40 Years

flower bed at my old house....so pretty!

Last weekend was a whirlwind of events that started with my plane landing in San Jose at around 11AM.  Just after we landed the pilot instructed us to look out the left side.....for the Space Shuttle Endeavor....and then look out the right side....unfortunately this was one time when an isle seat was not to my advantage....I never saw it. However my neighbor got an awesome shot here at home as it flew over my neighborhood....the best I could do was to jack her photo off of facebook...hope she doesn't mind. =) Thanks Peggy! After getting my luggage and rental car I took off on an adventure....wandering old haunts and seeing the "sights" of San Jose....well maybe not the "sights" but the sights I wanted to see. I wandered Valley Fair Shopping center for a while...it looks so different than when I lived there it didn't really do much for me so I left and drove down to my old neighborhood in Campbell.

As I drove through my old neighborhood I noticed one thing instantly.....the trees were all huge....much more grown up than I remembered from when I lived there. There were many houses that had either been leveled and rebuilt or had additions added on. When I turned on to my street I noticed immediately that there was activity in the front yard.....someone was home, and outside. I figured it was now or never. I really wanted to see what the house looked like on the inside. I had seen the outside many times over the years since we left but never the inside...I wouldn't have had the courage except that they were right there in the front yard. I parked and got out and walked up to the house and introduced myself. The owners have been in the house for the last 16 years. They were so gracious and immediately offered to show me the inside. I was thrilled I didn't even have to ask. As I toured the house I saw little things that were still there, even 38 years later. It made me smile. The previous owners had knocked out a bedroom and made it the dining room and then made the old dining room and part of the living room into a family room, the living room was much smaller and cozier than when we had lived there...I loved it. My Mother's old bedroom was now the "library", the walk-in closet was now floor to ceiling books....my husband would be so jealous. There was a whole new addition out the back with two bedrooms and a master suite. It was simply gorgeous. The kitchen was newly remodeled and breath-taking. The cook top and oven may have been new but all the used brick and the beautiful copper hood were still there. I spent probably an hour wandering the house, chatting and taking pictures...the time was so well spent! The house has been so well taken care of...it was the perfect way to start my reunion weekend.

Two of our awesome reunion committee members! Love them!

After stopping at the Pruneyard for a quick lunch I headed to my High School for a tour with some of my other classmates. What fun that was. It was the same....yet very different. Solar panels now adorn both the teachers parking lot and the student parking in the back. The football bowl is now new and has lights. The old portables are gone and in their place is the new science department. The Home Ec room looked the same except for some newer appliances, the Cafeteria looked much nicer than when we were there, but the snack bar looked the same, except for the prices. =) The group of us paused for a photo and then I was off to the hotel to check in.
I will post more later...to be continued. =)



This is the same spot where we we stood to graduate 40 years ago



Snack Bar still looks the same.



How cute is Cheryl with the current band
uniform? Such a talented lady. The woman
in the back on the right is the Principal
Oh yeah....she wasn't even BORN when
we graduated! haha