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The Magic Quilt in Spring 2012 I have to laugh, knowing that when this picture was taken we were breaking in the "Magic Quilt" for its first picnic. For nearly 20 years the quilt had been my storytelling quilt with children.  The reason we ended up using it for a picnic was because I had taken it to North Carolina when visiting our son and his girlfriend. I had used it days earlier when I volunteered with children in a center where Scott was working. As we sat beside the river that day I was reminded of when Scott as a teen, joined me on the quilt with small children when we volunteered at a Women's Shelter in Texas. But even further back, I remember him as a small child acting out stories in my Magic Quilt classes in Oklahoma. I have lots of good memories with this quilt...but only one picnic memory!
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Burritos and the Ocean Two days ago, Don and I picked up piping hot breakfast burritos from "Bronco Burrito" and headed for Seawall Boulevard. We dried off one of the metal tables and had our foil packages open before the sun came up.  We sipped coffee and grinned at the first glimpse of the rising yellow ball. We had this glorious view to ourselves until a barefooted man with long, tangled hair, greeted us and asked in a surprisingly southern drawl, "Do y'all have 30 cents? I'm just 30 cents short." Don gave him a dollar and we shared a few pleasant words about the fabulous sunrise.
Inside Picnic in 1992 This little table was probably the best investment of all the kiddie equipment we purchased back in the day. Not only did it travel from Missouri to Oklahoma with us, but it traveled from backyard to driveway to front yard to inside the house... when it rained. But this photo is not about the table, it's about the kids. This is the earliest photo I have of my Heidi and Scott (r) with our good buddies, Nathalie and Jack.
I also think this is the only photo I have of these 4 where they are not leaping or grinning or clowning for the camera! They were a delightful, energetic foursome... bright and eager and silly! How I would love to sit down at a picnic table with these 4 adults right now!
Above the Beach The picnic basket is the only thing that makes it look like a picnic here. There's no table, no picnic blanket...and maybe even no clothes on Don?  Actually I remember this well. My sister was visiting (and took the photo) We packed a bit of lunch and walked down a block from our apartment to where the lovely Laguna homes sat high on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Lucky for us there was a tiny park, so we could pretend we were sort of sitting in our front yard for lunch. Those were the days.
Last Weekend at Lake LBJ Don and I have had many a picnic under this little shelter in Sunrise Beach, TX. It's usually breezy and peaceful. We bring books and games and often cool off with a dip in the lake. This photo taken on Labor Day doesn't capture the amusing happenings on the dock, or at the boat ramp or on the water.  We watched a family of 15 comically fumble coolers, rafts, wheelchairs and dogs onto their pontoon boat. We listened to an outrageous concert blasting from the speakers of a party boat. We happily chatted with a young couple who asked to share our shelter because the gnats were swarming near their waterside table. Just what one would expect at a Labor Day picnic at a lake!
Labor Day in Michigan - 2005 This 8 year old photo makes me smile because I remember how nice it was to picnic with my favorite people, in one of my favorite parks. (Delhi Park, near Ann Arbor)  The weather was lovely and the park was quiet despite the holiday. We carried our Styrofoam cooler and Whole Foods bag over to a table by the river and enjoyed a peaceful lunch. The next day we said good-bye to Heidi in her freshman dorm at U of M and flew home to Texas. I may smile to remember the picnic, but I also remember the lump in my throat. Funny. I'm not in the photo, but this picture captures the melancholy mood I tried to hide that day.
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Mom's Picnic List
In honor of my mother on the first Mother's Day since she has passed, I dedicate a new list... Mom's Picnic List!
Mom loved picnics and she raised her kids to appreciate the simple pleasures of food, family and friends in the great out of doors. My Plan I will spend a year reflecting on as many past picnics as I can remember. But, I'll also appreciate the here and now by creating new picnic experiences. My goal is to share at least 60 picnic memories, since that's how many years Mom was a mom! Let the picnics begin! Archives
May 2023
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