A Haven for Vee

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Fences and Friends


In the end, it's not about the fence after all. I had said that I couldn't have guests over because the chippy white fence was too disgraceful. So John has been building a fence and it has come out so nicely. Do you see how he made a plate rail for me? Guess that he isn't too fond of my nailing into fences or something.


So where was I? Oh, yes, it's not all about fences, the food, the clothes, the hairdo or new sandals. It's all about the friends who arrive and dine at our table. I hope that I remember this lesson for the next time.

I took no pictures of our friends while they dined and laughed and told fun stories. Sometimes a camera just gets in the way. The umbrella taking off and sailing just inches over their faces is an image in my memory alone.  = |

One cute story was about our friend's traveling with a Gospel Quartet through Nova Scotia where he and the others were served ham and potato salad every evening. The only difference was the color of the potato salad. One night it was yellow, the next blue, the next green, the next pink. Apparently, food coloring was added to the potato salads to make them look pretty. Ever heard of that?

It's raining again today. I can't allow it to slow me down, though, because we're still in busy, busy, busy mode here. Hopefully, by Saturday, I can relax.


Don't know what's causing all that steam...we'll call it mists on a rainy day.

Take care now...

32 comments:

  1. When we were on a singing tour in England in the 70's we were served salad with salad creme at every stop!
    Might consider coloring my potatoes LOL...actually beets added to potatoes make them a lovely color...
    But I digress.
    Love the fence and the plate rail is genius :o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. When John builds a fence...he really builds a fence! Plate rails and a scalloped top...it's a work of art.

    Did you serve ham and potato salad? We've had potato salad around here a few times of late...though never in any wild colours. Potatoes, eggs, green onion and dressing = pale yellow potato salad.

    Don't let your drizzle slow you down! What are so so busy with?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Food coloring in potato salad...not for me. But, I guess if you don't mind it would be kind of pretty ...and if you were eating it every night you could persuade yourself that it was something unique. LOL

    Love the fence and the plate rail!!
    Great job, John!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would have never thought about adding a plate rail to a fence. It is a great idea. Wondering what happens when neighborhood cats jumpthe fence. Either they are greatly surprised or they snoop out a favorite plate to sit by...they seem to understand the concept of finding good backgrounds for photo ops.
    Kudos to John's excellent fencing skills!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow dear Vee, the fence is glorious and the idea of adding a plate rack? PURE GENIUS!! Love it and love the image of dyed potato salad AND the umbrella sailing over the diners.

    Love to you and enjoy the gentle rains,

    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  6. So happy for the fence completion!

    Gracious but John is a busy bee this summer! Does he get a time-out, when Autumn arrives? -grin-

    I'm sure your friends were more at ease, when you left your camera inside. Let's face it, someone always get "caught" with a mouthful, or some such, when we take pics of a gathering. :-)

    Plus, I know it makes my family "antsy," to have me hovering around, with a camera. Unless there is a specified time, for pic taking... Everyone knows and everyone is at-the-ready.

    Then........ Mom put the camera away! :-) (I do, mostly...)

    Enjoy your busy time! Worry not about reading blogs or commenting. A break-for-something-different, is a beeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful thing to take. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the fence! Wish I could talk my hubby into building one for me! We finally had a break in the oppressive heat--it rained yesterday and more chances of rain today! A high of only 93 today!!! So much better than the 114 degree day last week!
    I STILL love summer, but as usual by August am looking forward to autumn!
    V

    ReplyDelete
  8. The fence looks great and I love that you have plates on display! How fun.

    You are right....it is about the friends....
    Hugs,
    Penny

    ReplyDelete
  9. John sure did a great job on the fence and I love the plate lined up around the top! We were eating on the deck one breezy day when the umbrella took right off out of the base! I had been holding on to it when a gust came but I wasn't prepared for such a big one. Funny experience. Dizzly here today and cool. :-(

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've never heard of coloring potato salad, this would be interesting, but somehow pink potato salad doesn't sound tasty to me.

    John did a fantastic job of the new fence, and the plate rail..... how good that is!!!

