Red gingham says picnic before anyone reads a word. Rolled paper cherries hang in the corners, a bow sits at the bottom, and the message goes on an ivory scalloped card with an edge like scalloped lace. It is sweet without being babyish, which is exactly the line an eight-year-old girl wants you to walk.
Grown-ups can use it too. A cherry picnic is a lovely way to do a thirtieth or a mom’s birthday when nobody wants a restaurant.
Spread quilts under a tree, pack sandwiches in paper and cherries in paper cones, and bring a pie instead of a cake. A sack race and a three-legged race cost nothing and burn off the sugar. If the park has a pavilion, book it; a June afternoon can turn hot or rainy without asking.
