A MOVEMENT WORTH SITTING FOR

from Parker County LifeStyle Spring 2020

by RedFin

INTO THE WOODS, I GO

A Movement

Worth Sitting For

By Lindsay L Allen Photos by HLanoue Photography

In Texas, a picnic table is a common household item; a necessity for backyard barbeques, summer afternoons enjoying the sun and for hosting large gatherings.

While the picnic table that Kristin Schell purchased was to be initially used for all the above purposes, she had something totally different in mind when the delivery truck unloaded the picnic table.

Having already sensed the longing for slower paced moments that were welcoming to those around her, Kristin, an Austin, Texas resident, knew that she was to place her picnic table, which she painted turquoise, in the front yard and wait for neighbors to walk by so that

conversations and friendships could form. She ended up spending her free moments and mornings at the table with her coffee and something to keep her busy, like her laptop, a book or the Bible, as she waited for neighbors to pass by.

What followed was community.

Neighbors started joining her and bringing their friends and relationships took root, neighborhood children used the table to complete their homework and many cups of lemonade have been sold by her children and the neighbors from the same picnic table that was originally meant to live in the backyard.

Now, turquoise tables are in all fifty states and 14 countries, encouraging neighborhood relationships and providing an opportunity to step away from busy schedules and enjoy the sweet moments of life.

Not all tables will be a picnic table, but the heart behind each remains-a table conveniently located for gathering neighbors and allowing relationships to form. Parker County is proud to be a place where The Turquoise Table® is embraced and implemented.

Kathryn Ellis took the first steps in this area, having read about the movement in an Austin magazine. After moving to Parker County, Kathryn and her husband, Dick, decided the table would be a perfect opportunity to meet neighbors. “This is a way to show our neighbors that we are welcoming and that we enjoy when people stop by,” she said. “Our street is so busy and I am just so excited about all the possibilities of our table. We are just now in the beginning stages!”

For Kathryn and Dick, the neighborhood relationships are something to look forward to, but what made it extra special was the time spent prepping the table. “Our grandkids came over and helped us paint the table and it was such a special time explaining the purpose of it all to them and spending time together as we painted,” Kathryn said.

The Turquoise Table doesn’t stop at the Ellis home. Courtney McKeown, director of missions and advancement at Weatherford Christian School (WCS), came across the movement by happenchance as well, just like Kathryn.

“I was heading out to the pool for Labor Day weekend and grabbed a book off the shelves I had just filled for my high school girls’ Bible study,” Courtney recalled. “I had no idea what The Turquoise Table book was about, but once I started reading, I couldn’t stop! Next thing I knew I had finished the book after staying up to read it and was ordering a picnic table. My husband rolled over at 2:00 a.m. and wanted to know why I was ordering a picnic table. I told him I would explain it all the next morning!”

Courtney is focused on bringing a picnic table to her home and also to WCS. “I live in a 120-year-old Queen Anne Victorian home and I started thinking about the family who lived in our home many years ago and what they had intended the large wrap around porch of our home to be used for. It was meant for community and fellowship! The problem is that in this day and age, if I am sitting on my porch, no one is going to just walk up and join me. However, if I have a table in my yard that is closer to the street, it will be more inviting!” she stated.

After reading the book she decided to drive back by a home that had a turquoise table in the yard that she had noticed just one week prior. When Courtney knocked on the door, she ended up knowing the lady who answered (a former art teacher at WCS)! Turns out the home belonged to her parents, Kathryn and Dick Ellis.

“The table is not meant to be a perfectly curated moment. It is a place to gather and fellowship-plain and simple.”

Painting a picnic table turquoise? Putting it in your FRONT yard? Open your eyes to the phenomena that embraces community, friendship and conversation.

Courtney ended up bringing her Bible study girls over to the Ellis home to enjoy time together at the table. The thing that stuck with Courtney the most from reading the book and learning more about the movement is that the table is not a “Pinterest opportunity”.

“The table is not meant to be a perfectly curated moment. It is a place to gather and fellowship-plain and simple. This resonated with me because I know I have missed opportunities to minister to others because my house wasn’t clean and perfectly set,” Courtney stated.

The author, Kristin, said, “I could write another book on all the lessons I’ve learned from The Turquoise Table! My life has changed in two powerful ways: first, the relationships I have now with my neighbors are deep and abiding. I cannot imagine life without them. Second, the table has taught me the importance of showing up and being present. Showing up, over and over again, for planned gatherings or spontaneous one-on-one cups of coffee with a friend matter. Even on the days I was tired, or it was 100 degrees outside, or no one came, showing up matters.”

There are not set rules to The Turquoise Table other than to be present. At WCS, the picnic table is meant to be a gathering place for students of all ages on the playground. “Our first gathering at the table included lemonade and cookies between the older students and kindergartners. We are making an effort to build community between our older students and the younger students,” Courtney said.

Someone Courtney knows wasn’t able to put a table in her yard per the Home Owner’s Association rules, so she has a turquoise cart in her workplace, a hospital, to signal to visitors and employees that this is a welcoming spot. After learning about this turquoise cart (that happened to be local) through Kristin’s podcast, Courtney reached out to see how she and her Bible study girls could help. They are now providing crackers that can be passed out on the cart for the parents not wanting to leave their child’s bedside, since soup is the meal offered to them at the hospital.

With such a beautiful purpose, it is only a matter of time before Turquoise Tables are spotted all over the county and neighbors come together to share life when they gather to share a seat at the table.

If you would like to know more about The Turquoise Table and follow creator, Kristin Schell’s story, visit theturquoisetable.com and register your own table while you are there or check out her book, The Turquoise Table: Finding Community and Connection in Your Own Front Yard.

The book is filled with practical and stress-free ideas for kick-starting your own Turquoise Table. Kristin share recipes, hospitality tips, stories from people using Turquoise Tables in their own neighborhoods, and encouragement to overcome barriers that keep us from connecting.

Special thanks to the Weatherford Lowes for donating the picnic table and paint to Weatherford Christian School for their very own Turquoise Table. PCLS