A VISTA Reunion

40 years ago our government recruited young folks, mostly from college campuses among graduates not sure what they wanted to do in life, to address the problem of poverty in this country. It was also the time of the Vietnam War, so the fact that many draft boards gave a deferment for VISTA also helped with recruitment. Our friend, Karol, now refers to our efforts as "Johnson's failed war on poverty". The group John & I worked with was assigned to rural North Carolina.

Some things have not changed since then. Unfortunately, poverty still exists. However, those we worked with have remained life long friends. And we all still like to eat. This past weekend we hosted, along with our fellow VISTA, Judi & her husband Scott, our 40th reunion. (Let me tell you it did NOT seem like 40 years to any of us, probably since we all seem to have forgotten a lot that's gone on in those 40 years!)

In the photo, John & Karen & breakfast at the "pig pit". There's something about a little smoke and fresh air that makes breakfast taste just that much better.

Then came the pig - North Carolina was, and still is, BIG on "chopped hog" BBQ. There were not enough of us to warrant a "full hog" but after all was said and done we found the pork shoulders just as good, all be it the "production" element was not as dramatic.

And then the "group portrait" (my apologies to Ken who hadn't arrived yet when the photo was taken). Howie took the award for having come the farthest (Oregon) in the US; Zelda (London) for our transcontinental traveler; and Steve (Boise) for the longest time to get here (airline delays seem to be with us). When Steve's GPS unit on his rental car directed him up our seasonal road through the corn field at 2:30 a.m. he REALLY began to get nervous - as John told him when he called in a panic, "just think Steven King and keep driving". A good time was had by all!!!!