THE FENNELLY FAMILY PICNIC

I love all kinds of venues, and one of the ones that gets little public exposure is the backyard family picnic. Siobhan and I have done several over the years, and some of the most memorable ones were the Crudele Fish Party, the Otto Family Picnic, and the Yarger Memorial Golf Scramble. In fact, the Crudele Fish Party inspired the writing of "Home Town." For the past several years, Siobhan and I have played the Fennelly Family Picnic, a beautiful event just a little south of Canandaigua. Most family events follow a certain format, and yesterday was no exception. After arriving at the Fennelly Homestead and catching up on some news, we started up our tunes at about 3 PM. We played until Maryann and Erin’s delicious food was ready, and we all delighted in their salads, mac and cheese, burgers, and hot dogs. Following dinner, the best part of this event occurred for me. We gathered around in a circle, as we always do, and shared stories well into the evening. I love listening to the voices of people telling their stories because they always give me a new perspective on life with regards to empathy and compassion, something we all need to develop. Much thanks to the Fennelly Family for having us become part of their family! Hope there are many more Fennelly events!