Big Summer Potluck: On Inspiration and Community

Words of wisdom, of experience, of inspiration. Words that came while we sat in a beautiful darkened barn, with harsh sunlight pouring in from the windows and a brisk breeze blowing out the East Coast humidity.

Words that I took to heart when I returned home and realized my take on the story hadn't quite gelled yet. There was too much going on. Once the plane's wheels touched down in Lindbergh Field and I was in a taxi heading along our stunning harbor, my calendar began to rapidly fill. My primary application for medical school was verified, I had a lot of catching up to do at work, a bunch of friends to see, and my blogging anniversary passed. Instead of rushing this post, I decided to enjoy the people and get the work done.

I've had the opportunity to see, meet, and spend time with some amazing people in the last month. It's fitting that this post is about people and inspiration.

A few months ago, I eaves-tweeted (or is that tweets-dropped?) on a Twitter conversation between Amanda of What We're Eating, Nicole of Pinch My Salt, and Lori of Recipe Girl, during which they talked about tickets to an event called Big Summer Potluck. Intrigued, I checked it out and, lo and behold, there were a handful of tickets left. The brainchild of Maggy of Three Many Cooks and Erika of The Ivory Hut, a small-ish gathering of bloggers to meet, eat, and listen to speakers Penny de los Santos, Shauna Ahern, Pam Anderson, and Justin Schwartz.

In. I was totally in.

I clicked BUY immediately and snatched up one of the last tickets. As I looked over my confirmation, the one little part I'd initially glossed over hit me in the face.

Um, this shindig was going to be in eastern Pennsylvania. San Diego is about as far as you can be without leaving the continental United States.

It ended up being a trip about friendship. Seeing old friends who once lived mere blocks or miles away in San Diego. Meeting new ones at Big Summer Potluck. Somewhere along the way, I decided to leave the camera in the bag and enjoy the moments. Little did I know that Shauna would talk about living in the moment. Her words seems so much more poignant because I was already trying to live by them.

There's Sally of Cooking Lessons, whom I'd met at Food Blog Camp. I didn't know many of the bloggers at BSP, but they all made me feel very welcome. Although I knew this was a community that would stick by each other, it took a tragedy to show how powerful that community was.

It started with dinner in the amazing home of Pam, Maggy, and Sharon of Three Many Cooks. People brought delicious items to share, including a delightful margarita from Souffle Bombay, gazpacho from Sally, and brown butter rice krispie treats from In Jennie's Kitchen.

We reconvened the next day in that stunning barn. I listened, I learned, and I became absolutely crazy about this group of people. There was no pressure to network and no business cards handed out. Our meals were filled with Green Valley Organics, Kerrygold, and Popchips. There was a lot of laughing, a fair amount of sweating, and incredible generosity from hosts and guests.

Pam and Justin had a fan-side (it was so hot that even the word "fire" was verboten) chat about publishing and cookbook-writing. It was so interesting and, even though I have no desire to write a cookbook, the chat was chock-full of great information. If you want to publish a cookbook, these two are great resources with Pam writing cookbooks and Justin editing and publishing them.

Shauna talked about writers living each moment twice: once when it happens and once more when recapturing it with words. I was so caught up in what she was saying that I forgot to snap a picture of her speaking. She talked about how we can be too caught up in editing that we lose what we're trying to say. She encouraged us to write about what inspired us and to write when inspired. There is a difference between visitors and readers and Shauna thoughtfully sorted those differences, making me realize that I write more authentically when I'm writing for readers. You know, those of you who actually read my drivel more than once (thank you!!).

Penny told an amazing story about taking the near-impossible shot and then sitting back and living in the moment. She also said that photography was about getting to know who people are and honoring them with one effin' great picture. The funny thing was that she didn't have access to media for her talk, so she talked about pictures without showing any. And what a talk it was... Penny effectively created pictures with her words. No visual aids needed. Dan was a little dismayed when I told him I was giving up my dream of med school to live behind my camera.

I'm kidding. I think.

Our meals were delicious and gluten-free, including desserts that took an insane amount of time to reach us due to traffic. Major props to the folks at Cherbourg Bakery for making a delicious gluten-free lemon bar.

If you're going to make paella, then it should be done in style. Here's Pam using a shovel-spatula to stir the paella. It was impressive and delicious. This came at the end of an awesome day and I didn't want to leave.

We learned at BSP that it takes 8-seconds of hugging to get those feel-good brain juices flowing. Big 8-second hugs to Erika, Maggy, Pam, Sharon, Penny, Shauna, Justin, and all of the wonderful family, friends, and bloggers who made Big Summer Potluck a smashing success! I hope I can join y'all next year.

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Unfortunately, there is a sad postscript to Big Summer Potluck. Many of you have heard of the passing of Mikey, Jennie's husband. Jennie shared lots of goodies, in addition to those brown butter rice krispie treats, in celebration of food and community. The community has rallied to celebrate Mikey's life and to give Jennie and her daughters tons of love and support as they move forward.

There are a lot of amazing auctions happening, including an upcoming one from several San Diego food bloggers and me. If you would prefer to donate directly, please follow the button to the left. Thank you!