We blew up 10 beach balls Saturday morning in anticipation of the annual Decker Family Picnic, which was held at the Pitcher home in Eastport this year. The beach balls were to be party favors. We then drew on the beach balls with Sharpie markers, tied string to them and hung them from the clothesline with clothespins.
Everyone decorated a beach ball. One hung from the mailbox to welcome family members to our home. The rest looked festive and colorful as they blew around in the breeze Hurricane Bill was kind enough to send our way.
Family members, who are usually known for arriving late, began arriving at 10:30 a.m. instead of the predetermined noon arrival time. Yikes! Needless to say, I was not ready for company just at that time after having fought with the badminton net, 10 bags of ice and two coolers of drinks—all while preparing lunch for 10. But I put the early arrivals to work, staving off their hunger with donuts and iced coffee while I finished with the preparations.
The weather that had threatened to be REALLY bad for the day turned out to be great. It was breezy and not too hot and I was able to keep family members outside under the shade of the maple tree as we picnicked and played all afternoon. Or as my oldest sister, Lynda, would say, “We yukked it up!”
Next we took a drive to the ocean to check out Bill’s waves and were able to sit on a small stretch of beach to watch and hear the surf pound. This was a real treat for the family members who live in Manhattan! A visit to a tiny secret farm stand I know about was also on the agenda.
The thing about my family is that if they hang around too long you end up having to feed them another meal. So I outsmarted them and served dessert after the beach, at around 5 p.m. I filled them up with chocolate cake and blueberry pie, made them a few ham sandwiches for the drive home and sent them on their way shortly thereafter.
We rounded out the day with a slide show from a recent sailing trip up in Maine, viewing of a YouTube video |made by my sons recently, some live music by family members and a game of Quelf. It was another successful Decker Family Picnic. Even though this was a smaller group than normal this year due to other obligations, somehow it seemed especially wonderful.
I think it is called grace when something is so perfect. Already my kids want to host it next year, too! We’ll see ...
Congratulations to Eastport resident Anthony Grausso who is a recent graduate of The College of Saint Rose in Albany. Anthony received a certificate of advanced study.
Saturday morning Zumba classes at The Fitness Studio in Eastport begin at 9 a.m. Admission is a monetary donation that will benefit a back-to-school supply drive for the Saints Peter and Paul Church of Manorville. All money donated between now and Labor Day will benefit this worthy cause.
Zumba is a dance-based multilevel workout set to Latin and world music. The class runs for one hour. Call the gym at 325-2955 for more information. By the way, Zumba also takes place on Wednesday evenings, from 7 to 8 p.m.
Eastport Bible Church Youth Group members will hold their annual Free Car Wash at the church on Montauk Highway on Saturday, August 29, from 1 to 4 p.m. Did I say free? Come on down! All are invited!
I talked about “grace” earlier and then watched a movie and they talked about grace, too. Twice in one day, Hmmm. It’s out there, though it comes when you least expect it or, as I like to think, just when you need it most. Sometimes you have to look for it and other times it pretty much hits you over the head. You may not understand it but you can believe in it and take hope from it.
I went to the beach late Sunday afternoon to see the ocean. There were lots of people down there looking at the surf and marveling at the big waves. I imagine that Hurricane Bill brought a lot of people down to the beach this weekend who normally would not be there.
But once you stand on the sand and look out across the ocean, there is no denying the power and might of the Atlantic. There was such beauty in the mist that came off the roiling sea and such beauty in the people standing and looking, holding hands to keep one another safe. For a few minutes we all put the world on hold and let the salty mist brush away our cares.
I think that is called grace, too. Maybe we should do it more often.
on Aug 26, 2009