PICNIC WITH NANCY'S FAMILY

This is too cool. Two encounters from Blogland within a week.

Nancy, her husband Steve, and daughters Elisabeth and Catherine are traveling to Michigan and stopped for the night in our campground. Elisabeth and Catherine got to play with Abbie, and we all had a barbecue, "all" being the four of them, my husband Steve, my mother, and Jamie, Abbie's mom, our daughter-in-law.

I burned the chicken cooking it on our open fire. I sprained my ankle in one of Journey's attempts to find a short route to China. I burned my finger.

But we had a great time. I guess I should speak for everyone else, but it seemed like people were having a good time. The chicken turned out OK (except that you couldn't eat the bottom crust), the fruit salad was good, the wine was good: local Deep Creek Winery, Artisan Red and Yellow Jacket White, so named because it's so sweet that the yellow jackets swarm around when they're working with it.

Abbie and Catherine hugged and hugged and hugged. Elisabeth wasn't as demonstrative -- didn't want to hug. Catherine and Elisabeth loved our cat, Annie. Elisabeth loved Journey; Catherine wasn't so sure. She was amused but didn't want to get close to this 50-pound dog who was soooo friendly it could be risky to get too close.

My mother played the fiddle and I accompanied her on the guitar. That was fun.

Nancy and I tried for an open-water swim in Deep Creek Lake but wouldn't you know, a thundershower came up, which would mean automatic beach closure; we tried swimming at a small, unguarded beach but her Steve had the kids and it was starting to rain and it just didn't work. Nancy and I are going swimming early in the morning. Before I have to leave for work at 10:00a.m. On my bike. Because my Steve is taking the truck, going golfing. I haven't ridden my bike to work before, but there are clean-up facilities there, so as long as I get there in time I'll be good.

Keep all your fingers crossed for good weather for our swim and my commute!

Nancy has pictures; she'll post them sometime, I'm sure :-)