    Nothing more fun than having a meal with friends....
    The image of the umbrella is a good one!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the fence! Sounds like you had a great time! Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  12. John does beautiful carpentry work, Vee! I love the plate rail addition. I've seen fly away table umbrellas before -- hope no one got hurt!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a clever idea putting the plate rail on the fence!!
    No, I never heard of coloring potato salad.

    ReplyDelete
  14. So true about picture taking during a meal, I'm too busy visiting, probably why I don't have any. Love the plate rail on the fence.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Clever man, that John! A plate rail!

    I have never heard of food coloring in potato salad either. Not sure about that, though it doesn't change the taste, it is just a mental thing. Like when the color ketchup was popular - Tim made the kids sloppy joes with green ketchup. The taste was normal, but the kids couldn't not get past the color - they called them "snotty joes." Ewww...

    I guess that was more than you wanted to know, isn't it?!

    Deanna

    ReplyDelete
  16. Vee, you've got one smart man there - I could sure use a handy-man around my farm! That was a super idea to put the plate rail on there! He's really been paying attention to your likes! What a sweet man you're married to!

    Don't know if I could potato salad any other color except yellow. Blue or green might not be too apetizing. Guess you could eat with your eyes closed... might stick it up your nose tho. Let's don't go there... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a great idea John had to make a plate rail for your plates. Your fence is an original, never seen that before.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love the plate rail on the fence! Men have such a discrete way of telling us what they think. ;-) He is quite the handyman without a doubt. Entertaining is always so much fun, especially when guests can entertain you with tales and you have plenty of your own when they leave! Maybe if I add food coloring to my potato salad the family will eat it.

    Enjoy your rain. I wish you could send a little down this way!

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  19. John seems to be a man of many talents. The fence turned out so nice and the plate rack is a great idea. Think of the fun you will have with it!
    Food color in potato salad is a new one to me.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The fence with the plate rail is ingenious! Friends and family *are* more important than paint or even a clean floor. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I would have a really hard problem eating blue potato salad. In fact, anything blue would be hard to swallow. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeeeeeah..not so much on the colors of potato salad..yikes!
    love the plates on the fence...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Plate rail....he thinks of everything!

    ReplyDelete
  24. That plate rail is totally adorable! You are so lucky!

    ReplyDelete
  25. John sure built a beauty of a fence! And a plate rail?! The man adores you, that's why you have a plate rail built into your outdoor dining space! I don't intrude and take pictures of folks at gatherings either.

    LOL, when we go to Nova Scotia later on this year, I'll have to keep on the lookout for potato salad of many colors!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Great fence - i love the plate rail - brilliant!!! Yes, we spend too much time worrying about things - i always want to have more people over with less preparation. I think people like us better when we're a little imperfect. i once had a work friend who i invited over for dinner and she informed me "my husband and i are serious foodies - we like Very Important Dinners" or something to that effect. after having them over once, we never invited them again. I like the kind of people who are grateful someone else cooked. Love your yard. :)
    xo T.
    (P.S. This would be a good topic for a blog post...!)

    ReplyDelete
  27. What a thoughtful husband to build you a plate railing...sounds so like my Dad.

    Yes it is the fellowship that it is all about...colored food..reminds me of Green Eggs and Ham

    Have a great weekend...so glad you are getting the rain...share some with us.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Your fence looks great! I thought you were kidding when you said he put up a plate rail. I didn't notice them in the first shot. Too cute. I've never seen that before!

    Just curious. Where is the wind up on a husband. I can't seem to find it on mine. Maybe it's a factory defect?

    Blessings, Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  29. Debbie~

    It must be remembered that John and I are newlyweds having recently celebrated our third anniversary. That probably has a lot to do with it, yes?

    All the best,

    Vee

    ReplyDelete
  30. What a brilliant idea to turn the fence into a plate rack,

    ReplyDelete
  31. Great fence, lady. And I can't think of much more fun than having pretty plates all lined up on the new fence.
    I agree..it's always about the friends.

    ReplyDelete
  32. A plate rail on a fence is genius! My hangers are getting rusty from the elements. I must show this to my husband.

    ReplyDelete

🕊
If comments disappear, please don't fret. A simple "hi" will do. The platform surely needs some maintenance.