a [double] baste

traditions are important.

but they don't come easy...or do they?

you may remember last year when i wrote about bringing the tradition of the [june] bucket to maine.  well it was such a hit, people started asking about it in march.  not only were my fiancee and i happy to continue it, but friends who attended last year, and who have a much bigger yard, offered to host it.

just as in years past, it was an eclectic group of people many of whom didn't know each other before the night started.  however when you mix up a communal cocktail drink like the [june] buckets, and ask people tp drink it via turkey basters, strangers become acquaintances and acquaintances become friends.  that's the magic of the [june] bucket!  you never baste alone!

as i said before there were a lot of new faces this year, all of whom are now looking forward to next year, which makes me think that year three, when it officially becomes a maine tradition, will be a glorious celebration.

we're gonna need a bigger bucket.

there's no place like [gin]

as a kid, with lots of relatives in western kansas, i attended my share of weddings, all of which  incorporated volga german traditions; the wedding march, the singing of the brautlied (bride's song), the flying dutchman and many other polka's.  i enjoyed them because my grandfather loved them and i knew they were part of my heritage.

it took moving 1,800 miles away from my home to realize just why these traditions are so important.


with a touch of homesickness last month, my fiancee suggested that we throw a "june" bucket party. this was a party held by my friends back in kansas every june which included a large cocktail drink known as a gin bucket; a party i was going to miss this year.  however with her suggestion, i was immediately excited!  we invited all our new friends and started planning.  i was meticulous down to every detail, annoying my fiancee with discussions of correct bucket sizes and number of basters.  

the night of the party, all of our new found friends and neighbors came over. they were a little apprehensive about this gin concoction involving drinking communally from a large bucket with turkey basters, however after a few "bastes," everyone was on board.  the night ended up being a wonderful time and all our new friends became better friends that night.

i couldn't have been happier that night. i was like tevye dancing around the streets of anatevk shouting out "tradition!"  somewhere between joking about getting "basted" and eating "walking tacos" out of doritos bags, portland maine started to feel a little bit more like home.

a few days later my fiance and i did a little wedding planning.  still reeling in the happiness of the tradition of june bucket and thinking about our upcoming wedding i began to think about all the volga german traditions i'd like to include.  that's when it hit me.  these weren't just simple songs and dances you did at weddings just for the fun of it; theses were traditions brought over from my ancestors who had left their home.  songs and dances that reminded them of good times with friends and family they were now apart from.  traditions bought over that helped this new world they found themselves in seem a little less scary. familiar tunes and lyrics they could get lost in and feel like they were home again. a little piece of their old life that helped make their new life feel more like home.  these traditions were tiny seeds of a world they once knew that they could plant in a new place.  with time and love those seeds took root and became a whole new tradition, the wedding songs and dances i knew as a kid a hundred years after they were planted.

who knows if my great great grandchildren will be throwing june bucket parties in a hundred years, but there have been requests for a repeat in 2017.  

gin blossoms [again]

it's hard to keep a good party down.

after a brief hiatus the annual [june bucket] was back the other weekend for it's fourth year.  old and new friends once again joined together to drink a gin cocktail out of a bucket using turkey basters. 

nothing [gin] can stay

i'm sure by now you know, i believe an event must happen three years in a row in order for it to be called a tradition.  well...this years annual "june bucket" party became a tradition.  however it achieved that status bitter sweetly...

the friend who introduced this wonderful event to our group, recently accepted a job in another city. not only would this be the last june bucket she would host in wichita, but it was also a bit of a farewell party. luckily, if you're going to throw a going away event, one involving buckets of gin, sprite, citrus fruits and turkey basters is a great way to go out.  the night was filled with laughter, photos, walking tacos, music, dancing and a multitude of amazing friends. even a late night kansas thunderstorm couldn't dampen the festivities.

not so secretly, i am a bit of a sentimental guy.  between the basters, bottles and buckets, i did reflect back on the past three years; the strangers i've met who eventually became friends, and the strengthening of those friendships through the retelling of stories a celebration like this always creates.

i have no idea what the future holds for the annual june bucket party. maybe it will continue, maybe it will cease, maybe it will change, maybe it will expand, or just maybe... some other event incorporating odd kitchen utensils and drinking will take its place. whatever happens, i do know it won't be the same, but then again, isn't that just life?

natures first green is gold,

her hardest hue to hold.

her early leaf's a flower;

but only so an hour.

then leaf subsides to leaf,

so eden sank to grief,

so dawn goes down to day

nothing gold can stay.

thank you robert.

gin and [sprite]

last year, one of our non-native kansan friends introduced our group to a new style of drink/party called a [gin bucket].  as this is the second year for our friends to partake in this type of party, i feel it's well on it's way to becoming a full fledged tradition.

basically it consists of a large bucket filled with gin, sprite, ice, lemons and limes.  the end result is a wonderfully refreshing and chilled beverage perfect for enjoying summer.  there is no need for glasses or cups as you consume this concoction with turkey basters.  sanitary? probably not. entertaining? definitely! apparently this all started as a tailgating tradition at indiana university and has slowly been working it's way through the midwest.  as it was our missouri friend who introduced this to us, i can totally buy into this theory.

now, even though this beverage began betwixt binge drinking college kids, this really is a wonderful way for a group of friends to enjoy a party due to it's very social nature.  with everything being contained in a bucket, it requires guests to constantly move and interact, instead of the standard, sitting in a chair, sipping your own solitary drink.  secondly, who doesn't like drinking out of a turkey baster?  it's like a spirit squirt gun-o-fun, so much in fact that when one person goes in for a drink, several other friends are quick to join.  this also allows you to cheers everyone by hoisting your basters up like the knights of the round table. [gin] soldiers if you will.

so whether your summer nights involve gin buckets, or something more along the lines of ice tea and lemonade, i hope everyone is able to venture outside and enjoy the weather with the company of wonderful friends.