Feast for the Soul

One thing I love about summer is that I can move meal times outdoors. It makes a nice break in routine and helps keep the house a little cleaner. This is also good for my sanity. I think the kids like the novelty. As long as we pack Their Foods, that is.

Our town in blessed with a Town Green and some dedicated merchants and council members. On Tuesday nights, we can watch a movie there for free. On Thursday afternoons into evening, there's a Farmers' Market and music concert. A few years ago, a Shakespeare festival began.

I take the kids to these events several times over the summer. Not as often as I'd like, but we'd stay in the house a lot more without them. We also feel good about supporting our local growers, restauranteurs, and other business people. We are supporting local food, green-friendly endeavors, and small-time artisans. We meet our neighbours, friends, and classmates in a different setting and just socialize.

Last weekend, on a whim, we packed a picnic dinner and parked the kids at the Town Green for some food and The Tempest. The kids were interested for a while before the production lost its allure. My husband and I took turns watching the kids have fun at the playground on the Green.

This year, James sat on a chair instead of rolling all over me and the picnic quilt. Such a big boy!