Feeling groovy, reconnecting with friends

It's hard to believe that I had my 40th high school reunion this weekend. Some called it our second 20th. It was held at Friends Seminary, a Quaker school on 16th Street in New York. Lunch was in the courtyard on Saturday, bracketed by a party Friday night and Saturday night.

After lunch we went into the old meeting house for a silent meeting, in which people who are moved to do so stand up and speak. We had these once a week in high school, and it was profound being back there as though we had never left. (In photo above, Pam, Tami, me, Nancy and Emily, in rear, on the bench where we pose every 10 years, and below, Tami, Nancy, Emily and me at the rooftop garden.)

About half of our class of 50 attended. I made lifelong friends at Friends who I see all the time, and it was good to spend the weekend with them. It was also good to reconnect with people I hadn't seen in years. One of the organizers of the event paused the festivities Saturday night to announce the "Groovy" award. Drum roll...It went to me for wearing fishnet stockings, a throwback if ever there was one. I found a pair months ago and bought them, thinking they would be great for reunion.

A group of us took our "bench" photo that we take every 10 years on the same bench in the park next to the school. One friend couldn't make it, so she said she is going to photoshop herself in. We'll have to see what that looks like.

I got in a short run in the park but basically got my exercise running around NY. I stayed an extra night to see my aunt and was so tired that I slept 12 hours and almost missed my train. I got home around 5 and was checking my e-mail when I remembered that I had a wedding to attend in two hours in Northampton. You never saw me move so fast. My friend Ken Ross from the paper was married to Andrea Stone in a simple, beautiful ceremony, followed by a reception. And then it was time for more reconnecting, this time with newspaper friends.

My room is a mess from the suitcase that kind of exploded after I dropped it on the floor and from the clothes I tore out of the closet while looking for the right dress to wear to the wedding. Today I am going to clean up and chill out.