Jonathan and I had the most wonderful day yesterday (Friday). I think it was the most relaxed I’ve been all year! We arranged over a month ago to have a picnic with Jessica, Archie, and little baby Eamon (nearly six months old) on 8 August at Emma Long Park on Lake Austin—Archie is a teacher and goes back to school next week, and he’s going to miss his little guy (and his wife, of course!) after getting to spend the summer with him. So we thought a picnic would be a nice way to top off the summer. That was before this incredible heat, of course. We were a little concerned it would be too hot and unsafe for the little ones to be out, but we decided to go ahead and try it—if we had to bail and head home after only an hour, so be it.
I brought enough food for an army. What compels me to do this? I had about 5 different kinds of crackers, ciabattini from Whole Foods bakery, homemade chicken salad, devilled eggs, 4 different kinds of cheese, fresh veggies and dill dip. Also pretzels, cashews, grapes, and apples. Also four different kinds of spritzers (Jamaican lemonade, lemon/lime, strawberry, and tangerine). Also a beer each for Jessica & myself—which tasted spectacular—and a bottle of white wine if needed (it wasn’t). Also cookies, Jello gelatin, and Jello pudding for dessert.
I also got to haul out all my picnic accoutrements. The picnic backpack (mine has service for 4, not 2), beverage bonnets, food tents, a mini butter crock, my new picnic-sized salt & pepper grinders, classic red plaid tablecloth and clips & weights to keep it from blowing away, mini whiskbroom & dustpan for brushing off the table and benches, Evian & Body Shop refresher sprays that we put in the cooler (and they came in *very* handy), etc. And the folding chair I got a couple of years ago for picnics—I needed something I could nurse Jonathan in comfortably—came in very handy for Jessica & Eamon.
Anyway, all that was nice, but the best part is that I was outside in 110 degree weather (more new heat records), and I wasn’t even sweating. I was cool! How, you ask? The water of Lake Austin felt like it was about 70 degrees; it’s released from the bottom of the Lake Travis dam. It was absolutely glorious. There was even a cool breeze sometimes, since the wind over the lake picked up the coolness of the water. We spent a lot of time standing in the water. I made it in only up to my knees—luckily Jennifer came along with Homer and took Jonathan out. He hadn’t even wanted to stand in it b/c he thought it was too cold. But with his auntie Jenny, he went in up to his neck. Poor Jennifer had a small blond child (not that small—40 pounds) hanging onto her neck (piggyback), and Homer was so tired that he made Jen hold him. But she looked cute as ever, and Jonathan laughed and laughed.
We had a whale of a time, and Jonathan thanked me multiple times for taking him on a picnic, and on the way out of the park, he declared that he’d like to have his birthday party there next year (perhaps inspired by the large party with inflatable bouncy castles that we passed by). But I think that’s a fantastic idea, so everyone mark that on your calendars!
Posted by elizabeth at August 9, 2003 10:31 AMI read about this from Jen's point of view. It sounds like you guys had a wonderful time. However, I am now so hungry that I am going to fix myself something to eat. I wish I lived close enough to come by for left-overs.
Posted by: Auntie Rita on August 9, 2003 06:06 PM