Last weekend, I finally made Jimmy's Big Ass Pig Roast. This has grown to one of the most important days of the year for him, and I think he was really touched that I came up. I also got to spend some one-on-one time with Dad, since Mom wasn't back in town till Sunday afternoon. It was very touching that he told me how proud he is of me, working for the Red Cross. His work with FEMA gives us a common base of discussion. We also went to some yard sales and a barn sale. It's kind of fun that he enjoys that as well.
The pig roast is a phenomenon in itself. It's a weekend long festival that includes a permanent stage for the bands, tents, a beer truck (Jennie and I sponsored a keg in honor of Jimmy's birthday and got our pictures next to the truck), stairs dug and cut into the pasture, a stream passing through, cows in the background, and an enormous pit to cook the pigs overnight. The bands are rather good - impressive, really. At one point in the evening, Mom's 12 dozen cookies having been consumed, some of the kids turned over the tupperwares, grabbed serving utensils and had an impromptu percussive jam session. Really amazing! A lot of people camp out.
