The Turquoise Table Sign Up Information

Hi John,

Thank you for registering your Turquoise Table. Please keep in touch - I look forward to hearing your Front Yard People stories.

We''ve created a place for Turquoise Table Owners to gather around a virtual table. A place where you can meet fellow Table Owners, swap ideas, share stories. Please join us in The Turquoise Table Community.

Here''s what you do:

1. Click the Join Us link (below)
2. Sign Up
3. Click on the Discovery section on the left side of your screen. You''ll see 3 welcome articles to walk you through setting up your profile and downloading the mobile app.

I promise it''s easy. I''ll see you there!

Join Us

Also, be sure and share photos on social media. Your story could be the encouragement someone else needs.

Dear John,

I''ve been struggling. I know we all have. There''s so much change, uncertainty and unrest in our lives. Not just the world in general, but in our actual, everyday lives.

One thing I try to focus on are silver linings during this unimaginable pandemic, which for better or worse, I refer to as The Pandammit.

Family time ranks 100% at the top of the list. For five and a half months we had all four of our children back in the nest. Not for Christmas or college breaks, but really living at home. I refer to this as my Encore Performance. I cooked holiday-esque meals on weeknights, baked sourdough bread from starter, added extra softener to the laundry, and stayed up way too late watching crappy movies because the kids invited me.

When will I have the chance again to have all four of children living at home?

At first it was good, really good. But then I sorta crashed. The days blurred into weeks, my rhythms and routines were gone. I lost my mojo. Then, we slowly started venturing out in to the world again. At first, going to the grocery store was surreal. Now, grabbing a mask on the way out the door is as habitual as making sure my phone and wallet are in tow.

For me the kicker is some things have gone back to normal and other things haven''t. So, there is no "new normal." It''s just all weird.

My girlfriends and I have tried to pinpoint how we are feeling. The best we can come up with is "not quite depressed, not quite bored, but just not right." I refer to this as my Goldilocks Mood.

In her article Your ''Surge Capacity'' is Depleted -- It''s Why You Feel Awful, Tara Haelle shares a similar emotional mood "an anxiety-tainted depression mixed with ennui that I can''t kick." When she added "along with a complete inability to concentrate," I knew I wasn''t alone.

Haelle, a science journalist, set out to figure out her own mood, and in doing so helped me put words to mine.

Ambiguous Loss

Ambiguous loss is any loss that''s unclear and lacks a resolution.

Haelle interviewed Pauline Boss, PhD, a family therapist and professor at the University of Minnesota who says of our collective ambiguous loss, "In this case, it is a loss of a way of life, of the ability to meet up with our friends and extended family." Boss goes on to list loss of rituals like weddings, graduations, funerals, and loss of experiences like going to work, school, the gym. "These were all things we were attached to and fond of, and they''re gone right now, so the loss is ambiguous."

I encourage you to read the article, but so as not to leave you hanging, can you guess the most important thing when dealing with ambiguous loss?

Focus on maintaining and strengthening relationships

And all our turquoise loving, front yard people said, "Amen!"

Staying connected to people and keeping our social support systems healthy are critical during times of crisis and loss. As Haelle says, "That includes helping others, even when we''re feeling depleted ourselves."

So, here''s me. Checking in on you. Wondering how you are doing? Does Ambiguous Loss resonate with you, too?

Feel free to respond to this email, or join us in The Turquoise Table Community where we can share in a safe, group setting.

And, if you''re feeling short on time or the cat''s got your tongue, no pressure to respond to me. Maybe take the opportunity to reach out to a friend or neighbor.

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Count The Happies

• I have read about a trillion books during The Pandammit. Vanishing Half is at the tip top of my list.
• Tony and I have brought back Happy Hour and enjoy sipping cocktails together on the back porch. This Honey Mint Vodka Mojito is my current favorite. YUM!
• Because it''s blazing hot in Texas, we use this outdoor fan to keep our cool. It literally drops the temperature 10-15 degrees so we can take our time with those cocktails.
• I LOVE Olive & June manicure kits. Since getting a mani-pedi isn''t happening right now, the girls and I are perfecting our at home manicures! I''m currently wearing OJSM.

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Suppers for Sharing

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My family LOVED this yummy and simple dish. It was a perfect weeknight supper.

Recipe: Corn Risotto with Roasted Shrimp ?

Conversation Starter: What''s one silver lining you are grateful for during this uncertain season?

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"Our family has decided that we are #frontyardpeople. We are a family who deliberately spends time in our front yard and we welcome others to gather with us." Elizabeth @the.neighborhood.table.

