Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
  • Home
  • Carole Julius Photography
You are here: Home / That's Life / A Picnic Table Story

A Picnic Table Story

September 2, 2009 By Carole

Our family has been in need of a new picnic table since last summer.  The old one, which I got as a gift on my first mother’s day, was nearing 16 years of pretty heavy use and one day when Dale moved it to mow the law it just sort of fell apart.  So the search for a new table began.  You would think this would be a simple thing.  It certainly seemed to me that I saw picnic tables for sale on every corner . . . until I needed to get one myself.

So we looked last summer and we looked again this summer.  And we found nothing.  Sure, we could have gone to a Mill Store and got one but those aren’t generally very good quality.  A few weeks ago I asked our carpenter friend Bill if he knew anyone making picnic tables.  Now, Bill is a master carpenter (he’s the one who redid our dining room for us) so I honestly didn’t think he’d be interested in making picnic tables himself, but I thought he might have a lead on finding one.  He said he’d look into it and let us know.

Fast forward a few more weeks and we’re spending the day at my favorite pond and Bill’s wife Mary is there.  She asks if we’ve found a picnic table yet and I tell her that we haven’t.  She says that Bill has started making them.  He figured that if we couldn’t find one then other people couldn’t find them either and he thought it would be a good way to make a few extra bucks since master carpenters aren’t in heavy demand these days.   I tell Mary we definitely want one and offer to give her a check on the spot.  She says, no, you can pay Bill when he gets it done.  I’m very pleased with all of this and figure we’ll have the new table in a few weeks.

picnic table

We came home from the pond to find our new picnic table on our lawn.  You’ve got to love a friend who has talent. And a pick up truck.

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailK is for Kitchen Table Default ThumbnailMay Day Socks & NH Picnic Plans Default ThumbnailHoly Potluck Picnic, Batman! Default ThumbnailTable for Two
« Socks on Tuesday
I Saw Her Standing There »

Filed Under: That's Life

Comments

  1. Kirsten says

    September 2, 2009 at 6:58 am

    What a sweet guy! And what a lovely surprise to come home too. I hope you’re sitting out there having your coffee this morning!

  2. Norma says

    September 2, 2009 at 7:23 am

    SWEET!

  3. gale (she shoots sheep shots) says

    September 2, 2009 at 7:23 am

    Great story! Enjoy your beautiful new table- what a perfect week for using it, too,

  4. Manise says

    September 2, 2009 at 7:41 am

    Nice! What a lovely guy!

  5. Jeanne says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:05 am

    Carol, don’t you love that there are still master carpenters still
    out there??? Love the picnic table!
    I have a question, have you ever been to the Vermont Sheep
    and Wool Festival and if so, can you recommend vendors that
    I should make sure I stop by to look at their yarn (not fleece)?
    Are the vendors centrally located or spread all over?

  6. Renee says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:09 am

    What a fabulous friend!!

    A picnic table can’t get any better than one from a master carpenter. I’d buy one from him if he was near by.

  7. jill says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:15 am

    A classic! It’s going to see years of good use.

  8. Joy says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:30 am

    Great table – enjoy! I just wish he were closer, as ours isn’t in too good shape 😉

  9. Patty says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:39 am

    Let’s get out the citronella and start cooking! 🙂

  10. Vicki says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:39 am

    Ali’s BF works for a cabinet maker and is in the 2nd week of a layoff (not the first layoff) — master carpenters, electricians, plumbers, man, anybody with a job in a construction-related industry is spending a lot of days doing other things. Your friend was smart to see an opportunity — I hope the picnic tables are helping to fill the gaps (and pay the bills). Your table is wonderful — how great that he delivered it, too!

  11. Lori Bollinger says

    September 2, 2009 at 8:48 am

    So how much was it and how can I get in touch with Bill?

  12. kathy b says

    September 2, 2009 at 9:40 am

    OH now you need a picnic cloth so its beauty and newness doesn’t get stained too soon. DOn’t you think?
    You sit close at a picnic table and it makes for such good conversation.

