the start of a busy week

The weekend is a bit of a blur. We started on Friday, preparing for the Labor Day Pig-Out. Regis smoked a pork shoulder, a stuffed pork loin, and pig wings. The menu is as follows:


Pulled Pork w/ 3 Sauces
Glazed Pig Wings
Stuffed Pork Loin
Neely’s Sweet Corn Pudding
Macaroni and Cheese
Tom’s Fire and Ice
Jerry Harty’s Pickles
Ree’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
Apple Pie
Banana Bread

All the chow got rave reviews and there was not a scrap left when the eatin' was done. We celebrated Tom's birthday and Bob's birthday, and of course, American workers everywhere. The day was rainy off and on so we didn't do much outdoor sitting but the canopy, which sheltered the cooking area overnight, was moved to the front yard for a while after dinner. Ah, it was fun.

I'm working every day this week, subbing for my friend Joanne, who is in Illinois helping her family make decisions about her father who has been falling. It's a sad time for them all as he fears losing some of his independence. Not easy, even at 90.

A couple of exciting and serendipitous things happened this week. Kathryn and I have been dilly-dallying with our 600 Words projects for what feels like months, but could be as long as a year. Finally, a week ago, we went to a municipal liquor store in a nearby town for a couple hours on a Monday afternoon, hoping to capture some stories. No such luck, but we did have some good conversation and we came up with some good ideas.

Last Thursday, we made our first stop at Ecumen Prairie Hill to meet with a program coordinator and two prospective story tellers. We'll be back on the 20th to meet with Clara, Michelle, and anyone else who has a story to tell.

This weekend, we are excited to be a part of Rock Bend Folk Festival on their 25th anniversary. We borrowed a canopy, made a sign, met yesterday to talk about plans, and have begun gathering our supplies. We have so many cool ideas and we can't wait to meet with people and hear their stories.


There's more. I had coffee with my yoga/ballet/writing/cancer/Livestrong friend, Michele, yesterday. She teaches a first year seminar called Tell Me a Story and has invited Kathryn and me to partner with her students on the community outreach portion of the class. We aren't exactly sure how this will go yet, but we'll go up to meet with her students next week to see what ideas they have. The possibilities are boundless.

So far, we have a blog called 600 Words and a Facebook page. Check them out, like us, and follow our progress. And of course, send us a story!



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