Clean Porch

Picture of the Day for 6/23/2012. I finished the porch cleaning project I started last Saturday. Whew! That was work! It took about 18 hours in total- 12 last Saturday and 6 today.

If there's a perfect spot on earth, this is it. I know it doesn't look like much and there are swankier places to be sure, but this front porch, more than any other place, evokes fond memories of home and family:

-When I was growing up, I practically lived on the porch during the summers where it was always shady and cool, no matter the temperature "outside."

-I loved reading (and napping) on the couch while listening to the leaves in the trees rustle when it was breezy.

-Whenever there was a thunderstorm, my dad would head outside to watch the lightening (while my less adventurous mother remained firmly within the safe confines of the house). I would frequently join him there. To this day, I love hearing the thunder and watching the lightening flash across the sky.

-As a family, we spent hours sitting here chatting, especially during the evening when daylight turned to dusk.

-During the early 1970s, my mother joined Weight Watchers and was given a recipe for dreadful-tasting sugar free smoothies. She would make a batch every night which we would drink out on the porch after dark. I'd love nothing more than to have another one of those awful smoothies with my mother.

-I loved sitting out on the porch with my friends when they'd stop by for a visit. (Hey friends- that's a hint. Come on over so we can chat! Family is welcome too of course!)