Shout out for the Dads. 1, 2, 3, Yah Dad...

To all the Dad's out there that are doing the job and leaving a legacy they are proud of, well done.

Here is my personal shout out to the Dad's in my life.  Don't forget to send some love to yours in this life or beyond.

To my Father, Cy Flacks and my Husband, Todd Narrol, I wish you relaxation, joy, clear breath, calm minds, love of your family, all your wishes come true and even a nap. Thank you for all you do.  You are appreciated.

To my Father: Firstly, I love you. Secondly, Dad you are such a wonderful father.  No matter what happens in our worlds, you are there in our corners.  You love with an unconditional calm clarity.  You've shown us the world in our vacations, with your stories of travels, and even the beyond in your bed time stories for my boys.

I have many memories of you hanging in the living room, feet up, listening to classical music, reading a book, maybe a cigar in your hand, at best a scotch. I remember how you shared in the victories of our family and picked us up from the challenges.  Contrary to popular belief you even made some funny jokes and sung some songs on key.  My Memories of you and your actions have guided me positively in my life.

That calm and gentle soul, to those that do not know you, may seem like a hard exterior with layers of analytical judgement to get through before entering the layers of emotions driven by the heart.  But anyone who knows you, knows that you are a big mush bear who loves forever and with constancy, generosity, intellect, and joy.

Dad, thank you for all you do, and have done, for me, for my children and for our family.  You are the core, the root of our circle, and boy you have planted good strong root stock to will guide us all our lives.

To My Husband: Firstly, I love you. Secondly, you are such a wonderful Dad.  I am so glad you are the person I am sharing the family journey with.  Our family is built on strength and love and you are our anchor.  You are doing the job and standing strong on this journey; forever pushing forward and cracking us up.  

We love you so much. Through all the kids fights, stomach flues, school concerts, bike rides, family hikes, amazing vacations, days at theme parks, birthday parties, guitar jams, mother's days, etc. the strength of your love powers us through. You push through with music, humor and adventure in your spirit.

Your adventurous spirit and drive takes us amazing places, often driving ridiculous hours on energy drinks to make it happen. Then you dive in, with minimal sleep, showing a love of life and the natural beauty of the world.  Our children learn that spirit from you. 

While you have always been the Alpha to our dogs, most recently you have bonded with Teddy, our dog.  You have committed to walking him and spending time with him.  You have learned the joy of that unconditional love and happiness that is the life blood of the dog in it's family pack.   Thank you for being that dude.  

You are building a world for our two boys that they will take forward pride.  They will remember your drive, devotion, and humor all their days, as will I.  

Todd, thank you for all you do for our family.  You are my love, my soul, my partner and the Dad.

Best Food Moments of Wakarusa 2015: Community in Action

We are all back home after Wakarusa 2015.  It is almost hard to believe it actually happened.   I know I went and have the dirty laundry to prove it, but somehow if flew by.  Some moments stuck out in my minds eye a little more then others.  So here are some highlights of the community food scene at Waka.

At every festival there are those people that love to feed other people.  They can hear a not so distant relative saying "eat, eat, you are too thin."  So when they get to these festivals they make huge communal meals sharing karma and joy.  Some people see a festival as a gourmet experience while people eat nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and corn dogs at these things.  So, here are some of my favorite meals.  

1) Craw-fish at Camp Danger.  Each year Camp Danger puts on a craw-fish boil.  Last year they were in Unreserved RV.  This year they got a choice spot in Upgraded RV.   They brought in about  200 lbs of Craw-fish from Texas. The feast was open to anyone who was brave enough to dig in to those beautiful mud bugs and suck the heads with the best of them.  Yummy!  Really absolutely lovely.  I frankly ate so many that my mouth was on fire and I had cuts up and down my thumbs from cracking them open.  They added sausage, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, lemons and lots of spice to each batch. They were incredibly welcoming.  Check out the video below at this link.  

Craw-fish Crazyness

2) Chompdown.  This years chompdown was a great success. Friday morning the folks in Upgrade RV, right beside the backwood stage area, put on a huge feast.  People brought food to contribute and also volunteered to cook and prepare food.  I worked the first few hours of it until I had to go on my St. Bernard shift.  We were short some of our normal participants, for various reasons, but somehow it just happened with new people jumping in to help.  Dirtfoot played a set for everyones enjoyment. 

3) Spaghetti and Meatballs. Yet another group in Upgrade RV put on a communal spaghetti and meatball dinner.  This was inspired by a meal the patrons mother used to put on in his youth.  They cooked the meatballs and sauce in a huge wok on the same base that was used for the craw-fish boil. I had never seen such a huge wok before.  It was full of 100's of meatballs and gallons of sauce.  The pot of noodles was also impressive.

All three of these meals were spectacular in favor and most importantly they were made with love and freely shared.  People were called in off the street to have a fresh, free, hot meal.  You could feel the love in every bite.  Other memorable community meals included Gumbo and Walking Tacos.  The moral of the story is to come to upgrade RV if you are hungry.

Waka Waka.