A weekend to remember

I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going.

          ~Jim Valvano

     My life experience is that usually a day passes with some ups and some downs, but overall, it just passes into history with very little to make it memorable. Most days are just... days. But every once in awhile there comes a day when something important happens. It might be something momentous like a wedding day or a child's birth day. Or a devastatingly sad day when someone passes away. Or lots of other milestones. Sometimes a day contains a moment or event that is not all that important as a milestone but has deep meaning or creates a lasting memory for us.

     Such a day happened this weekend. Actually, it was several days that will probably blend into one lasting memory. And I'd like to tell you about it!

    My husband has a restored 1963 Studebaker Lark with a souped up engine. There is a long sordid tale of the restoration process which took almost 7 years, but a year ago it finally was returned to him in fantastic condition and he has been enjoying it ever since. Last year we showed it off at the Studebaker Drivers' Club International Meet in Springfield, Missouri, where it was awarded a First Place award in the car show and judging. Judging comments indicated some easy areas of improvement so Lanny thought he'd fix them up and reenter this year.

     After a year of tinkering, we hauled the car up to this year's show in South Bend, Indiana. While there we participated in an all day car show,  and attended the Awards Banquet where the car only won a Second Place. While disappointed in this, there were some extra special events that occurred that totally made up for it...

The proud Stude owner getting his Lark ready for judging.

     First, on Thursday at the car show we found another Studebaker to bring home... This one is a 1950 Champion convertible. This model is often referred to as a "bullet nose" and was featured in the first Muppet Movie. I have admired this model car since I first laid eyes on one years ago when we visited the Studebaker museum. The car we found was being sold by a buddy of Lanny's and was in good condition. The price was a little over our limit though so we told him we'd think about it... To make a long story short, after some negotiations, a fair price was set and we took the offer and bought it. It will need some cosmetic work-- new paint and new upholstery-- but mechanically it is in pretty good shape. It will provide Lanny with more tinkering opportunities, and us both with a fun little car to drive around in great style!

Meet Ruby, our newest family member. Isn't she a beauty?

     Then, again on Thursday, after the car show, about 300 cars participated in a parade through the city of South Bend. Lead by two Studebaker fire engines, a Stude police car, and two Stude Indy pace cars, we were escorted through the city by the South Bend police department. People lined the road smiling, waving, taking pictures and videos of all the old cars. We drove our Lark and had so much fun waving back, and I even took some videos of the spectators taking videos of us!

     Finally, on Saturday morning we got up bright and early and hauled the Lark to the old Studebaker Proving Grounds. This is where the car company tested their car models on a test track. There are some steep hills, and some obstacle courses and a big oval banked race track. It was on this track that over 300 old Studebakers were allowed to drive. We circled the oval for almost an hour, with our windows down. We went slow at first, but were able to pick up speed, and Lanny was able to "open her up" a little. Our little Lark went FAST for the first time, and we had a ball. People were taking videos and yelling out windows at one another, and having a great time.

Going around the track with 300 other old Studebakers was... quite a thrill!

     For both of us, who have spent so much of our adult lives being serious in our work and in our family lives, being able to play and just have a lot of fun, was a rare and much needed thing. We laughed and joked with other Stude enthusiasts, cemented some friendships, and enjoyed each other's company. And we bought another old Studebaker!!

     We shall return to the real world on Monday, but for now, we are enjoying the afterglow of a great weekend.

Not sure if the "glow" is from our great weekend or the 95 degree heat, but we had a great time!