  13. Barbara-Kay says

    September 2, 2009 at 9:48 am

    What a beautiful finished object! Even though it isn’t a knit object, you may do the happy dance.

  14. Ina says

    September 2, 2009 at 9:55 am

    Wow, *great* FO!

  15. Danielle says

    September 2, 2009 at 10:02 am

    You have fantastic friends.

  16. Hillary says

    September 2, 2009 at 10:04 am

    Amazing. I hope that you enjoy the new one for many, many, years with good food and great friends.

  17. Carrie says

    September 2, 2009 at 10:11 am

    I hope you stick that in the front yard for a little while and advertise his skills! Gorgeous. (Who knew a picnic table could be a work of art? Besides Bill, I mean.)

  18. Marcia says

    September 2, 2009 at 10:17 am

    Nice table! My resident Master Carpenter made me take pictures of the very different ones we saw at the Maine Maritime Museum, but a picnic table is pretty far down my list of things I want him to make: I have at least five orders, IF he decides to make them again, for his Mr. Plyer plying boxes! And we need a wine bar/liquor cabinet for the family room. And he owes the granddaughter a bed for her AG doll.

  19. Knitnana says

    September 2, 2009 at 11:24 am

    Not only is that a terrific story, but that’s a gorgeous table!! JUST the style I remember from years of picnics along Rt 11 headed north…
    I won’t try to describe the one my Dad made – it was functional, but nowhere near as beautiful…But then, he hated working with wood, and preferred metal. It was… um… odd.
    😉
    (((hugs)))

  20. Nora says

    September 2, 2009 at 11:30 am

    Completely fabulous! I love a picnic table – my dad made a similar one years ago, and unfortunately it’s long gone.

  21. Sylvia says

    September 2, 2009 at 12:11 pm

    What kind of wood did he uses for that darker diagonal brace? Wish Bill lived on my coast…

  22. sprite says

    September 2, 2009 at 12:26 pm

    What awesome (and talented) friends!

  23. Cookie says

    September 2, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    That is a beautiful table!

    How smart of Bill to start making them! I think that’s really an item that is hard to find these days in any kind of good quality. So much outdoor furniture is crap nowdays.

    Lucky girl!

  24. Ruth says

    September 2, 2009 at 3:17 pm

    That is a very handsome table. Bill is a good friend to have.

  25. Kelli says

    September 2, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    That’s cute. It’s a nice looking table too.

  26. deb says

    September 2, 2009 at 6:27 pm

    Love.That.Table! You DO have the best friends girl!

  27. Jean says

    September 2, 2009 at 11:06 pm

    What a wonderful picnic bench and I’m sure you’ll share many memorable times there.

  28. Sarah says

    September 3, 2009 at 3:39 am

    How great that you have a wonderful new table ready for fun times and memories, and all the better that it was made by a friend.

  29. Ida says

    September 3, 2009 at 6:02 am

    It’s a nice table, and a nice story. I think you will enjoy it. I think your friend Bill will sell quite a few of them.

  30. Teyani says

    September 3, 2009 at 11:29 am

    looks very inviting!
    and I agree with those above that Bill will be selling a bunch! That’s a really stunning table.

  31. JessaLu says

    September 4, 2009 at 10:57 am

    Delivery is priceless! ;o)

  32. HB says

    September 5, 2009 at 10:13 am

    Love it ! We are in the market for a nice table as well. So far we found a home made one we’d probably have to sand a little bit for around $200. I think it’s a 12 footer…

Archives

carole AT caroleknits DOT net
my read shelf:
Carole's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf)

