“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
Happy Friday dear friends! Can you believe August is more than half gone? I don’t like to rush through the seasons, but I must admit that I am looking forward to autumn.
Today is the third Friday of the month which means it is Floral Friday! I had lots of fun with our common theme…so won’t you join me for a picnic in the country?
Our common theme for this edition of Floral Friday is a picnic using jars for flowers. As I began to think of how I would set up the picnic, I couldn’t help remembering some sweet times spent at picnic tables over the years.
At the bottom of this post you will find the links for beautiful floral inspiration from my friends, Lidy, Mary, and Shirley.
I gathered flowers from my garden and the grocery store for a late summer bouquet. The aqua mason jar seemed to be a perfect choice to complement the April Cornell tablecloth. Leftover flowers were placed on top of a sentimental wicker picnic basket.
How many of you spent summer days when you were growing up at a picnic table that looked like this? One of these sat in the back yard of my childhood home. We ate a lot of summer lunches at the picnic table. Not only did we use it for eating, but my brother and I used it as a ping pong table. Obviously it was smaller than a regular sized ping pong table and for that reason we both became pretty good at beating everyone we played on a regulation table.
I had been wanting a picnic table and we recently bought this hand-made one at a very reasonable price. It sits in an area of our yard that I haven’t often photographed. It is very shaded and the backdrop of the Rose Of Sharon bushes makes it a pretty spot for a picnic.
If you have been a long-time reader, you know that we live in the country. We bought the property as young newly weds in 1977. Over the years, we have been able to purchase more property that now totals twenty five acres. After we purchased the first seven acres, we were so excited to actually own the property that Butch had dreamed of building a house on one day. We celebrated by having a picnic on a old and tattered quilt in the middle of the pasture. I vividly remember that special picnic. We reminisced this week about sitting in the late afternoon sun looking at our view of the Appalachian Foothills and pinching ourselves that this little spot was ours.
This picnic basket was packed for a very special event six years ago. Our son planned a sweet picnic above Little River Canyon, not too far from home, to propose to the love of his life. Of course, she said yes!
A colorful mix of zinnias, roses, alstroemerias, mini carnations, lantana, stock, and a happy sunflower…
…join a table with some favorite picnic foods…fried chicken, macaroni salad, French bread, cheese, grapes, and M&M cookies!
We spent a lot of time camping when we first got married. If you can believe it, we camped in a tent by Weiss Lake. What I remember most about those camping trips was the food prepared outside over a grill and on a Coleman stove. Breakfast was the best…bacon frying ( oh, the smell), fluffy scrambled eggs, and tomato-onion gravy served over white bread. Grilled sirloin steak, potatoes cooked on top of the charcoal, fresh cold watermelon, and home-made peach ice cream to just name a few of the meals eaten on a picnic table by a lake with good friends!
Sparkling lemonade from Trader Joe’s is the perfect refreshment on a hot summer day!
“Artesian Road” dinner plates by Tracy Porter add more pattern to the colorful mix!
My Renaissance Man built the split rail fence…I love its country look!
You will definitely want to visit my talented friends for fabulous inspiration!
Mary @ Home Is Where The Boat Is
Shirley @ Housepitality Designs
Thank you for your sweet visits and comments, they make my day!
I leave you with my little helper wondering when she will be allowed to eat the cheese and grapes! Wishing you all a joy-filled weekend and maybe you will be inspired to spread a picnic and enjoy good food and sweet conversation!
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes,, Dwellings-Heart of Your Home, Savvy Southern Style, French Country Cottage, Stone Gable, Confessions of a Plate Addict, Worthing Court, Between Naps on the Porch, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, A Stroll Thru Life, The Charm of Home, Katherines Corner,Petit Haus, Follow The Yellow Brick Home, Vintage Mama’s Cottage, Marilyn’s Treats Eclectic Red Barn, Share Your Cup, Love Of Home, My Soulful Home, Celebrating Everyday Life, Little Farmstead, Starfish Cottage, Rustic & Refined,The Freckled Rose, Life and Linda, DIY 180, Celebrate & Decorate, Sweet Sensations, The Dedicated House, Shabby Fufu, Designthusiasm, Imparting Grace, Calypso in the Country
I bet she’d like a cookie too! Lovely Summery scene.
