Bohemian Princess Diary

What a great weekend that started with the St. John Fourth of July picnic, continued with the Stars, Stripes & Polka On! dance Saturday, and concluded with the Dubina Picnic on Sunday. So many highlights!

• Enjoying a picnic on the Fourth of July to celebrate our great country. Food, fun, fellowship and tribute to veterans to remember why we are able to assemble. Bands were on fire (figuratively, not literally). Shiner Hobo Band, Red Ravens, Dujka Brothers, Texas Dream kept the crowd on the dance floor. (Okay, one low light. Got caught in traffic from Houston to St. John. They were out of potatoes by the time I got there. Sigh. But the rest of the meal was awesome! St. John stew melts in your mouth!)

• Having 200 people attend the Stars, Stripes & Polka On! dance at the KC Hall in Schulenburg. The air-conditioned venue was a nice change from the picnic scene! It was a great way to celebrate and appreciate our subscribers. And we got 10 new subscribers!

• Czechaholics were awesome and so was the polka jam.

• John and I stayed at a cabin in Weimar on a small lake. OMG! So nice to get a break from city life. John caught a bass that we figured was a 10-pounder.

• Attended Polka Mass at Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Dubina. It's the church my dad was raised in and every time I enter, I just get such a peace within knowing this is home.

• I was honored to help carry the gifts to the altar with my Uncle Erwin. The Sarge looks great and will celebrate his 90th birthday in September!

• More great food in Dubina and this time I was among the first in line and got a FULL plate! I remember coming to this picnic as a child, playing Bingo, and winning a plastic bucket. I was so excited! Or the time I was trying to find my dad. All the men had on similar color slacks and from my vantage point as a child, they all looked the same to me, so I tugged on a man's slacks to get his attention. Turned out not to be Dad, but he was standing next to him. And they all had a big laugh. Funny, what kinds of things you remember!

• Again, the music was great with Lost Cause and Mark Halata & Texavia. Lost Cause also played the Polka Mass. Loved it. And if you haven't been to a mass with Fr. Wayne Flagg presiding, you're missing a priest who loves to sing AND has a great voice! This issue includes our 5th Annual Oktoberfest Guide. It's packed with info you need to plan your fall trips. We have some new festivals advertising with us, including a couple of national fests. Westfest is our cover story. Read about the new music on the schedule!

Enjoy all the church picnics, Westfest, and Fayette County Fair coming up on Labor Day weekend! Until then, Polka On!