Just a quick update – I know that everyone has been interested to hear about how the pot-luck in the park was with Gail Vaz-Oxlade. I was concerned about the weather, because it was calling for day-long thunderstorms, however shortly before Gail arrived, the weather cleared up and became an absolutely beautiful day! ”We brought the sun with us,” Gail announced as she arrived with her kids. It was sunny, warm, and just lovely. I was also concerned about the strike, but it turned out to be a non-issue as well. We did have to occupy a new space, since the location I had chosen was inhabited by several homeless people, and my permit had been rendered null, but that issue was easily resolved as there was a nearby covered area that was just as suitable. Furthermore, I had initially been concerned that there would be a huge mass of people, but as it turned out, we had a perfectly sized group – I would estimate we had about 40-50 in total.
Gail was the gregarious, funny, warm, and kind-hearted person that you know and love from the show. She was exceptionally gracious and a whole lot of fun. It was wonderful to meet her and many of the other people I regularly hear from on Gail’s blog, such as psychsarah and h-u-g. Several of the Gail club members were there, including one who came dressed in her work apparel – as a clown!
Gail shared some interesting tidbits from the show, reminding us that we only see “snippets” but the conversations take hours to complete and often involve long arguments. Gail says, though, that she’s never lost her temper on a couple. She also told me that she keeps the couple in her heart the entire month, so that it’s a very exhausting process. She also said that meeting her fans and followers is the best part of the job. One gentleman at the pot-luck said that if it wasn’t for Gail, he wouldn’t be married, and he wouldn’t have his beautiful baby boy. It just goes to show the kind of impact that Gail has on others’ lives!
It was a lovely group of people and everyone brought delicious and nutritious food. Thank you everyone for your contribution, and for coming to participate in the day’s events! I hadn’t planned anything exactly like this before, so I was very pleased to see it come together so nicely, and bring forth such a wonderful group. I hope to make in an annual event!
