I’ve Been Thinking About Picnics
Clockwise from top-left: 1. picnic basket; 2. foldable picnic blanket; 3. Bass sandals; 4. rosé 5. Picardie glasses; 6. screen-printed napkins; 7. bocce set; 8. grill
Right after my 29th birthday in April, I was tempted to make one of those “30 before 30″ lists. I started to make one, but it was heavy with Big Life Things that started to send me into a panic. Sebastian suggested I lighten it up a little bit. So I added, “Stay in bed all day reading” (accomplished!) and spend an afternoon picnicking in the park.
My favorite picnics were the ones I had with my mom and little brother on the mossy banks of Turtle Creek with homemade deviled eggs and store-bought fried chicken. We rode bikes there, with my brother in one of those toddler-on-a-bike seats. It somehow felt cool down there, even on the hottest days, and I loved sitting in the shade and dipping my toes in the water.
And then there’s the reality of the thing. When my book club met for a picnic recently, I admit I huffed and puffed with annoyance on the way there. The subway was detoured, I took a wrong turn. A tourist asked me for directions and I may or may not have confused her. But as I was walking through the park, trying to find my blanket of lady friends, I saw a woman under a tree, the newspaper spread out in front of her sipping an iced coffee. I looked at her and something just suddenly made sense.
My weekend routine usually involves a large chunk of time spent reading in bed, a coffee delivery brought right to my bedside by a really sweet guy I married. But seeing this woman, toes in the grass, I saw that sometimes a bit of extra effort is worth it. I could get out of bed, I could put on clothes, I could walk up to the park. And it would be awesome. It might seem counterintuitive for lazy lovers of relaxation, but somehow, sometimes extending a little bit of effort actually enhances your enjoyment. Sounds obvious; felt like a revelation.
Which is why I have a new appreciation for picnics, and saying yes to adventures that might require a bit more effort. It seems like a pain in the ass to pack lunch up and figure out how to keep the drinks cold. But once you’re there, on mossy banks or in a city park or in your backyard–or even, as my friend and I did on a recent rainy Friday night–on the living room floor, it’s really one of life’s most simple pleasures.
Here’s hoping your weekend is filled with lots of those kinds of delights.
Mallory: There’s also the reality of the ants and the mosquitoes, and the wind trying to blow your newspaper away, accompanied by a lack of restrooms. But you’re right, it can all be worth it.47 weeks ago
Kristina Strain: Let’s hear it for picnics! Yes, there is that element of extra planning involved, but oh, so worth it. I wrote about one we took last summer here. I got all the recipes from an old Vegetarian Times that did a feature on picnic-ready fare; worth tracking down if you’d like!47 weeks ago
Ruth@GraceLaced: Well said! And here’s to not worrying about packaging everything up perfectly so (as Martha does on her long horse-back rides), but throwing all your favories in a sack and grabbing a big blanket. My kiddos ultimately would care less about how charming my picnic is– they just want to get there and enjoy it..and enjoy me!47 weeks ago
Cadi: I LOVE picnics. My favorite spot is at a winery here that has sprawling grounds and an organic farm. Their ‘yard’ is littered with tiny rusting bistro sets and bocce courts, and it’s so easy to laze the afternoon away under the wisteria arbor (and pretend the yard is mine, which I do). My favorite part is that, if the wine runs out and the afternoon has not, there’s more a short walk away in the tasting room. And at the close of the day, you can go in, purchase some fresh eggs from the winery hens and a loaf of bread and produce for the next morning, and make your way home. My personal heaven.
Here’s to hoping your weekend involves a picnic – I think your post inspired me to have one of my own.
