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The Soiree

What a beautiful day to wake up to. The campground was just umbrella'd with tall trees, there were all sorts of people up and scurrying about from their tents and trailers. What a perfect setting for a Soiree. We had Prine blaring on the stereo, echoing all through the campground with guitar players and singers 'along side'. We shared more stories of the previous night, while sipping Kathy's homemade wine. Everyone just got along like they'd been doing this for years. Little campsites dotted the scenery, music filled the air, it was perfect.

Tables were set up with lots of food, Steady Eddie and Mona were giggling and hanging around "Barbie", The hemp farmers were telling their scary stories, and they were really nice peaceful people, it was hard to believe that they had been in a shoot out. I handed off my tap shoes to Crusher to put in his own shrine and he showed me his new drawers. Crusher, thank you and for posing in them, I'm going to show the world what nice drawers you have. The kids were wonderful, they did a lot of work because, plain and simple, they were all good kids. Us old folks wandered about eating secret recipe blueberry muffins (it's all in the butter) and Swift Kik got set up on the stage area for the evening.

Guitar Joe, Bongo Eddy, and Tambourine Amy Jo entertained us all day, I don't think Guitar Joe stopped playing at all, he knew all of Prine's songs. Donna and Dennis came out looking awake finally and shared their horror story from the concert, which, Donna wouldn't trade the experience in for a good one anyway... she's got a way about her that just doesn't ruffle. Carrie calmed her babies to sleep, Alan took a nap, Julie organized tables and then slept on them while Cindy ran around collecting money. I even got to hear Lyla sing, and she's right, she can carry a tune, a good tune! It was like a big ole family picnic.

Imagine 60 or 70 people who all kind of knew somebody,  getting together, bringing a little bit of themselves to the table just because their one common interest was John Prine.

I think the sweetest memory, was meeting Kara, who's husband had tragically died just a few months earlier, and he was a huge Prine fan and from the Lawton locals stories about him, he was a great guy. She had this good vibe about her like Ralph but she  couldn't bring herself to come to the concert the night before, it hurt too much. Her son Tramble came with us, but no amount of convincing was going to bring her out that night. She came to the Soiree, full of it's Prine music, and she seemed happy... I dunno, it's a memory that felt like maybe we had managed to put a suture on that heart of hers for awhile.

I met so many nice people that I couldn't begin to detail each and every one of them. I just know that for some strange reason of the heart, I miss them all and can't wait for our next gathering.

Thanks to Steady Eddie and Buster for all the hog doin's. Steady, we want you at all the gatherings, we won't even make you work, you are just too fun to not have around. Thanks to Brian, Brennan, Micah and the boys at The Space for keeping the lights on and the coffee brewing, next time, you will be the music. Thanks to Kim for all that corn, I wish you would have been able to make it to the party. Thanks to those Barnett kids, for their graciousness and showing me that there still are towns small enough to grow kids up right for a big world. And a big thank you to Rich (Lawton) and Julie (Lightnin'head) for being foolish enough to open your mouths and say "Let's have a party" and then to make all the arrangements. Thanks to Oh Boy Records, that Road Boss, Dave Jacques, Jason Wilber and John Prine for making a bunch of fantasies reality for many people that night, the hot fudge sundae's are on me at the D.Q. next time.

And mostly... thanks to the Webmister, the Burhead, Terry for putting up with all this craziness, for memorizing the songs, being my chauffeur, smiling the whole time, for fixing the computer every time I break it and not yelling too much and for understanding that it really does keep me off the streets and out of the stores. I love you.

(yeah, it's the end... for now...sigh)

©Reeda Buresh 2002