Copied from my Facebook feed:
“Copying this great idea from a friend’s status: After this corona period is over (one day … say in about four years), I would like to have a drink on my patio with the first twelve people who like this status. A glass of rosé, vodka. Jd. gin, rum, whiskey, wine, beer, bubbles, coffee, soda-pop or whatever. All you have to do is like this status and put the same text on your profile page. Curious who my first twelve campfire mates may be present! (Those who do not paste it themselves will not be counted in the 12.) I will count and keep a list. It will be an amazing gathering.”
And, my addition to that post:
***P.S. Really everyone – My personal feeling is that it’d be OK to do this now or anytime. Outdoors in a park or the beach; or if you have a patio or yard. Adjust number of people appropriately. Stay outdoors. Use common sense; even a small outdoor gathering is best avoided at times when there are crowds of visitors in town for special events etc. If you are among those who Liked this post, stay tuned – I will be inviting you to a mini gathering of 2 to 7 people sooner rather than later!
And for you, readers of this blog, a “Post Post Script”:
Personally I don’t believe in the mentality that prompts phrases like “when this Covid period is over.” Rather, I’m a strong believer in adapting in a healthy way to circumstances in the here and now. Assuming that there’s going to be a “back to normal” is never a good idea. If something is worth doing, find a way to do it now!
On that note, I want to put in a special plug for a band I love. Their name is Railroad Earth. I would categorize their genre as “bluegrass jam” (which is one of my perennial favorite genres).
I first became acquainted with the music of Railroad Earth sometime back around 2004, when I attended an intimate (maybe 300 people?) campout-style music festival at Jacobs Well. Jacob’s Well is a super deep clear spring in central Texas, not far from Austin (where I was living at the time), that is well-like in shape.
The weather was downpours most of the weekend, but as far as I can recall, the band never let it get in the way, nor did we audience members! I remember dancing for hours to epic longplaying jams. Muddy feet, warm heart!
With none of my friends able to join me that weekend, I technically attended the festival by myself but I totally forgot that I wasn’t with anyone, as I felt totally merged with the crowd, music, earth and sky. And all of our tents made for a cute little ad hoc nylon/canvas bubble city.
Thank you for that beautiful weekend, Railroad Earth! And thank you so much for offering this pandemic-friendly, eco-friendly edition of a festival! Cannot wait. (If you are unable to view the poster I screen-shot, you can get info & register by visiting the “Hangtown at Home” festival website ; or on Facebook, type “Hangtown at Home.”)
And be sure to visit Railroad Earth! Website and Facebook
(Note, there is an in-person festival too. While I wish Railroad Earth and other bands success and prosperity, I am not promoting in-person festivals at this time, nor supporting long-distance travel to festivals. That said, do your own research. If it’s outdoors and you feel the number of people is safe, and if you don’t have to drive more than a couple hours, I would not fault you for attending. In those circumstances, I might also! (For reasons of public health and ecosystem health, I am no longer advocating air travel under any circumstances, except in cases of extreme family emergency, and possibly not even then unless there’s an ocean separating you from your family so overland transportation isn’t an option.)
P.S. Post-pandemic gathering tips: Covid caution has generated a lot of single-use plastic, disposable packaging etc. If hosting a gathering, you could ask everyone to bring their own cup, spoon, cloth napkin etc. Or if you want to be the hostess with the mostest, you could give each guest a reusable cup, cloth napkin etc to take away as souvenirs. Or just go old-school: Have your guests use your dishes and cloth napkins, and then you wash them.