47 weeks ago
Cadi, I do believe you have perhaps found heaven on earth. Or at least the perfect picnic site in existence!47 weeks ago
Claire: I live a 15-minute (if that) walk away from Lake Michigan in Chicago. And I *never* go. So one of my summer resolutions has been to spend more time by the lake — I’ve already gone three times so far! You’re right, though, it’s those few extra minutes of effort…but the payoff is so worth it. !47 weeks ago
Claire, That’s like me and Prospect Park, and I have the very same resolution!47 weeks ago
Bekah: Sarah,
This quote sums up parts of my random thinking this year: “extending a little bit of effort actually enhances your enjoyment.” Sometimes I have a hard time with the concept of celebration. There’s always something more important to be done, it’s just a step in life so get over it, etc. No cynicism at all, obviously. But I’ve learned that celebration is so closely connected with beauty and thankfulness that it’s worth the extra effort just to connect with that part inside craving joy. Even if it is a little thing, like going outdoors to read with toes in the grass, or if it is a big thing, like planning a wedding and getting slightly frazzled in the doing, it’s so well worth it just to revel in life for a while. Continual work without taking a moment to appreciate it is so heartbreaking. Thank you for prompting us, your readers, to seek out the joyful parts of life lurking behind our practical (and sometimes cynical) routines.47 weeks ago
Kristine: Thanks for the inspiration! I spend all winter dreaming of being outside in the summer and then summer rolls around and I find I don’t make the effort. Those little efforts have a big pay off and I am going to wiggle my toes in the grass this weekend thanks to you!47 weeks ago
Alethea Lee: (I’ve been lurking for several months now, but this post was so lovely that I thought I should finally screw my courage to the sticking point and comment.)
I’ve never been on a picnic in my life, but it’s something I always wanted to try as a young child, and this post has definitely reawakened the longing. Picnics seem so full of promise to me, a reminder that there’s a great big world outside of your house and daily routine, even if you usually don’t take the time to notice it–or make the effort to enjoy it. It’s like that first spring day when you force yourself to open the windows, put up the screens, and let the natural light and fresh air filter through your house after a winter trapped indoors.
When my mother was a girl, she spent her summer days by the creek on her parent’s property with nothing but a packed lunch and a book to read when she got tired of swimming. I’ve always thought that sounded like the perfect childhood summer day; maybe it’s not too late for me to reinstate the tradition!47 weeks ago
Katie: I love the idea of extending a little effort for a lot more enjoyment. (And I need to have some picnics this summer!) Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah – hope you had a lovely weekend.47 weeks ago
Julie: I had a little picnic in Prospect Park yesterday afternoon, and thought about this awesome picnic board. I was wishing for the bocce set (and a glass of rose!). Next time!47 weeks ago
Bekah, You thank me, but thank you for such a beautiful comment. It really means so much to me.
Alethea, I’m so glad you finally commented!
Your mother’s summer afternoons sound like what I always wanted as a girl. That kind of wandering solitude where you have everything you need–a book and lunch–all by yourself in nature. I hope thinking about that reinspires you to take your long longed-for picnic!47 weeks ago
Kanesha: So fun and feels like a super summer motivator.
I do get dragged down by the extra effort, sometimes, especially when I’m corralling my kids. On days like that – when I still want a picnic, I just stop at the grocery store for the fixin’s.47 weeks ago
Cindy J.: The best thing to me about a picnic, is that anything at all that you make at home and pack up is so delicious when you get around to eating it on your expedition, and you will feel so good that you brought real food, especially if everyone around you is eating McDonalds. I have to remind myself all the time that the food doesn’t need to be Martha-perfect, it can be anything I have on hand that can be thrown together in ten minutes. Leftovers, plus some fruit and drinks, can be great (learned that one from Mom)!47 weeks ago
Gemma: I’m finally catching up on my blog reading after being on holiday and just had to comment. While we were in Portland we had a picnic that was simply a loaf of good bread, a small goats cheese, hummus and some apples. It reminded me of how simple a picnic can be. Now I just need Scotland to remember that it is supposed to be Summer and I can get out for some more picnics, both simple and elaborate.45 weeks ago
Roxanne: A little more effort. Those definitely sum up the way I’ve been trying to live lately. Of course it’s been really easy to fall back into old habits, but the days where I do succeed, are always better for it.
And now I have to go buy a bocce ball set ^_^44 weeks ago