughter of my youngest brother, Steve, and his wife, Brenda. She even made the dinner rolls! She and Dave and their family live next door – with part of their orchard between them.

All 42 of us sat at one table. When I got up to take pictures from either end, I said, “This looks like the Lord’s Supper photo.” 🙂

It was fun connecting with these friends – some of them we only see at this annual get-together.

Cerwin and I are in charge of this next year – along with Marv and Gladys. Gladys and I talked about next year and made a few decisions of what direction we are thinking. Neither of us have room to have it at our houses, so we will rent something, and we think we know where we are going in that area. Laura’s mom, Brenda, has already agreed to do the cooking and our son Jere and Kristen agreed to help her and Steve. It will probably be a Friday evening toward the end of August because that seems to work well at this stage in our lives. August is nice because the evenings are still long with daylight. Many no longer like to drive at night.