Spent weekend with old, as in long-term, friend, Joanne in Stockton

 I've known Joanne since I looked like this

And she looked like this

And our PE clothes looked like this

We had a wonderful weekend.  We went to our 50th high school reunion, along with Allan, Joanne's husband.  Their son Michael and his son Ethan came for the weekend as well and we all went on Sunday to the neighborhood beach/pool/park.  Ethan had been invited to a friend's birthday party, and we sat in our lawn chairs, sort of watching the guys play laser tag for a couple of hours.  Then we at hotdogs and potato salad, green salad, chips, and red velvet birthday cake and then just kept enjoying the perfect weather and each others company.  

I came back to Sacramento with Michael and Ethan about 6:30 p.m. 

Joanne, Allan, then Michael and later daughter Meredith have lived here since about the early 1970's

 

We've enjoyed baptism parties, graduation parties from high school and college,

baby showers for more than one generation, babies first birthdays; for both children and their children. We've also gathered here after loved ones have passed from this life.

I love the circle of life we've celebrated here

In the living room; Joanne's cherished grand piano

and cherished family captured in photos

Daughter, Meredith's art 

 I'm guessing this was purchased on a trip to visit Italy...the "old country" for the Ciccone family.

 Favorite colors and lamp

Snapshots of the family room

The Lange's yard always includes a big vegetable garden, fruit trees
and a few flowers.

 Here we are at the beach club on Sunday

It was a wonderful weekend in every way.

Saturday: I got to spend time with Jennifer and Jacey.

Jennifer "did" my makeup, then they took me to Stockton and stayed for awhile to visit with the Lange's.  Joanne, Allan and I went to reunion on top the Old Stockton Hotel; with great view of Stockton Channel with Mt. Diablo in the background.  Got reacquainted with old classmates.  Had a great meal.  Joanne and I got to catch up, revisiting high school and talk about how classmates have or have not changed.  

Sunday was family day. The weather was lovely, the beach club where we took our children when they were young is still great, the picnic food just perfect and the ride back to Sacramento with Ethan and Michael was a pleasure, as well.