I have always loved picnics. Long ago, after I left my ex and before I met Samwise, I was involved with a woman. We would get off work — I worked for the state at the time and she worked as a home healthcare worker — and she would pick me up at my office. We’d stop at the grocery store, pick up French bread, cheese, fruit, lunchmeat, and pastries, and then we would drive out to Ocean Shores, or we go into the woods up in the Black Hills near Olympia, or we would drive out to Tolmie State Park, and spend the evening and part of the night exploring through the woods or playing by the side of the ocean, or wading in the bay. We’d get home around midnight to 2 AM, grab a few hours of sleep, get up and do it all over again. We spent that entire summer sleep deprived but thoroughly happy.
Unfortunately, I can’t eat most picnic foods now. I miss the ease of grabbing a loaf of French bread and some lunchmeat for dinner, but such is life. But those were my favorite foods for picnic. Throw in some fried chicken and it was damned near perfect.
So, what is the best picnic that you remember? And what would you put on your picnic menu if you had no restrictions or limitations?
I was on a tour of Scotland with Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door. Our guides planned a picnic lunch at one of the lochs. They picked up all the fixings for sandwiches and some fruit. We all pitched in . It was a lovely experience.
That sounds fun!
Fried chicken, potato salad, French bread, sweet tea or lemonade like Grandma used to make and old fashioned strawberry short cake. This is one of many different meals that my Grandma would make on Sundays for lunch for her family. I miss those days but not sadly, very fondly. I know that if my Grandma hadn’t been in my life as well as a few others, I wouldn’t be me as I am now. While she wasn’t pagan, she always encouraged me to question everything and find my own path in life.
Fried chicken and French bread. I’d SO be there if I could eat them still! And your grandmother sounds like a woman who encouraged you to be yourself!