The Porch

I watched my fair share of Flip It, Property Brothers, and other HGTV shows back in the early 2000s. One of the themes I remember was “California outdoor living.” Can you picture it? A patio off the back of the house, a grill, maybe a pool, and a manicured lawn, all enclosed within a tall privacy fence.

My idea of “outdoor living” is quite different. Perhaps this isn’t surprising since I live in Virginia. Outdoor living doesn’t make me think of a fenced-in back yard. It makes me think of sitting on a covered front porch (maybe with a swing or rocking chair). A good porch is like an additional room which also allows for connection with others.

When I moved into the carriage house, the gutters around the front porch were leaking, resulting in a lot of rot damage. Upon my request, the HOA completely replaced the porch floor and repaired the brick walkway (the wooden frame had warped so that the gate wouldn’t close.) They also took down two dying trees leaning over the house and power lines to prevent future problems.

The work was done more than two years ago, but the porch was finally painted this month! I used birthday money for a few potted plants to enjoy this summer since I am out here so much. The wicker furniture set was scavenged and whitewashed. I made the seat cushions.

I also pulled up the ivy along the walkway to plant hostas. I have the happiest hostas I’ve ever seen outside the botanical gardens. There are even little hosta offspring growing in the cracks between the bricks.

I’ll live on the porch as much as I can this summer. Today, I’ve been on the porch more than I’ve been anywhere else. I’m so thankful this last “room” of my house if finished after so long a wait!

My front porch is a bit unique as it faces away from the road and toward a little patch of woods. It both welcomes people as they come in, yet offers a bit of seclusion. It is an animal haven on the edge of the city. I often watch the deer quietly grazing and fawns playing with each other. Last week, I watched a blue tailed skink climb up a hosta’s leaves like stair steps until he came to a broad leaf in the sun. I laughed at a little groundhog that appeared to be picking buttercups taller than he was. And today, I’ve enjoyed this sweet couple. They inspired a tanka poem.

Come by and sit a spell.