Thank you sweet friend❤️
Swoon Pam…I’m so envying your shade and wonderful picnic setting with split rail fence and Rose of Sharon in the background! AC linens are so distinctive and I love the vintage feeling of the colorful flowers on your tablecloth paired with your Ball jar bouquet! So vibrant and lush! Ella Mae is adorable~ I would have a hard time letting her have all the grapes, cheese and cookies she wanted. 🙂 As always it’s a pleasure to join you for Floral Friday. ♥
Thank you dear Mary. Enjoy your weekend❤️
So beautiful and colorful, Pam. The flowers, food, and and the setting call for a lovely picnic. We fail to slow down often enough to enjoy earth’s bounty, and this post shows what we are missing. And this photo of Ella Mae may be my all time favorite! Once again you have started my day with such beauty.
Thank you my sweet and lovely friend❤️
How do I begin to tell you about how much I love the table, and the memories. What is it about picnics that brings back so many memories…I am always in awe of the fact that you have lived in your home and property for so many years. I must tell my hubby your story of the picnic/ping pong table…he considers himself a ping pong champion!!…I loved your sweet memory of the first picnic on your property….as we have a similar memory and tradition. When we bought our very first home, after closing we stopped at the local Kentucky Fried Chicken and brought it to the new house for our “first meal” …. on the floor with a blanket that was always stashed in the car. We have owned 6 homes throughout our marriage and going on the 7th…so there will be a Kentucky Fried chicken dinner on a blanket in the middle of the living room again…Yes, Butch is truly your Renaissance Man…love that split rail fence…Your table and flowers are truly beautiful and glad that Ella Mae had her cheese and grapes after patiently waiting…..so wonderful to join you for Floral Friday…always great times!!! …. Have a beautiful weekend Pam!
Thank you dearest Shirley, have a lovely weekend❤️
Gorgeous, Pam, such a lovely table full of color! Love your picnic memories. Some of our most wonderful times have been picnics too.
Thanks so much Carole!❤️
Beautiful table! Yes, spent a lot of time at a table like that! Fried chicken was our picnic food too..no such thing as a grill to cook out on back in the day…but we still had lots of food and fun!
Yes, many sweet memories around a picnic table!
Oh Pam, this is beyond gorgeous! What a setting! I loved reading about your land and all the special memories…what a hoot that you and your brother used a picnic table for ping pong! Just delightful…
Jenna
Thank you dearest Jenna, we made do with what we had and had fun doing it!
Perfect Pam for a wonderful picnic. I LOVE picnics and the Captain and I go on them as often as we can if only to grab a loaf of bread and a package of deli meat (or baloney), a bag of chips and the ever present picnic basket in our car. Your picnic is so pretty and fried chicken is also a favorite as is mac salad. Of course I love the rose of sharon….and the special meaning behind the name, I think of our Savior. The flowers pick up the purple flowers in your lovely vase of flowers.
We have camped also and you are right, there is nothing like the smell of bacon frying over a campfire or coleman stove. The fresh smell of an early morning and a campfire. sigh!
Ella Mae is the icing on the cake so to speak. Thank you for refreshing my memories.
Thank you sweet friend for picnicking with me. Have a lovely weekend?
Lovely! Yes we had a picnic table and if we went to a park we used a picnic table to sit on. I’ve never been real fond of sitting on the ground for a picnic. Your floral arrangement is beautiful and I love the use of the mason jar. I’m imagining you and your brother playing ping pong on a picnic table- fun times! You have a beautiful story with the land you bought and started your new lives together with! Your granddaughter is beautiful!
Thank you Liz. I hope you have a beautiful Friday and weekend❤️
Oh how I love Floral Friday, and this may be my most favorite! I loved reading about your sweet memories, and you have such a lovely setting for a picnic. Everything looks gorgeous from the flowers to that pretty tablecloth! I’ll also have to add that you have the most adorable little helper! Enjoy your weekend, sweet friend!!!
