Day Ten.... Let's talk about girls

My friends and I turned 50 this year.   Well, some of us did.  I have a wide variety of friends that vary from really old to really young, so let me restate that.   I had a bangload of friends turn 50 this year.  For the last few years, my classmate gals have gotten together at fellow classmate, Fonda Nixon's house, in Edmond, because well....it's just a party wanting to happen kinda house.  And Fonda is the best hostess in the world.

SEE???

 Really.  Last year I repaid her kindess by doing this to her mailbox as I backed out of her driveway.....

 So this year, her husband Danny was ready for me .....

I LOVE hanging out with girlfriends.  We talk about babies, menopause, procedures, boobs, boys, kids, friends, church, food, menopause, each other, reunions, music, memories, menopause, college, houses, gardens, nails, pedicures, hair color, husbands abs, exercising, lack of exercising, retirement, work, travel, menopause, swimming pools, cookware, outdoor grills, marriage, divorce, parents, siblings, and menopause.   Usually simultaneously.  At top volume.   It was heaven.

That's a really tiny picture of me in Fonda's pool, because I like to have it tiny.  Makes me appear smaller than I really am. 

Shelley Gilbert, Fonda and Mary Jane Hughes are who I am going to speak on first.  :)  This ties into my Comment experiment, because 4 of them commented.   I'm taking four out of the mix and adding a couple of more.   I can do that.  It's my blog.

Here is Fonda in 10th or 11th grade.  She is pretty dang cute, huh? Hasn't changed a whole bunch. She was (and still is) the nicest thing.  Even if Brenda Bybee did choose to fight her in the hall back in high school.  Which, yes, I brought up at the hen party.  You know me.  I walk on the wild side. She is married to Danny and has 3 sons, and has been married for a long long time.   I intensely enjoy my friends' happy marriages.  It really does give me hope.  

This is Mary Jane Wasson Hughes.  She can cook some of the most amazing things with her eyes closed and hands tied behind her back.  It's not even fair.  I've known her since 2nd grade.  We go WAY WAY back.  Mary Jane is a "Long Time" staple in my walk of life.  She is married to Ronnie, and has a look alike daughter, and 2 sons.  MJ is high on my list of favorite people.  She was a constant support and encouragement all of Laynie's days and I can't even began to tell her how much that meant to me.  ~MUAH~

This is Shelley Blackwell Gilbert.  She has been married to Greg for so long she is almost in the hall of fame for longest married.  They got married 20 minutes after they graduated and had 2 sons 2 hours later, and are still happy as clams after all this time.  I love that and always enjoy spending me some Shelley time.  Her comic timing is flawless.  She can crack me up without even trying.  Really missed her calling.   



This is Shelley and Lisa Lipe Gillaspy.  Lisa has a perfect figure and gorgeous face and couldn't find a swimsuit to wear, because she is worried about how she looks.  She obviously didn't a) have a mirror at her house to see she is nuts, or b) check out the guest list.  She would have figured out pretty quick, that NONE of us care.  We are FIFTY and FABULOUS, and strutting our stuff in our swimsuits.  We let her stay, anyway.  She's pretty entertaining.  Besides, she broke out her iphone pics of her husbands rockin' abs, and we all had a moment.  It was beautiful. 

Here she is in about 10th or 11th grade.  Isn't she a

cutie patootie??  Cheerleader, guitar player, piano player, singer.  The chick has it all.  She's been married to Dan for 30+ years, and they have 3 kids that are equally as beautiful as her.  I'm really happy Lisa came.  She lived off in Mississippi for years and we didn't have her around to laugh with, so I am glad she is back, and brought her phone with Dan's abs on it.  We ALL appreciated that.  Really. 

We had a couple of youngsters amongst us, one of them being, Class of 80, Kathy Claborn Santino, and she provided us with MUCH information and humor.  I'm inviting her to every party from now on, because she really knows EVERYTHING about everybody, and that is just something very necessary when you are at a hen party.  :)

Take a look at what I found of her...

She and Cooper Henson in the 7th grade, winning the talent show (YES they beat me) with their dance. She is a divorced, (in my club) mom of two daughters.  Her oldest daughter and my Kip were buds growing up....

So, I've known her a day or two, also.

This is Suzanne Stevens Maltos and we've known each other since 7th grade, girl scouts days.  Suzanne

 jumped into pictures with her purple coat on, while friends are tickling other friends in the background.

and could do back handsprings with no hands.  It was simply amazing.

She's another long time married club member, she's been married to Louis for 30 something years too.  She has 3 kids, 2 sons and a daughter  (we both were pg at 37, OMG) and still have youngsters running freely through the home.  She also has a grandson that rocks her world and she's one hot granny, though she was quick to point out that she is still 49.  (obnoxious braggart)  She also needs to sell her beautiful home is Shawnee, so, if anyone is looking for a terrific home, look her up (that's my shameless plug). 

By the time Melissa Bowlan Baker came to the party, I had pretty much put up my camera (kind of) so I don't have a particular picture of her standing smiling with someone at the party.  She did that though, I promise.  She stood around smiling with people and I should have taken a picture.  Dad gum it.
Melissa is one of my "Prayer" warriors.  When I would ask for prayer, and 'Lisa said she'd do it, I knew she'd have my back, solid.   I just adore this chick.  She is one of my favoritest peeps.

Here is a pretty beautiful picture of a lovely lady, so I can say I had a really great pic of her on here.  :)

Brenda Bybee Seaborn worked with me at Swensen's Ice Cream Factory back in the day.  It was great. It also made me gain like 20 pounds.  She was my junior prom date (along with our mutual friend Melba Pulliam)

Look at us in our 70's dresses.  Times, they have a changed? huh?  I think I got my dress for $15 at the Cowan's discount rack.  I went all out for my hot date with the girls.  But, seriously, that was the funnest night ever. 

Cute little class of 80 Lynette Dickerson French came, and I'm so glad she did.  She was the "Youngster" at the party, yet had the most grandchildren (8).  Now in her defense, she has stepchildren almost as old as her, so those grandkids didn't spring from her loins, but her cute little 10 year old son, Caleb, did.  

Lynette gardens, homeschools, lives in the country, she is a regular Laura Ingalls Wilder.  But far more entertaining.   So glad she came out and shared the evening with the "Fab 50 gals". 

You probably recognize this bird with Fonda from my earlier posts.... my oldest bud and bird friend .....

I know she is probably ready for me to be done having old pictures of her to show on my blog, but you never know, I may still have more to bust out.  Cathy Stephens, xoxo. You should totally rock those curls again. 

Interesting fact about these girls ...  

I sang and or played the piano at most of their weddings.   The majority of them have been married 30 plus years....to the same man.  Half of us have 3 kids, and 4 of us have kids still not teenagers.  (egads)  And, most importantly, we are all pretty much going through menopause.  Holy sweatybetty, batman. 

Nothing like a bunch of fabulous 50's to figure it all out.  And I'm happy to report that Brenda and Fonda didn't throw down in the middle of the party.  

Oh the joy of maturity.  Bahahahahahahahaha.