REKINDLING HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES

FRIENDSHIPS REKINDLED 
May 28, 2011

Even without our gingham dresses, white and navy blazers and navy skirts with white blouses, we recognized one another...we recognized the Howard Heart in each other. Our first EVER high school reunion thrust together old friends and those from classes before and after ours. We shared history and old memories while making new ones.

THE BELL that FOREVER sits outside the school

More than 50 alumni and scores of family members gathered...my dear Michael was sweet enough to join me at the "Howard School for Wayward Girls" reunion (that's how he's always referred to Howard)....not bad representation when the entire school only had 119 girls! 

These are many of us...but not all. Several more came later...for late afternoon visiting and dinner

 HOWARD SCHOOL FOR GIRLS in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts attracted girls from all over the world...17 countries were represented in our tiny school. It provided, for each of us, a real sense of other cultures while reminding us of the similarities and sameness we all share. Most of us were boarders although there were a few "sisters" who lived in the town and commuted to school.

This is original school that burnt down... it was rebuilt to look like this...

...and this is today's Howard School

HOWARD SCHOOL was born in 1867. It's been through many transformations, including the original building burning down, but it continues today...not as a private school, but as a public institution with a state mandated curriculum. I'm certain their instruction doesn't include the lessons in etiquette that we had...yes, Emily Post-type etiquette... white gloves, hats, pouring tea...they were determined to make a lady of me no matter how difficult and challenging the task!! Our classes were very small...some as small as 5 or 6 students...some as large as 15.

One of the school rooms in the new school...getting reacquainted

Here's my former roommate Joyce and me by an old sign that the West Bridgewater Historical Society left for us to use for photos...we did!!

As we came together, many of us hadn't spoken in 40+ years so we had lots of catching up to do. We toured the "new school" (that still had our old gym) and were given a wonderful welcome by the town's Historical Society (who kindly made name tags for each and every one of us!) 

We toured some of the old area where our dormitories used to be...

Somehow, it all looks more picturesque now...

and had lots of "down time" to just visit with one another before and during our gala evening dinner at a fabulous restaurant!!

Michael was one of  just a few husbands to attend...the only one in our class...everyone enjoyed him and I think he didn't hate his time with all of us...

 This was my first reunion of any type EVER...it was an emotional roller coaster to find some of our classmates had passed on, some had survived mortal illness, some had suffered tragedies in their lives...but there we were, standing tall, happy to be together once again! After all, we were family...HOWARD family! I'm sooo looking forward to my next...

We stayed with dear friends, Joanne and Gene, in nearby Westford. Sunday morning, we all traveled into Boston to the Museum of Fine Arts. We wanted to see an exhibit of world-famous glass artist...arguably the most famous since Louis Comfort Tiffany...DALE CHIHULY. We oohed and aahed as his fantasy glass work is extraordinary! Take a look...

Finally, today's my birthday, so I did some "celebration art" for myself...to share with you, my friends...

Happy Birthday to me (tongue in cheek...  :o)  )

Thanks for stopping by...

XOX,

abbyj