Memorial Day al fresco

I made the ice myself.

It's an old family recipe: put tapwater into the trays and put them in the freezer. Voila! A couple of hours later, there they are -- ice cubes.

(I will pause here for a moment while you delight in my kitchen skills.)

We also had cheeseburgers at our small Memorial Day picnic this year -- and deviled eggs, lemonade, french fries and chocolate cupcakes. Apart from the ice -- did I tell you I made that myself? -- I purchased every bit of our picnic, ready-made.

My niece Terry, her husband, James, and their two kids, Carlos and Milagros, joined me on the grounds outside my apartment building. We found a picnic table under a grove of trees next to a small playground. After we polished off the picnic we played catch with a rubber ball.

Milagros has a pink baseball glove. And for a 9-year-old, Carlos has a great arm.

While the kids played energetically, we adults had a chance to talk.

I like the idea of celebrating Memorial Day with family. And a picnic has a Norman Rockwell aspect to it that draws us together today as we remember those who died that we might be able to enjoy the freedom we have.

So, yeah. It was a good Memorial Day for me ... once I got past the complicated chore of making the ice.