I’m a little late this year on one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a leisurely weekend afternoon - the park picnic.
I finally was able to go on a picnic at a park last weekend, but the credit must go to the biggest picnic fan I know, my friend Janice. She thinks of everything. Janice pops into St. Louis once a year and sets up the gathering with a group of us from the metro area. The picnics always are so much more pleasurable than when we’ve met at a restaurant, not to mention cheaper.
As much as I love picnics, I never fully appreciate the peace they offer; the communally sharing of food with others under a vast sky; and the accompanying conversation until I am at the park, sitting on a comforter or at a table laden with surprises my fellow diners pulled out of coolers and picnic baskets.
We used to go on so many picnics when I was a child. My parents would round us up, take us to Benson Park in Omaha a few miles from our home, put down the checked oilcloth tablecloth and heat up a grill. Family gatherings on my dad’s side oftentimes would be at parks in Iowa. Adults would sit and talk as the food cooked, with countless covered dishes spread across the table. The cousins would run wild and check out whatever playground equipment was at the park, or if there was a lake into which we could dip our toes.
Other than large family gatherings these days, I don’t think a lot of people in this area go to the “bother” of packing a picnic for just a couple or for only a few diners these days. It’s easier to just eat inside where it’s air conditioned, or close by on the patio or deck. But when it’s a small group of picknickers, you can’t help but engage in conversation and relax (Turn off the cellphones!). And there are no waiters hurrying you and handing you a check. You also know who prepared the food.
I hope you can enjoy at least one picnic this summer. Where’s your favorite spot to picnic around here? What do you like to bring that’s out of the ordinary?