Be sure to tag your gatherings #theturquoisetable and #frontyardpeople so we can cheer you on! I love sharing your stories!

xo, Kristin

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Thought I''d check in and see if you''ve added any new names to your list of neighbors. If you missed my last email, I sent you a cheat sheet to make it easy to learn your neighbors'' names.

Whether you know one person in your neighborhood by name or twenty, your next step is to say YES. Look at your calendar, check the weather, and commit to hosting a casual get-together. Bonus points if you get your own Turquoise Table. But, table or not, don''t wait to meet your neighbors.

You''re ready, I promise. Ask a friend to help you out if you want. Then, invite the people on your list. Don''t over think! You know best what makes sense for your neighbors, Maybe you invite folks to drop by for coffee and donuts in the front yard before soccer on a Saturday morning. Or host a bake sale for a community project and invite your neighbors to hang out while you sell cookies. Better yet, how about that garage sale you''ve been meaning to have??

Our neighborhood hosts Front Yard Fridays. The local pizza shop gives us a neighborhood discount, we order tons of pizza, and families hang out in the front yard. Adults get to talk while kids run crazy. There''s no pressure if you can''t make it. Some weeks a handful of people come. Other weeks, dozens of neighbors show up. The point is that we consistently provide a welcome place to connect. (Did I mention you don''t have to clean the house if people are gathering in your front yard? ??)

I want to encourage you to take an active role in The Turquoise Table? community. Don''t be a stranger! There are thousands of #FrontYardPeople all across America who are committed to creating meaningful community. You''re not alone.

Here are some links to help you:

• Register your Turquoise Table
• Subscribe to The Turquoise Table podcast
• Stock up on Turquoise Table merch

I''d love to know what you''re planning so I can cheer you on.

xo,

Kristin

P.S. If you are feeling stuck reply to this email and let me know what''s going on. I''ll encourage you the best I can.

When I first started The Turquoise Table?, I knew a handful of my neighbors. But, I didn''t know them very well and there were many people on our street I didn't know at all. I couldn''t tell you their names. I would say things like, "Oh yeah . he's the guy three doors down with the red convertible."

Sound familiar?

The most important step you can take towards getting to know your neighbors is this: learn their names.

Hoorah if you know some neighbors by name already. Ask one of them to join you in a challenge and meet more neighbors together.

Now, don''t worry if you''re like most of us and still wave and say, "Hey!" to the nice woman in apartment 3A. The best time to start is now!

I want you to make a list of your neighbors. Don't just think about them, actually write their names down.

Keep it simple. Write down who you know and look forward to filling in the blanks as strangers become friends. You can draw a block map, make a bullet list, or use the free download I''ve created for you.

Make A List of Your Neighbors

I know it sounds ridiculously simple. But, I promise the most important thing you can do today is commit to learning the names of your neighbors. Think how good it will feel when you can say hello to Larry Carr, the man in the red convertible. And, when you see Sarah Smith, who lives in apartment 3A, at the neighborhood park. Before you know it, you can invite Larry and Sarah to join you at The Turquoise Table. ??

Promise me you''ll keep this list of your neighbors handy. Mine is still in the kitchen on our bulletin board. This is your cheat sheet to help you remember your neighbors'' names. Soon, you''ll look at the names on the list and smile because they''re no longer strangers.

Have fun!

xo,

Kristin

P.S. Need more encouragement? Listen to my interview with Dave Runyon, author of The Art of Neighboring. It''s one of my favorite episodes from The Turquoise Table podcast.

Yesterday's email was your official welcome to The Turquoise Table? community! One of the best parts about leading our turquoise movement is getting to know everyone. I''ll share a few things about me and then I''d love for you to tell me about YOU!

Here are 3 quick things you probably don't know about me:

#1 I was a French major at The University of Texas at Austin. I don''t speak much French now, but living abroad as a student taught me valuable lessons in hospitality. I share some of those lessons in my book. And, let''s be honest ... living in France gave me a never-ending love for bread, wine, and cheese!
#2 I live in Austin, TX with my husband, Tony, and our four children. We just launched our oldest into college, but I''m not ready to admit that he doesn''t live at home anymore.
#3 I''m on a mission to help you build community and connection in the most simple place of all - your own front yard.

Have you seen The Turquoise Table story? It''s a short video that tells the backstory. You''ll get to meet some of my real life neighbors! It was filmed in the early days of The Turquoise Table, long before there were tables in all fifty states and thirteen countries.

Watch The Turquoise Table Story

Now, tell me 3 quick things I don''t know about you. Pretend we''re at The Turquoise Table having coffee, or do you prefer tea? See, I don''t even know what to serve you!

xo, Kristin