Lori Klingbeil

I’m no athlete, but at one sport I used to be an expert. It was a dangerous game called “jumping to conclusions”.

No.

Looking forward to saying hello to everyone. 10 yrs has gone by and it seems like only two months since the last reunion. Pretty soon we'll all be pushing 70!

Here's an update of what's been going on since 2009:

I retired in 2013 at age 52. Not bad!! Well, I decided to opt for free time and stop accumulating bigger better stuff, so I have a modest home but really love the non-work life!

In retirement, I got back into music in a serious way and that's pretty much all I do now (well, besides gardening, a bit of golf, a bit of exercise, and picking choke cherries in the river valley and making jam and liqueur).

Retirement is AMAZING and I highly recommend it!! It's been 6 years now, and I'm at the point where I don't know what day it is any more.

When I retired, it occurred to me that there must be other people out there like me who have time now to get back into music so I got the word out and started up a chamber ensemble. Now I have 4 of them, at various levels, one of which is pretty good and does concerts, mostly at seniors homes and care facilities. All volunteer - so it never feels like a job.

Still playing the pipe organ and loving that too.

The last reunion re-connected me with Val, Drex, and Carolyn Doorten. Carolyn had been directing a big church choir and I went to a HUGE Xmas concert that she did a few years ago and was utterly blown away by the quality, her poise, her leadership. The place was jammed packed and everyone got to join in on the Hallelujah chorus. It was a shock to see even the adolescent guys belting it out full tilt! Where in the world are you going to ever see that happen??! It was wonderful to see Carolyn in her element (she was fantastic!). Unforgettable. And, for the big climax, we got to sing "Ehre sei Gott" - hundreds of people singing their hearts out, including me. I remembered the words after 30 yrs.

I spent some time with Drex in Nanaimo while I was house-sitting nearby to get a break from Edmonton winters. Hope he can make it out to this reunion. He's still a live wire.

And I've seen Val from time to time when she comes in to visit her parents. Who can refuse a lovely dinner in a gesellig (spelling is a guess) Dutch home?? Val is as funny and wry as ever, and raised a couple of pretty great boys.

I ran into Rob VandenBogaard at the Farmer's Market a few months ago. That was fun!! He looks exactly the same and seems to have turned into a super nice person (well maybe he always was! but I didn't know him well back then).

I remain single and have no regrets. I don't think I was meant to be married, so I got lucky and didn't fold under societal pressure to seek out a spouse. A) I would have been difficult to live with; B) marriage seems like a lot of work; C) the 'maternal instinct' never paid me a visit; D) being single is highly under-rated; it's been a good life!

So unfortunately I don't have photos of children and grand-children to share. But I do have a couple of nephews and a niece and have been a star aunty! I'm finally at an age when I want some babies in my life so I'm waiting for some grand-nieces/nephews, but nothing materializing. I'm starting to wonder if the ambivalence toward procreation is genetic.

It's been good growing old. I don't miss the chaos of my 20s or the frenetic pace of worklife in my 30s and 40s. Despite the waning energy and aching joints, every year gets better emotionally and spiritually. The 50s have been the happiest so far and in retirement I've made some of my richest friendships.

I have the fondest memories of high school and am grateful for the challenging and thought-provoking education and teaching, and good friends. I appreciated Len deRuiter's speech last reunion about thankfulness; it's exactly how I feel. Very much looking forward to saying hello to everyone!


2009 Profile:
Did music degree at U of A (pipe organ) and was a church musician until my late 20s. Loved it, but decided I needed a "real job" with a dental plan and a reasonable salary. Went back to school and did an MBA (U of A) and was hired at Sherritt in 1995. Have been at Sherritt ever since - first in labour relations, now in pensions.

In the absence of children/family, I have been able to pursue various interests. My three main interests at this time are classical music, especially Bach, investing in the stock market (although I haven't made any money at it ... ), and eastern philosophy/mysticism. I've also developed a love for the outdoors and spend a lot of time in the river valley walking or cycling, and camping (not in the river valley ... I do live in a house)

I have remained single, which seems to have been my destiny - because I have always enjoyed it and could never figure out why people threw in the towel and succumbed to getting married (which seems like an incredible amount of work!).

My favorite high school activity was coffee at the ATA during spares, with Val, Drex and many others. I can't remember what we talked about, but it sure was interesting!

I have to say, at risk of sounding geekish, that I really enjoyed classes. The teachers seemed dedicated to making things as interesting as possible, I thought. I have often reflected on those years and been grateful for their effort, dedication, and competence. French with Larry was a complete panic - what a guy. I hope he's doing well wherever he is. Perky Dirky ... who knew Chem could be so sparkly (feather hats) etc. I vividly remember Gerry Ebbers reading stories to us in English - HUGE highlight. The Scarlet Ibis is embedded deeply in my psyche.

I remember swapping classes with Archbishop McDonald for a day. I have never been bored so near to death. What a contrast from interactive learning at ECHS.

Some specific memories I chuckle about from time to time, still:
- Len DeRuiter's sense of humour. Made school worth getting up for.
- Stuart Williams telling Carolyn Huizinga to: "Shut your gob!"
- David Drexhage's obsession with fish and his vibrating energy - which I think is probably now considered a medical condition. (I ran into him about 5 yrs ago and he's still vibrating - I was wiped out by the end of our visit!)
- Fred Johannesen playing "Stairway to Heaven" on the guitar (I think at the Bio campout).
- Lizzy's laugh, which was more hilarious than the joke itself.
- Alice Boeringa - for being not the stereotype you thought.
- Dan Van Woulde's unparalleled ability to attract trouble and his never-say-die passion for Rita. That is movie material.
- Carolyn Doorten will forever have a place in my heart because early on before I knew anybody, she reached out to me and remained a friend throughout. "Care" had that gift of being able to see through the persona into the heart.
- John Boonstra - I had a crush on John in Grade 10 ... hopefully enough time has passed for such admissions.
- I remember having to dissect pigs or something like that - a huge animal at least - in Biology. That was pretty traumatic.