Fun times with the Laker Chicks is always a special time for me.
First, when life and emotions are feeling out of sorts, spending time with friends is important.
For instance, I’ve been friends with a group of women now for almost 40 years.
We call ourselves, “The Laker Chicks”.
It all began as our kids were young back in Muncie, Indiana.
All of us valued staying active and fit, so we met at a workout place.
It became clear, we needed fun times for ourselves alone, away from our young children for a few days.
That’s when Gayle Flannery, offered her lake home for our first ever, Laker Chick Retreat, back in the summer of 1991.
It’s only a few days together and what a fun, refreshing time, it always is!
“What happens at the lake, stays at the lake”. I just made that up.
It’s true however. The laughter, friendship and fun we’ve had over the years, really can’t be shared unless you’re there to experience it all.
We began with 6 of us women. One of us chose not to be a part of our group anymore. I believe 2019 was the last year it was the 6 of us.
The 5 of us have continued on each year, missing only 2020.
Additionally, the last two years have been in the early fall, instead of the summer. Debbie Kuratko has hosted it at her beautiful lake home, an hour south of the Indianapolis Airport. It makes it easy to get to as I fly in from Minneapolis.
One of us, Denise Kolts, lives way up in Alaska and comes back in the early fall to stay with her daughter and family.
Hence, that’s when we have our gathering now.
I want to give a shout out to the funniest of the Lake Chicks, Kim Koons. She keeps the humor coming and provides us with lots of laughter.
Having just returned yesterday from our 2026 gathering, I’m feeling a renewed feeling of well being.
It’s been a lot this year with my Dad’s health issues and then his passing in early August. And saying good-bye to our family home of 61 years.
There are other things outside of all of this that have happened in the last few months as well, that have me feeling out of sorts.
Life gives us things at times, when having fun times with good friends, is necessary medicine.
In addition, my last late afternoon, evening and next morning, in Indiana, were spent with my 40 year long friend Caroline and her husband Bill, at their Muncie home.
Bill is my former brother-in-law, who married Caroline in 1994. I’ve known Bill since I was 15 years old.
My time away, has me feeling refreshed.
Lastly, I cherish, more and more, each of my friendships, my husband Hale, and my family, as my life goes on.
I do need to remember to make the fun times happen.
How about you?
Here’s to fun and finding light-heartedness in life,
Connie
PS. Below is a photo of The Laker Chicks, a few days ago and the beautiful lake and dock in front of Deb’s lake home.
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