Grateful Dead Revisited

The Lacoochee gang came for another day at the ranch. I had prepared the dye baths and the pristine damp tee shirts for a morning of creating wild projects. First, we all assembled in my studio to view the clay projects from the last time. They had been glazed and fired and looked so bright and lovely as they were arrayed on the table. The kids, twelve of them, chose their own pieces and wrapped them in newspaper and lots of tape to take home.

Then, we moved out to the barn (it was gently raining), and got started with applying the rubber bands tightly to the shirts. We had four vats of dye. Considering that this is a complicated and very messy project, the kids did well and were pleased with the results. One by one, those shirts began to hang out on the fence to dry. There was no complaining, just utter concentration. I had gloves for the kids, but I noticed that all of us had purple hands.

The rain kept on dripping but there was no thunder or lightning so we spent the next hour in the pool. These kids have so few opportunities to swim and they love it. Now they know the rules (no running), and you can use anything you want - goggles, floats, toys, flippers, snorkels, arm floats- you just have to put everything back. I love watching these kids in the water. They invent games, involve each other. These kids do not have that 'entitled' feeling I have often felt from the prosperous middle class families I know. (As was mine, I might add.)

Dade City! I keep finding nuggets of interest. The Lacochee kids are not those children I keep track of in the New York Times. Today we had a birthday party for two kids. The grandmother, Pam, had made a splendid cake in the fashion of an American Flag. Pam, who might be in her late fifties, came today. She was limping from a bad knee. She is one of those women who raise kids, and then raise kids some more. She and her husband are building a log home by hand. They will give their present home to her daughter and her kids.

For this birthday party there were no gifts, none expected. One of the birthday girls brought to show me her best gift from her mom, a music box with a dancing ballerina and with a drawer below for treasures. The kind of thing my own daughter would have killed for at seven. At this birthday party guests did not have to contribute to the Heifer Foundation. The celebration consisted of a lovely lunch of white bread p and j sandwiches cut into hearts, four kinds of chips, and juice boxes. One of the children was asked to say a blessing for the lunch. I was amazed to hear a very long and articulate prayer. I provided vegetable sticks and a dip made of atheist organic yogurt and ketchup, and some slices of watermelon. Then, we lit the candles, presented the cake and everyone sang 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY'.

I am learning so much from these gentle people. Next to coming to the ranch, their best thing is going to something called "The Christian Edge", a kind of road house up on #301, where whole familes go for lots of activities. Virginia and I are going to make a visit. Maybe we'll take some grandkids. Stay tuned.

After we made the tie dye tee shirts, the kids told me they would wear their shirts for an up-coming seventies night at the Christian Edge (and they would be awesome!)

Even as an oldster, one has to be open to new ideas, even in Dade City.