Saturday Farm Boss and I drove to Portland to meet up with some fellow bloggers, their spouses, relatives, and a few who have yet to start a blog but might soon. Before we went, we knew we would have one big thing in common. We all enjoy reading Ronni Bennett's excellent blog, Time Goes By on aging. We had also all been invited to her home.
Farm Boss and I (and I think everyone there) had such a good time, not the least of which was because Ronni was such a gracious hostess. She was warm, welcoming and presented a scrumptious lunch which not only tasted delicious but looked beautiful too.
We had driven around Lake Oswego a bit before the event as it's hard to manage exact timing when coming from a distance and that was fun as we have history in that area. He had spent his high school years not far from where she lives. During our courting years, we had a lot of dates in that area; and then when we bought our first home, it was in a nearby community. So all in all, it was a delightful time to meet new friends in a place that I have loved.
Boy, has Oswego changed though! It's grown up in ways that make it hard to remember the little community it used to be. It is a pretty town with lots of trees sitting between the banks of a lake and the Willamette River.
Our photos of the gathering are on the following slide show for anybody interested. I cannot tell you who all these people are because I honestly only got first names and am hoping I can figure out where some of their blogs are to read more about them. (If any of you are reading here, please let me know).
Interestingly to me, everyone there was articulate, diverse in interests, and creative in different ways. Some might find it surprising that a group of elders would also share a common denominator of change but we did. Some had made changes. Some yet to make, but it was a testimony to the fact that the ability to be flexible and do new things doesn't end with youth. We surprisingly found we had many things in common, like a thread ran through us that brought us together. It made for a most enjoyable experience with a lot of good conversation and laughter.
13 comments:
What a wonderful blogger meet ! Enjoyed reading this and seeing your photos. And one I really enjoyed, was the one with Ronnie at the sink with the dishes, and everyone standing around......just wondering what was the lunch menu (besides the yum desserts, that is )....it all looked so GOOD!
It sounds as if you all had a fine time ! :-)
I'm sooooo glad you took all those terrific photos, Rain. My efforts were mostly useless and I'd be so disappointed not to have a record of our meetup.
I had fabulous time with everyone - we should do this again.
Sounds like a wonderful gathering. I remember Lake Oswego from years ago. When I moved to Oregon for the first time in 1972, I lived in West Linn. Not too far away. A beautiful, lush, green paradise.
How much fun to meet your blogging buddies. I'll check out the blog on aging -- it's a complex set of issues and gosh, we really have no road maps. I remember reading all about the development growth of babies and children when mine were young, but other than Sheey's "Passages" have not seen a lot of relevant writing on aging. Thanks for the info!
I'm glad you and Paul took such good photos, Rain, but then I am not surprised because photography is your hobby and you are so good at it. It gave me an opportunity to feel like I was there with you.
I just had the greatest time looking at all the photos you took at the meet-up.
What a wonderful experience it must have been for all the bloggers to share such a delightful day, meet each other and share lunch together. (especially those luscious desserts!!!
Thanks for putting those photos up, made me feel like I was part of the day too!
Simply wonderful. Now I have faces to put with names. I too am an enthusiastic Ronnie Reader, and I truly would have been there if I could. Thank you for the pictures so much.
Thanks for blogging -as I didn't think to get everyone's names , emails etc etc...argh!
Loved reading everyone's take on Ronni's fabulous get together! We should have more !!!
Here's my link
http://katheworsley.blogspot.com
thanks, everyone and I will check out your blog, Kathy. Nice meeting you and everyone Saturday. I hope we can do it again. Maybe a potluck sometime :)
Reads like a fun gathering which your photos would support. Thanks for sharing and am sure you must have enjoyed cruising around your old stompin' grounds. I know a few years ago I enjoyed visiting where I spent some of my early years. (Too bad the Skype-In wasn't more effective, but maybe too much for such an occasion.)
Thanks for your link, Kathy. I will definitely be checking your blog regularly as I like poetry and the fact that you discovered your ability with it later in life is interesting to me.
What a wonderful gathering this was. And I enjoyed the slide show, too. Ronni is one of so many older bloggers' mentors. Thanks for sharing this.
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