2007 Florida Mini Reunion Slide Show

Monday, February 12, 2007

A warm rainy day in Sarasota, Florida... A day of recovery from another wonderful reunion with friends and classmates. Almost everything is put away. No one will ring the doorbell. There will be no one to greet, no welcome hugs, a slow day and a sad day but there will be another time soon to see all these wonderful people again.

Only a few years ago there were but four of us that found each other here in the sunshine state. We made plans and we got together. That was 2004 when we had our first mini reunion at Pam Proctor's home in Vero Beach. It was great. It signaled the beginning. This weekend we welcomed eleven of us and with some luck it would have been even more.

Janet and I were thrilled that almost twenty people would be coming together here on Florida's West Coast. Jack Emmer joined us from upstate New York, Gene Borstel from San Francisco, California, Shannon (Rafferty) Savage and her husband, John from outside Washington, DC and Ginny (Simonson) Bushart and her husband, Jerry from Long Island. A special welcome to Mary Ann (Linneman) Napoli and her husband, Dominick from just up the coast in Palm Harbor, Florida joined us after forty-four years. Maureen Sbarra, found again, came over from Boca Raton with Kathy (Kwiatkowski) Madden, Steve Nephew motored over from Longwood, Florida and Jim Hancock and wife, Joyce arrived from Palm Beach. Pam (Moore) Proctor and her husband, Bill drove over from Vero. Last minute absentees with permission slips were new grandparents of twins Phil and Ida Meringolo and Jim and Mimi Litterelle, Grace (Mille) and Chuck Logue and Karen (Kenny) and Paul Malvese .

Eleven travelers arrived at our Sarasota home for cocktails and "Italian Night" Friday evening. Saturday everyone was on there own to visit Sarasota and many of us visited the Ringling Museum and home during the day. Later Saturday as more class mates arrived seventeen gathered at Carl and Janet Petersen's home in the afternoon. Everyone enjoyed seeing each other and we toasted the class reunion, continued good health and happiness with "Dirty Mexican" cocktails brought by Steve Nephew. Time passed all to quickly and early in the evening we enjoyed for a fabulous dinner at Cafe L'Europe a short drive away on St. Armands Circle, St. Armands Key, on Sarasota Bay.

Sunday morning was for farewells. We all had to say our goodbyes and depart for our homes and other destinations. Carl and Janet hosted breakfast for one last get-together to hang on just a little longer to the great feeling of being close once again... It was another wonderful reunion and that great feeling from our fortieth is still there... and will be rekindled again when we meet in Ol' San Antone for the Big Mustang Roundup.

Next years 2008 Florida Mini Reunion will be hosted by Jim and Joyce Hancock on Florida's East Coast. Check back for more information.

Previous Florida Mini Reunions:

2006 Mini Reunion

Friday,
February 9

Saturday,
February 10