Family Picnic.

.... We had one every year when I lived in Mass, they still have them to this day. (If you've been reading my blog for over a year, you know we went back to Boston for the one last year, had a blast!)  Now, I've never heard it referred to as the Family Reunion, always Picnic.  Or, as my paternal grandmother (Nonni) used to say it; "pick-a-nick-a". This year we had the first, to be annual, Rossi Pikanika West.  A few of the relatives from Boston had planned to come out, but no one made it.  We suspect it was because the economy tanked, not because we are now the Western Outcasts.  We would have loved it if the whole family was there, but we had a blast anyway. 

Everybody made their favorite Italian speciality and it was all excellent.  Three unusual things we had were gluten-free pasta salad, gluten-free lasagne and gluten-free pie.  (Do you see the theme here?)  There are a couple of the family that have been diagnosed with celiac disease, and even more of us that simply refuse to make it official, so my sister offered to make her pasta salad gluten-free, and I decided to tag along with my lasagne.  I don't think either, and the pies also, suffered from the change.

.... Good food is one requirement at the Rossi Picnic, wherever it be.  The other requirement is a few good games of bocce.  So Mr.Gearhead stringed off the appropriate sized court and Pedro brought the bocce balls and we played.  The two funniest things about the games were first of all the way my oldest niece threw the ball.  Not your usual throw, it was more like a ballet dance, or the way Fred Flintstone threw his bowling ball.  But at least Fred put down his drink to bowl. The last bocce game was played by the young kids, 8 and under.  The pallino never made it past the required halfway mark, but nobody was worried about it.

.... Well, we had such a great time that we dicided to make it an annual thing, with an open invitation to the family back east, and wherever they may be.  I think the concensus was to do it about the same time of year, middle of Julyish, so start planning and keep your ears to the ground if you want to make it to next years.  Hope to see you there, and if you want to see my pictures from that evening, just click here.

No, those are ROOT beers.  But it did look kind of amusing so I had to take the picture.

Two of my grand-nieces having a heart-to-heart.

Toddler complete makeovers.  (Shhhhh, if Fox sees this there will be a new show Thursdays at 6)

Intense discussion about the ongoing bocce game.

My sister being, well, herself.

My older brother's son-in-law and grandson playing on the teeter-totter.  I think the little one was doing it just to make his dad happy.

I will post a link to The Gearhead's photo album as soon as he gets it set up.