Women celebrate sisterhood

More than 200 women from all over the United States and some foreign lands joined in meetings, outdoor recreation, conversation and banquets in the second annual Sisters in Sisters celebration last weekend.

The Friday through Sunday schedule was crowded with events and was launched with a buffet dinner and fashion show on Friday evening.

After dinner, fashions were displayed by local Sisters merchants under the "big top" tent at the Village Green. The opening evening concluded with an entertaining and often humorous keynote address by former Mrs. America Sheri Rose Shephard.

Participants left with table gifts prepared by local merchants and some were individual winners of the centerpiece displays.

Saturday's varied activities started early with a walk along part of the Metolius River. Kate Goossens of the Sisters Ranger District led a group of about 50 women on the two-mile walk. Half the group started from the Allingham Bridge and walked the river trail on the west side toward the Camp Sherman Store; meanwhile, the other half started walking on the east side from the Camp Sherman Store toward Allingham Bridge.

The clear beauty of the river and lush greenery on its banks made for an ideal early morning walk.

Meanwhile, back in Sisters, morning seminars were starting for those who chose not to walk the Metolius River. Viviane Simon-Brown gave a seminar on "Living Simply." The Oregon State University educator held the attention of her audience with lecture and participation projects about lifestyles.

Debra Rene Harris of St. Charles Medical Center held forth on "Life Choices" both in the morning and afternoon sessions.

The seminars broke up shortly before midday and gave the women time for lunch, discussion and relaxation.

Women attending the event seemed to get what they came for.

Sharon Jackson of Clackamas noted, "My sister and I like to do things together and this seemed like such a nice event. We have enjoyed the meetings and lovely hospitality of Sisters."

Trish Todd flew from India on a 28-hour flight, in order to be with her sisters for this weekend.

Early Saturday afternoon, about two dozen women participated in the "Ropes Course" with Miranda Lovegren of the Methodist Youth Camp at Suttle Lake. The course is designed to impart trust, planning and cooperation.

The participants decided after the course that a better name for this activity would be "cooperative course."

The afternoon seminars, back in Sisters, featured Sally Rutis who offered advice on how to change women's thinking about their bodies and how to learn to love and accept themselves.

Bea Ledyard spoke about "Dream Sisters" in another afternoon seminar.

After this long, busy Saturday, people were ready to relax at the wine and cheese tasting under the big tent at the Village Green late in the afternoon.

The "sisters" enjoyed a barbecue chicken dinner with all the trimmings and entertainment provided by the Booher Family's Diamond B Chuckwagon Gang.

The closing keynote address was from Alice Gray of Redmond, an author, speaker and radio personality.

Next came "silly sisters acts" performed by seven different groups from the audience in the Silly Sisters Contest. Alice Gray was MC for this event and the assembled women had a wonderful time watching these performances.

Dennis Orwig and Terry Burke closed the Sisters in Sisters weekend by singing their song "They Were Sisters" to an appreciative audience.