Lindsay B., one of my brave companions from last time, came along. M.C. was going to come, but was too sick to make it. We did the only thing friends could do in the face of such tragedy. We carried on, but kept the memory of our dear friend close with a temporary, picnic blanket memorial. For those of you who don't know (which should be all of you since I made it up), a temporary, picnic blanket memorial is a memorial that is set up on a picnic blanket and is only temporary. I took a picture just for you.
Notice the picnic blanket. That's the picnic blanket I keep in the trunk of my car so I'm always ready for a picnic. Or something. The doughnut is the memorial to M.C. It was a little more temporary than I thought it would be. I had intended it to make it at least partway through the show with us. As if M.C. were there in spirit, watching alongside us. The show started late and doesn't it just look delicious? It didn't see even the veryest beginning of the show.
We sat in the front row. We didn't mean to. We just happened to be on time while everybody else was late. We set our blanket back from the stage a little ways; nobody sat in front of us. The performers moved the stage up (from the spot of grass further back to the spot of grass closer to us). We were front middle. The actors and actresses (mostly the actors) kept making eye contact with me because they were speaking earnestly to the audience but I was right there. I was touched no less than five times: my head, my face, my shoulder, my foot, my hand. I was made to fall in love with the man sitting on the blanket beside me (that's when my face got touched; you've just been made to fall in love! look at your lover boy, dang it!). An actress took advantage of the temporarily empty blanket beside me (Lindsay's husband had a very important question about a refrigerator, I understand), and snuggled up in my blanket to take a nap. Another actor took the opportunity to sit next to me a couple of different times during the show. I thought about sharing my gummy watermelons with him, but didn't want him to miss his lines cause he had stuff stuck in his teeth. I made the sacrifice, soldiered on, and ate my gummy watermelons myself.
This is your warning: if you sit in the front be prepared to be touched, spoken to, and snuggled with. It could happen to you.
Wow, this sounds like so much fun! I like the idea of a temporary, picnic blanket memorial and will have to keep it in mind, should an occasion ever arise where I am unable to share said picnic blanket with a dear friend who should have been by my side at a much anticipated event. This may just happen if you are unable to make it back to California this fall for Apple Hill adventuring... What a fun play :) I hope the snuggling was great!
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