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Carole has read 15 books toward her goal of 75 books.
hide
15 of 75 (20%)
view books

carolejuliusphoto

It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tr It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tradition with my gardening bestie @doemack87 . I think we even left some plants behind … maybe. 🤣 #plantshopping #containergardening #plantsgalore #flowersaremagical
Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pe Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pepperoni for him. I’m loving our @oonihq pizza oven. #oonipizzaoven #ooni #margheritapizza #pepperonipizza #homemadeisbest #imadeitmyself #summernights
Fred has assured me that there is no pea under tha Fred has assured me that there is no pea under that pile of quilts. #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecat #princessandthepea #pileofquilts
First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer hash browns with avocado and crispy fried eggs. Delicious! And so nice to enjoy under the pergola. #breakfastalfresco #inmybackyard #airfryerhashbrown
Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. # Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. #fridaynightsnacks #martinitime #cheeseandcrackers #happyhourathome #itsspringbutfeelslikesummer
Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beau Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beauties while we can. #ranunculus #flowersaremagical #springblooms #crossstreetflowerfarm
Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siameseca Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #siamesecats
It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooo It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooof, what a week. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #martinitime #thosenapkinsthough #iwishiwasaunicornsoicouldstabpeoplewithmyhead #fuckyouscotus
Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday mornin Egg in the hole for breakfast this Saturday morning. So delicious with @paindavignoncafe bread and local eggs. #saturdaymorningvibes #egginthehole #itswhatsforbreakfast #localfood #eatlocal
In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have In this week’s adventures with the Ooni, we have expanded to pepperoni. It’s quite good! @ooni.it #oonipizzaoven #homemadeisbest #pepperonipizza #pizzafriday #fridaynightsnacks
Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdec Hoppy Spring! #happyspring #happyeaster #easterdecor #daffodilbouquet
My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. The My first pizza in our new @ooni.it pizza oven. There’s room for improvement but it’s still very very tasty. #fridaynightsnacks #pizzafriday #oonipizzaoven #neopolitanpizza #margaritapizza #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #martinitime
The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill The squill is blooming, it must be spring! #squill #scilla #springishere #flowersaremagical
I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 year I’ve been making sourdough bread for over 2 years now (I started before the pandemic, ironically enough) and this might just be one of my best loaves. The dough was sluggish yesterday and not ready to be proofed when I went to bed so I stuck the plastic bucket in the fridge and hoped for the best. Turns out the overnight bulk fermentation resulted in a beautiful, bouncy dough. I can’t wait to cut into it and check out the crumb but it’s still cooling down. #sourdoughbread #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #breadbaker
Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #o Happy Spring, friends! #springishere #snowdrops #ostara #flowersaremagical #inmygardentoday
And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are bac And just like that … Friday Night Snacks are back outside. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #falsespring #outdoordining #martinitime #cocktailsonthedeck #itslikeweneverleft
Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepa Sláinte! #happystpatricksday #cruditè #minishepardspie #everybodysirishonstpatricksday
Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecat Oh heyyyyy #siamesecats #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #blueeyedcat #littermatesforlife
Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and thin Happy FriYay, friends. The world is heavy and things feel uncertain, it’s okay to take a respite and enjoy some drinks and snacks to wind down the week. #fridaynightsnacks #cocktailsathome #martinitime #respitefromtheworld #cheeseandcrackers
It’s a fish chowder and biscuits kind of night. It’s a fish chowder and biscuits kind of night. #fishchowder #homemadebiscuits #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest #homecooking
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

ABC Along Adventures of Dale and Carole Birthdays Bloggers Books Charity Knitting Contests Eye Candy Friday Feeling Crafty Fiber Festivals Food Good, Bad, Ugly Hmmm Knitting Knitting Olympics Macro Monday Memes Monday On My Mind Movies One Little Word Photography Project Spectrum Quilting Random Read With Us Reenacting Run For Your Life Saturday Posts Selfies Show & Tell Sock Knitting Spinning Sunday Funnies Swaps Ten on Tuesday Thankfulness That's Life Think Write Thursday Three Things Throwback Thursday Thursday Things Uncategorized Vacations Wordless Words in the Wild

Copyright 2014 Carole Knits · Log in