TrulyGrace

K & k Lovefest: Memorial Day Weekend 2015

On Friday we drove to Camp, and were soon greeted by Lori.  Mom, Dad, and I arrived at the K & k Lovefest in time to greet the yoga instructor, see three calm students, walk to El Gran Sabor for dinner, join up with Arash to tape large sheets of heavy brown paper with blue tape (a.k.a. The guest book) to the tables at the camp dining hall and to prepare the favors for the guests.  Soon, Barbara and Dad were consulted by Silas regarding gutting two 2-foot trout.  We went to sleep at a room adjacent to the restroom at the dormitory.

Saturday morning I had a slice of bread and yogurt  product at the retreat house, ate scrambled eggs with Emily P with Alice at the dining hall, helped post notice on the dormitory door/ chatted with Cecilia, then a three-caravan convoy found its way to Clay and Barbara's to pick up supplies for canoeing.  We proceeded to the retreat center, where Mom and Dad and I enjoyed hot Tibetan tea with butter, milk, and salt, prepared by Ringzin, Kyle's mentor's spouse.  We set up our beds for sleeping tonight.  We then returned to the camp dining room where I took photos of the flame azaleas and other preparations, made one rolling hill landscape at a table closest to an entrance near the parking lot, then Mom, Dad, and I caught the end of the History of Cheat Mountain Talk, by Ruth B R at the pavilion.  Met up at the dining room with William's family, where we were told the Mushroom Walk would be leaving from the pavilion where the Cheat Mountain talk was.  Racing there, we found that they had already departed, so William, Beatrice, Solomon, and I stayed to observe the Bark Basket-Making Workshop with Tulip poplar bark and hickory stringing, under the guidance of Lesley G.  They invited us to join in, so we each made a basket.  I made one which still had a branch shoot, a whorl on the bark, and I made it whimsical.  William, the children, and I enjoyed a snack/ Very late lunch of pepperoni dill rolls, quiche, salads, nutty drop cookies, and other such goodies.  We relaxed and met some of Kelly's friends, and caught up with some others as well before the seven o'clock dinner for out-of-towners---Karen and Roger joined me at our end of our table.  The food was as abundant as the Love flowed that weekend!  We started with vegan entrees of crostini with schmears, a diced sweet potato dish, quinoa dish, shredded kale salad, and green salad.  We progressed to ricotta/ stuffed savory crepes, chicken, and seasoned ox tail. I took photos of each table dining.  There was a puppet show near the end of dinner presented by the children.  The out-of-towners' dinner was with Paul Lucchesi

Sunday I had food of Mimi's 12-grain bread and butter, and we left the retreat house to then participate in the 10 AM first two rounds of the Contest of World Skills of Physical and Mental Agility!!!  I was on Team Orange.  Our first round consisted of shooting an air gun, tying knots, and chopping wood.  Round two consisted of the bicycling and mobile phone texting around obstacles on a course.  At 2 PM we enjoyed lunch: baa-baa-barbacoa, vegetarian tacos, and trout hard, open tacos – South Philly Barbacoa.  William, Solomon, and I rode with Jackie and Jasmine to the farm talk, led by Mike K of his family farm (Charm Farm) an organic farm in the Tygart River Valley.  Mike, along with his mom, runs the 260-acre Charm Farm – a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm.  We toured the farm, weeded onions, and toured the crop tunnels.  I spotted a question mark butterfly in the penultimate tunnel we visited.  I found my blank paper in front of me at the dining hall, and made another abstract hills landscape.  Part of potluck dinner back at camp consisted of starters of asparagus and roasted vegetables.  Soon after, a piper played a slow reel, followed by a four-step fling, to which Will danced.  A presentation and a speech by Anjila and Claire S followed, respectively.  Then it was time for potluck desserts/ pie, which included four of Mom's leche plans, and rhubarb pie, among many others.  I took photos outside of the landscape at dusk (some of which included Beatrice, and as BB relates, some were taken of BB and me), then it was time for the square dancing!  at ~20.00 with the SFI All Stars, and our first caller was Mary Alice M.  We left the dance at about 23.00, but not before dancing the Virginia Reel and various other circle and set dances.

Monday I awoke at about 4.30 AM and couldn't get back to sleep, so I showered at about 7.00 and took photos of the misty, foggy landscape.  I chatted with Ringzin, and Mom and I chatted with Ringzin.  I taught Ringzin's two boys the American Sign Language for Burger King, which was their request for a late lunch.  We returned to the retreat center to hand off a box for Kelly, to collect the instruments/ tools we lent for the guessing game, and to bid farewell to everyone, including the English contingent.  We arrived after 20.00 back in Pittsburgh, after a detour via the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

posted by Grace @ 5/26/2015 05:28:00 PM