Games Report - Costa Mesa

Who would have thought that the day after our successful weekend at the Costa Mesa Games we would have our own web site to be reporting back to you?! And, which of you—before the weekend came--thought you would have as much fun as you did ? This web site comes courtesy of many helping hands : the generosity and cooperation of Ken Hendrix, much hard work and late hours by our new Webmaster Bill Lowry and other volunteer workers who have yet to lay a hand on the site—but will !

The Games, wow ! The Games ! The Games were successful, to put it mildly. They were fantastic ! The Gordon tent was abuzz the entire weekend. If I was not talking to a few people (and I usually was) one or several of you were answering questions and encouraging visitors to find a "Gordon connection" and to become a part of our happy band. Saturday started early with the one and only Clan March at around ten AM. It really was good to get it over early because the sun did beat down later on. Fortunately, our tent location (thanks to Chuck Lindahl’s lightning reflexes in getting the registration form back pronto) gave us both shade and a decent breeze all weekend long.

But, does anyone disagree that the highlight of the weekend was the ANNUAL GORDON/GRAHAM COOKOUT at the home of the lovely Bill & Michelle Graham ?! We all left the field (if you were like me, that is) hot and exhausted Saturday only to realize that we had minutes until party time at the Grahams. Bill and Michelle have been so gracious to us in the past three or four years to open their home and make everyone feel so welcome and at ease. Watching our hordes come tumbling in was a sight to behold but did the Grahams get flustered ? Not a bit. As we came in, out came the snacks, out came the beverages and out came the wonderful TACO BAR fixin’s and we needed nothing further to please us. There’s nuthin’ like Scottish Tacos ! (Bill—have you thought of Haggis Tacos ? Yum Yum !)

Thank you all for helping us embarrass our beautiful daughter-in-law, Shannan, with a pre-birthday cake (and thank you, Mary, for bringing the cake) ! But the best part of the evening was not the food, as good as it was. The best part was the fellowship that I saw going on across the Graham’s garden. I actually saw Gordons talking to Grahams and the other way–round ! No, what I really saw was exactly what it is all about and that is enjoyment by a good group of like-minded people. Who said Highlanders couldn’t get along with Border Reivers ?! Shucks, they’re just like us, only they have more cattle. Hey those look like our…never mind...we want to go back to the Grahams next year, don’t we ? Well, we already have the invitation and Bill has promised to buy a bigger house closer to the Fairgrounds ! Just kidding, Bill & Michelle—we wouldn’t change a thing ! Thanks so much !

Sunday had the somber feel of the importance of this Memorial Day. Several occasions during the day gave me that feeling, at least, from the playing of TAPS and the march off of all Vets in attendance at the chapel service—and there must have been a hundred and fifty—to the stirring sounds of the Marine Band at their performances and the realistic reenactment of the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima while the strains of the Marine Hymn made the scene even more poignant. But, you don’t have to go back to World War II to have memories of hurt and loss connected with the military and many of us have them. God bless you today as you remember your military—and all your loved ones--lost.

So, did we enjoy the Games ? Oh, yeah, we did, and will be doing it again and again until we get it right ! Come see the Gordons at Modesto, Campbell and San Diego in the month of June.

Aye,

Updated: Monday, March 19, 2001-- Contact gordon-ca.org Webmaster.
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