Thank you my sweet friend. Have a wonderful weekend❤️
It looks so cool and inviting! It is so hot here in S.C., I can’t wait for Fall. My sister and I discovered a new favorite cheese called Comte’ in France. It is hard and salty and has been my afternoon snack with grapes all summer! The only place I can find it is Costco. I bet Ella Mae would love it too.
Your verse from Ephesians is perfect as I am struggling to forgive a friend who has deeply betrayed my trust and stolen a big hunk of money. Life lesson learned…never loan money to a friend. The betrayal hurts worse than the money.
Roxanne, I am so sorry to read of this betrayal. It is so hard to forgive, but I have learned that forgiveness frees us. Prayers for healing my friend?
Thank you Pam. I don’t need bitterness in my heart, so I am trying to let it go.
If you adopt the spirit of “neither a borrower nor a lender be” before lending anything -have a mindset that you might not get it back. Ie, low expectations. You will be less hurt if it doesn’t work out. My experience, it often doesn’t.
If you can’t afford to lose it, and it still must be done, get a contract.
Avoid going guarantor though, my girlfriend nearly lost her house over her son’s car loan. Only the pleadings of a social worker got the judge to show compassion.
Very wise words. Thank you!
Hi, Roxanne, I’m sorry I can’t leave a like, because I’ve lost my password. I wish you all the best and maybe praying will have a good result. ??
Cath
Pam, such a perfect setting for a picnic and your table is lovely. As I was reading of your first picnic on your land, it was almost identical to our story of our land and home in VA. We purchased the original 3 acres and had a picnic in the back of our truck – before the mosquitoes ran us away. We ended up purchasing surrounding acres over the years and ended with 21. Special times and I thank you for the memories.
I can’t fail to mention your arrangement in the blue mason jar, it is so pretty. Flowers in a mason jar always tugs at my heart for some reason. And, your precious Ella Mae – I know you treasure every moment with her. Have a lovely day and weekend, my friend.
Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful memories with me, what a joy to read. Wishing you a beauty-filled weekend my friend!
I may love this post best of any you have done, Pam, because it is so full of memories. (I especially loved the ping pong!) And wonderful that your life and those of your kids have involved picnics and special occasions. I love the setting — and your tablescape. There is something so perfect about flowers in jars. I have a zillion vases — large, small, cute, elegant, a bit of everything. But sometimes I just want the old ball jar. It just says ‘home.’
Thank you Jeanie, memories often flood my mind!
Pam, what beautiful memories to go with all the beauty you have created. Yes, we had a picnic table just like this. Your arrangement and tablecloth just speaks summer joy! Our girl is patiently waiting. Just beautiful.
Thank you Dianne, have a lovely Friday!
Your florals are all so beautiful! I look forward to having a cutting garden next year. Your blossoms are such a bright spot in your yard. My husband and I also camped in a tent when we were newlyweds!
I love your table display. It is so inviting. Do you know what pattern your tablecloth is? It is so beautiful. Thanks.
Thank you Karen. I purchased the tablecloth at TJ Maxx 3 or 4 years ago. I don’t know the pattern name, I am so sorry.
I am all over this post as everything about it appeals to me. I can close my eyes and imagine being right there enjoying a yummy picnic and the peace of being outdoors.
Thank you Linda!
Pam your little helper is a ray of sunshine. Love your table cloth. Since we lived in the city,the only time we sat on a picnic bench was when we went to the Gingerbread Castle during my dad’s vacation.
Marilyn
Thank you Marilyn, she is a sweetheart. City life gives different experiences. Happy weekend!
Thank You Pam for sharing your beautiful display. I love the Rose Of Sharon flowers. Every year since i have been in this house the Rose Of Sharon flowers have bloomed. Not this year. Your little helper is adorable. Happy Week End
Marion
Marion, I wonder why your Rose Of Sharon didn’t bloom this year. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!
Such a beautiful post and little helper! The Rose of Sharon in front of the wooded area is so peaceful and relaxing. I enjoyed your sweet sweet memories and stories, thank you.
