Dogwood Girl: Creekers: The Next Generation

Wow. I have not posted in a while, and i feel guilty. Just what I need in my life: More guilt. I am off to the Lake until Friday, but here is a little something to tie you over and to assuage my guilt, at least somewhat.

On Saturday, Todd, the kids, and I went to a cookout with friends from my old neighborhood. Most of us have kids now, and it was, well . . . kind of strange. We have hung out before with the children, but most of the babies are now little kids. At one point, I went to check on the older kids playing upstairs in Jake's (son of hosts Dan and Wendy) room. I walked in to find my 5th grade "boyfriend's" (his older sister actually asked for him if I would "go" with him) son playing a video game on the t.v., just like his father and aunt and I had played Warlords and Pitfall on Atari in 1982. Rollie was climbing the ladder to the second bunk with a couple trucks under his arm. Jake and Elliott (another son of the ex) yelled at me to "get out! No adults." And the little girls in the group, Elle and Charla, were fighting over some kind of wagon.

It made me feel a little old, but oddly comforted to see my son playing with the children of my old friends. The funny part is that when we are together, the friends seem just as young as they ever did. I am always reminded of the Designing Women where former beauty queen Suzanne is voted "most changed" (she has put on a few pounds) at her high school reunion and she gracefully puts them all in their places by telling them that even under they beer bellies and bald heads and double chins, she still sees the boys who tried to kiss her on the porch and the girls she passed notes with in English. (I am paraphrasing a bit there; I don't actually memorize dialogue from the show.)

Anyway, here's to old friends, and to the new generation. God help us all in about ten years. . . .
(Side note: Not all attendees are Creekers or descendents of Creekers, but are considered, "Honorary Creekers.")

p.s. Big congratulations to Owen on his selection as a 2006 Recipient of an International Teacher Position in the Galapagos Islands, from Toyota USA and The Institute of International Education. Very cool.

Wendy, the fearless hostess