In Memory of
Evalyn Bedell Lank
1947 - 2024
One of the
Original Thong Sisters
Cruising the Rivers and Marshes of Ormond Beach
The reunion in November 2024 took place in Ormond Beach, Florida. We all arrived on Monday, November 18 – some by plane, some by car, some by plane and car.
The house was amazing – glass walls showcasing a private setting, expansive enough to spread out but with a sunny nook for cozy breakfasts together. It was a party house, and space was not in short supply, nor were senior moments.
We struggled with opening the wine with broken openers, figuring out the coffee pot, finding the switches, etc. However, it was the first breakfast that was our biggest challenge. The party kitchen had two of every appliance – or so we thought. We realized that the second refrigerator where we had stored all our food was actually a freezer! Thawing a gallon of milk, a variety of fruit, large cartons of yogurt, eggs, etc. required some ingenuity – and time, which was short since the boat trip we had scheduled required an early morning departure.
Other senior moments added to the hilarity. One of the best was while riding in the car after a couple of minutes of unusual silence, out of the blue, Louise said, “So, Tina, you know nothing?” Tina laughed and agreed, “yep, pretty much.” Beverly said, “Be more specific, Louise. In what context? Life in general?” (Louise had been silently thinking about an earlier conversation that centered around teaching Tina to play Mahjong.) Faye reported that when she called into the other car, it sounded like 6 people were talking but there were only 5 in the car!
Of course, we had many laughs remembering the past, but sometimes it took our collective memories to piece those together. At one point we even had to text Suzanne because we couldn’t agree on who had been at her mini reunion. The mystery was solved when she replied she had actually hosted two, so everyone who had argued about who was or wasn’t there were all correct.
Linda was able to join us. She is a trooper and survived several Wild Mouse rides in the wheelchair. Most thrilling was the journey down the boardwalk at the house with its many wonky points. Cursing seemed to help. Parts were quite hilarious, and Linda laughed along.
Betty had organized daily activities for us and brought delicious rigatoni bolognaise for our first evening meal and hummingbird cake for dessert. Louise brought her blueberry/nut bread which we enjoyed for breakfast.
On Tuesday, we embarked on a cruise along the scenic St. Johns River, leaving from the docks at Blue Spring State Park. Guided by a knowledgeable pilot, we encountered vibrant aquatic plant life, enchanting cypress forests and a captivating array of wildlife, including birds, turtles, and alligators (one with his/her mouth wide open showing gleaming white teeth!) but no manatees. (We saw manatees later on a walk along the boardwalk next to the river.) Betty was massively disappointed that the part of the boardwalk that led to the boil (source of the spring) was closed. She described it as quite a sight.
After the cruise, we had lunch in De Leon Springs at the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House, where everyone made their own pancakes (except Margie, who opted for a cheeseburger, since she finds burgers in Switzerland inedible and longs for American burgers). The pancake-making gave rise to more hilarity, especially Louise pouring cream on her pancakes (thinking it was butter?). We seniors were worse than a table of 4-year-olds making a mess.
Being unable to decide on what to do for dinner and everybody still full after pancakes, we ended the day with snacks and wine..
On Wednesday we piled into the cars to make the Ormond Scenic Loop. First stop was Bulow Creek State Park, where a couple of older bikers commented with dismay that just as they were leaving all the hot women were arriving. This site is the home of the Fairchild Oak, possibly the largest live oak tree. It is more than 400 or 2000 years old, depending on the source of information – Google says more than 400 and the plaque at the tree says 2000. The hikers and strollers in the group hiked the hurricane-damaged trail leading from the oak.
We continued along the Loop, discovering the canopy roads and meandering roads around the marshes which felt as close as if one were in a boat. We had lunch at the Halifax Plantation Golf Club. We then visited The Casements, the winter residence of John D. Rockefeller.
A group went to walk on the beach after The Casements. They chose an accessible ramp only to find it covered in a foot of sand probably from the storm. Linda was able to see the beach though and the others took a walk. The sand was pinkish. Gladys used her ceramics knowledge to declare red or yellow iron oxides in the sand.
Dinner at the house was great local barbecue, with all the usual sides. The traditional souvenirs were distributed.
The beach bags from Louise almost looked like she had created them herself (she hadn’t). Faye gave us a very practical multi-purpose opener. (Margie got stopped by TSA but they let her keep it.) Tina’s creativity provided Geaux Strong and Ormond Beach tea bags. We got ornaments from Betty (Ormond Beach theme) and Beverly (recalling our laughs, memories, friendship), handmade greeting cards from Linda, and a duo of bath salts and goat milk lotion from Charlotte.
On Thursday, we split into two groups to take the Tomoka Outpost guided pontoon boat tour. Our guide was Captain Scott Cornelius aka Capt. Corn, born and raised within one mile of Tomoka State Park. We saw a little bit of everything – the park from the riverside, the Halifax/intracoastal waterway and some of the backwater marsh. Capt. Corn provided a masterful description of the waters of the Halifax and Tomoka rivers. His passion for it was palpable.
The group that took the first tour then had an outdoor lunch at the Beach Bucket – they raved about the shrimp tacos. The group that took the second tour had an early lunch at Alfie’s Restaurant where they had possibly the worst crabcakes known to man/woman. Gladys, not being a crabcakes connoisseur, declared them perfectly fine and admired the original ambiance of the place including its music playlist. Lunch was preceded by an attempt to do some shopping, which was not very successful.
For our last night’s dinner together, Louise had booked Rose Villa, a charming restaurant specializing in southern cuisine. It did NOT disappoint!
We were all up bright and early for our Friday departure. Fond goodbyes were exchanged, with the feeling that we are comrades in this later stage of life, supporting each other with care and kindness and appreciation.
Margie, the raconteuse, prepared this report with major input from Tina and Betty, the websites of the various tours, and with access to Beverly’s photographic memory. And no, as Gladys confessed to learning, raconteuse is not a French term for something sexual.
Thanks for the summary, Margie!