Thank you so much Sue, have a wonderful weekend!
What a lovely and inviting post!Wonderful picnic!Our princess is a cutie!!!Hugs,dear friend.
Thanks so much Maristella!
You are so talented Pam, we still have those picnic tables in our national forests!
Thank you for your comment on my post “Tea party of life”, I received the notification in my email last night but when I logged in to approve & reply this morning on WordPress it was gone! Not sure what has happened. But thank you!
I would love some of that camp breakfast, yum, I can smell the bacon…mmmmm! 😀
Jennifer
Thank you Jennifer. WP seems to be having trouble.
Yes :-\
Pam, the tablescape is so beautiful, as always. Ella Mae is growing so fast, and she is just so precious. I can just feel the love. Betty
Thank you so much, Betty!
Oh, your little helper has the face of a cherub! She is just so beautiful ~ looks like she should grace baby magazine covers! And, those rose of sharon bushes are just so lovely to behold. The picnic is so inviting, and everything is arranged so perfectly. I have never had or made tomato-onion gravy, but it sure sounds delicious. My Daddy loved to eat fresh tomato slices with his bacon gravy, and that is still something I love to this day. I never eat it without thinking of him and missing him. Thanks for another inspiring and heartwarming past, sweet friend. God bless you!
Beautiful memories you have shared with me. Have a joy-filled Sunday sweet friend!
I love your tablecloth with so many pretty colors. Your floral arrangement in the aqua Ball jar is charming and your mixed bouquet has that freshly picked from the garden feel that I love. Your picnic table is very inviting with lovely linens, colorful dishes and tempting food.
It is very special to have a country escape for a picnic very close by. Love the story of your childhood picnics.
Your Rose of Sharon blooming in the background is the icing on the cake.
Pinning this morning and sorry I am late. Yesterday was a full day with the grandkids. Not a minute to spare.
Thank you Bonnie. I know you are having fun with the grands!
Oh Pam! This is so beautiful, and serene. The colors are perfect, the flowers are such a stunning compliment to the colors in the tablecloth. I love it best that the basket was used for such a special, meaningful picnic by your son! It’s such a joyful blessing to share our Floral Fridays together sweet friend. xo Lidy
Thank you dear Lidy. Have a beautiful Sunday❤️
Your picnic looks delightful! I grew up on a lake in Michigan and we had a picnic table that we ate dinners at most of the summer. We also were a camping family. There is nothing like the smell of bacon cooking in the outdoors on a Coleman stove!
Growing up on a lake and camping provide beautiful memories. Thank you Penny!
What a delightful place for a picnic!
Thank you so much Pam!
Not only do I love your table, Pam (what a great coordination of the cloth and flower bouquet!), but I love your sweet story of reminiscing the various time sin your life where the picnic was central. EM is just adorably patient in that photo.
*times in…lol
LOL?
Thank you Rita. We plan on enjoying our little picnic spot this fall!
Just lovely. Picnics are my friends favorite things. We always took picnics when we traveled growing up. I have Artesian Road but haven’t used for picnics but I sure plan to now. Thank you for the inspiration!
Sandi, we share Artesian Road. I loved all of the beautiful dish ware that she made.
How beautiful! It looks so inviting!
#SYClinky
Pam, it’s a beautiful setting! I can not even imagine how wonderful it would be to own 25 acres. Hubby and I always stop for picnics when we are on road trips. I get tired of eating every meal out. Simply delicious cheeses, fruits, and breads are so delightful! Growing up we spent a lot of time in the canyon and ate at picnic tables regularly. As young marrieds and with our older children we camped, in a tent as well. To this day I love camping and cooking outdoors! Hubby is a great outdoor cook also! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thank you for sharing your sweet memories with me!
Wow! Love the flowers, love the garden, love everything!!!….Christine
Thank you Christine!
Pam, this is such a beautiful post and I loved reading your memories. I too have sweet memories of picnics over the years. Picnics with our little boys were such special times. Most of the time our picnics involved simple sandwiches but ham and cheese never tasted so good!
Picnics wrapped in memories are the best. Thank you Stacey!