European Picnic / Ginger's Last Unbirthday
When Ginger and were discussing plans for her Memorial Service she mentioned a few personal items that she wanted to pass on to friends. I told her that I felt extremely uncomfortable taking on a combined roll of Santa Claus and the Grim Reaper.
Far too many people get caught up with the material windfall that is suddenly available when someone dies. Such times often bring out the most disgusting behavior. People act as if the things left behind are far more important than the person who owned them.
In order to compromise and carry out her wishes without feeling all creeped out, I've decided to throw Ginger an unbirthday picnic where the items she wanted to be distributed can be gifted to the people she wanted them to go to.
Monday, October 11 would have been Ginger's 48th birthday. I would like to have a informal gathering that will separate from her Memorial services on Sunday, the 10th at 12 noonish at Horton Park in St. Paul, near our home. The park occupies the block between N Albert St and Hamline Ave N (which run north/south) and W Minnehaha Ave and Englewood Ave (which run east/west).
There are plenty of places to park on all four streets. At the north end of the park are tree-shaded picnic tables. The south end of the park has plenty of open grassy areas. If it is a hot day, we can sit at the picnic tables at the north end of the park. If it is cooler, we can sit on blankets at the south end of the park. If the weather is an absolute pisser, festivities will move indoors to our home, which is a block to the west of the park.
The picnic will be a European style picnic. This is a style of gathering that I was taught by my Archeology Prof when I was still in school. Ginger was delighted when I taught it to her and it was her favorite type of outdoor activity to plan; especially as it was drastically different from the camping trips of her childhood.
The rules for a European picnic are very simple and quite compatible with being fairly broke.
- There are no heated items on the menue, so no one is required to start and maintain a cooking fire for her brothers and father. European picnics do not assume that cooking is womens' work.
The picnic menu should consist of the following items:
- A bottled beverage. Preferably wine, but sparking juice can do in a pinch. Sangria is also an excellent choice.
- Cheese. Harder cheeses are appropriate, but softer cheeses allow you to spread them on the next item.
- Bread. A rich buttery Challa bread is recommended. But anything unsliced will do. Tearing bread appeals to the inner savage and fits with the al fresco location.
- Fruit. Berries and grapes preferred to avoid cumbersome sized portions or the need for slicing and excessively obligatory preperations.
- Summer sausage or hard salami are not recommended as it requires slicing and tempts your guests into consolidating their picnic fare into that most ill-mannered of comestible conglomerations: the 'Sandwich'.
Everyone is familiar with the ill mannered Earl who had no appreciation for conversation or good food. His only concern was the decadent pursuit of games of chance and eating was a means to keep alive long enought to bet the next hand, not the rustic art that brings people closer to their wild state of noble savagery that is the heart of the European picnic.
I will be bringing a couple of bottle of wine, some samples of interesting and scary cheeses and some fruit--probably grapes. I will bring more than I can eat by myself, but not enough to feed all the squirrels in the park.
Please feel free to bring a blanket to sit on or a fold up chair and any edibles you'd care to pass around. There is room in the park for frisbee and pets are welcome. Depending on interest, we may end up going indoors to watch some DVDs.
Remember that this is an *birthday* picnic. No gifts and *please* *PLEASE* NO condolence cards. The only gift-giving will be from Ginger and myself to the guests.
Horton Park is at 1340 West Minnehaha Ave, St Paul 55104.
Far too many people get caught up with the material windfall that is suddenly available when someone dies. Such times often bring out the most disgusting behavior. People act as if the things left behind are far more important than the person who owned them.
In order to compromise and carry out her wishes without feeling all creeped out, I've decided to throw Ginger an unbirthday picnic where the items she wanted to be distributed can be gifted to the people she wanted them to go to.
Monday, October 11 would have been Ginger's 48th birthday. I would like to have a informal gathering that will separate from her Memorial services on Sunday, the 10th at 12 noonish at Horton Park in St. Paul, near our home. The park occupies the block between N Albert St and Hamline Ave N (which run north/south) and W Minnehaha Ave and Englewood Ave (which run east/west).
There are plenty of places to park on all four streets. At the north end of the park are tree-shaded picnic tables. The south end of the park has plenty of open grassy areas. If it is a hot day, we can sit at the picnic tables at the north end of the park. If it is cooler, we can sit on blankets at the south end of the park. If the weather is an absolute pisser, festivities will move indoors to our home, which is a block to the west of the park.
The picnic will be a European style picnic. This is a style of gathering that I was taught by my Archeology Prof when I was still in school. Ginger was delighted when I taught it to her and it was her favorite type of outdoor activity to plan; especially as it was drastically different from the camping trips of her childhood.
The rules for a European picnic are very simple and quite compatible with being fairly broke.
- There are no heated items on the menue, so no one is required to start and maintain a cooking fire for her brothers and father. European picnics do not assume that cooking is womens' work.
The picnic menu should consist of the following items:
- A bottled beverage. Preferably wine, but sparking juice can do in a pinch. Sangria is also an excellent choice.
- Cheese. Harder cheeses are appropriate, but softer cheeses allow you to spread them on the next item.
- Bread. A rich buttery Challa bread is recommended. But anything unsliced will do. Tearing bread appeals to the inner savage and fits with the al fresco location.
- Fruit. Berries and grapes preferred to avoid cumbersome sized portions or the need for slicing and excessively obligatory preperations.
- Summer sausage or hard salami are not recommended as it requires slicing and tempts your guests into consolidating their picnic fare into that most ill-mannered of comestible conglomerations: the 'Sandwich'.
Everyone is familiar with the ill mannered Earl who had no appreciation for conversation or good food. His only concern was the decadent pursuit of games of chance and eating was a means to keep alive long enought to bet the next hand, not the rustic art that brings people closer to their wild state of noble savagery that is the heart of the European picnic.
I will be bringing a couple of bottle of wine, some samples of interesting and scary cheeses and some fruit--probably grapes. I will bring more than I can eat by myself, but not enough to feed all the squirrels in the park.
Please feel free to bring a blanket to sit on or a fold up chair and any edibles you'd care to pass around. There is room in the park for frisbee and pets are welcome. Depending on interest, we may end up going indoors to watch some DVDs.
Remember that this is an *birthday* picnic. No gifts and *please* *PLEASE* NO condolence cards. The only gift-giving will be from Ginger and myself to the guests.
Horton Park is at 1340 West Minnehaha Ave, St Paul 55104.