By Diane Forrest
When my son was
young, my mother would occasionally take a pack lunch and take him down to the
Mississippi River, where they would play, watch the boats rolling by and eat a
sandwich or two.
Today is a good
day not to cook. It's International
Picnic Day. A day to pack a lunch in a
basket, grab a blanket, head to the nearest large oak tree with lots of shade. Make a few sandwiches, or some cold fried
chicken. Invite some friend and grab a
quick lunch and relax and talk about the weekend, before heading back to work.
This style of
dining is thought to originate from the French word, Pique-nique - Piquire
meaning to pick at food and unique - something small of no value. Many
historians believe that picnics date back to Medieval feasts that would occur
after village hunters had a successful kill.
When I was
younger, my grandmother would take me to the zoo, and pack up a basket full of
food. We would walk around and see all
the animals, then go outside the gate where there was a little pond. We would spread out our blanket and dig into
the sandwiches, chips cookies and fruit that she brought. We would eat until we were stuffed, then laid
back and listened as she read stories to us…well until we fell asleep that is.
Having a picnic
is just a nice way to break away from the hustle and bustle of the office, and
traffic, and noises and other people, and just have a little while to gather
your thoughts and breath fresh air and listen to the sounds of nature. You can
even kick off your shoes and walk barefoot in the grass. If it is raining, and you can't get out
today, try watching the movie Pretty Women, where she takes Edward out on a
picnic, then try to go out on one another day.
(Photos from Google)
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