As she pulled the little, cut crystal plastic bowls out of the bag, I realized that I have no American family BBQ in the park skills. Im lucky if I manage to touch on the main food groups of sugar, salt, pickled, and meat, not to mention having to remember to bring a table cloth. I think things like Oh- a large package of frozen hamburger patties, do you think I could get the serial number so if they are re-called for e.coli For the countless times I have been to these, I still dont have a decent set of self-sealing, leakless, plastic containers. Maybe its because I had a very small family, maybe its because my mother was very private, maybe its because my parents orbited outside the usually American circles, but they didnt imprint the proper memories for me to move gracefully at these functions.
To stop myself from thinking that the gracious people who invited me to the BBQ, all really would be better off not getting a 48 oz super slurpey to drink before their meal of chips, pounders, and brownies, I watch the other people in the park. At the next picnic tables, a group is setting up a childrens birthday party. They are decorating with brightly colored table clothes, several knots of multi colored helium balloons, piles of brightly wrapped presents, and set in the center, the place of honor, a pink pastry box which Im sure contains the cake. There is one little girl who looks about 4. She is impeccably dressed in fairy wings and a purple ballerina outfit; her hair pulled into a tight bun and sprayed with glitter. It is 7:30 PM. There are no other children. The various adults are getting drunk and chain smoking.
I play with my children on the playground. I point out the trees around us. Do you know what kind of trees those are? No, they say as they look toward the swings. Oaks, I know they want to play so I dont tell them how they are the native oaks. As I glance at the manicured park lawn under the trees, I dont tell them that these oaks once covered most of the Willamette Valley and were part of a ecosystem of wild grassland and wildflowers that only exists in a few precious acres now, the rest having been plowed under, planted, and lately paved. As my children run away after glancing up at the oaks, Im hoping short bits like this will imprint on them so they will see what is around them and want to know why, and how, and when.
To stop myself from thinking that the gracious people who invited me to the BBQ, all really would be better off not getting a 48 oz super slurpey to drink before their meal of chips, pounders, and brownies, I watch the other people in the park. At the next picnic tables, a group is setting up a childrens birthday party. They are decorating with brightly colored table clothes, several knots of multi colored helium balloons, piles of brightly wrapped presents, and set in the center, the place of honor, a pink pastry box which Im sure contains the cake. There is one little girl who looks about 4. She is impeccably dressed in fairy wings and a purple ballerina outfit; her hair pulled into a tight bun and sprayed with glitter. It is 7:30 PM. There are no other children. The various adults are getting drunk and chain smoking.
I play with my children on the playground. I point out the trees around us. Do you know what kind of trees those are? No, they say as they look toward the swings. Oaks, I know they want to play so I dont tell them how they are the native oaks. As I glance at the manicured park lawn under the trees, I dont tell them that these oaks once covered most of the Willamette Valley and were part of a ecosystem of wild grassland and wildflowers that only exists in a few precious acres now, the rest having been plowed under, planted, and lately paved. As my children run away after glancing up at the oaks, Im hoping short bits like this will imprint on them so they will see what is around them and want to know why, and how, and when.
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
And this morning, I had my very first official hangover (didn't last very long) AND I threw up for the very first time after drinking as well! haha Not much to be proud of, but now I know what people are talking about haha.
I'm okay ... had a weird couple of days. My dogs ran away and that's left me a little bummed. Lots of other weirdness abounding too, but I'm managing. :-D
Nope, not around this weekend. Wish I were though, that sounds fun.