As we all sat under the soaring white tent, clapping and swaying along to the spirited worship band, a soaking rain shower dowsed the field around us. Would the sun come out in time to shine on our annual church picnic?
Well good news, it did.
But first we enjoyed a longer-than-usual, uplifting service with plenty of music, good messages, and as a friend commented "Just enough mistakes to make it real." This is an annual event at our church, although this year we had the added benefit of celebrating our church's 200th anniversary. I wrote and produced a bicentennial historical commemorative for the event, (along with my husband, who interviewed one of the oldest members of our congregation, and was the graphic lay-out genious of the operation.) It's filled with copies of historical documents, old photographs, and important dates and historical details. With a first run printing of 400 copies, we were happy to be able to hand out a book to each member of the congregation.
Okay, but onto the picnic! The food was fabulous-- bbq chicken, roasted pork, hot dogs, and four long tables filled with everyone's favorite dishes brought along to share. I bypassed yummy creamy potato salads, jello and whipped cream concoctions, and cheesy casseroles to opt for more health-conscious green salads, an interesting cold sweet potato and corn salad, a
nd a whole grain pasta with veggies.I wish I'd taken a picture of the dessert tent! These people can bake! Beautiful cakes of every size and shape, many decorated to celebrate our church's 200th birthday, brownies, cookies, and pies too. Fortunately there was enough fruit to keep those of us on a diet happy. Well, fairly happy. Okay, I did snitch one small brownie square.
A few people brought their dogs along for the picnic. I saw the most adorable Bassett Hound. But Kelly stayed home. When we returned, she acted like I'd left her for a month. I rewarded her with a game of fetch.
What I Learned From My Dog: This is going to be What I Learned from the Basset Hound at the picnic: Staring up at someone with food in their hand--quietly staring without blinking your with huge, sad, brown eyes--usually results in a handout. It doesn't hurt to have long floppy ears either.
