Porches

Porches……I really like porches.  Not a cement patio, it’s gotta be a porch with an ample overhang!  Rain, shine, snow, hot or cold, they afford my soul the luxury of being outside in the elements which I love while still being somewhat protected from too much sun or precipitation.  My earliest memory of a porch is spending some time almost every weekend at my paternal gramma’s house, sitting politely in old cane chairs on her dark, shaded, somewhat mysterious back porch filled with her beautiful geraniums.  For me a porch is a set-aside place.  My soul feels more alive there.  It seems to give place to leaning in, to lingering, to wanting to just stay there, and to being more intentional about soaking in quiet, Nature or other people.  There are no in-the-house noises; instead, birds chirping, wind chimes chiming, the buzz of hummingbirds; and the sights less seen draw me into their patterns with prolonged time to just be in the moment; the doves that fly & eat together, the darting of hummingbirds, the skittering lizard along the metal fence rail, the potato bugs & ants going somewhere at their snail’s pace, the squirrel stealing birdseed, the surf at the ocean, the red cardinal with it’s peaked head-feathers sitting majestically atop the junipers; and the sights to notice, the biplanes making the loops, the breeze waving the olive branches, and more. I love it, closer to the gardens, closer to the quiet of Nature and the feel of the breeze on my face, more in tune with the outside sounds. None of this luxury would be seen, heard or felt by me as wonderfully without a porch. Wrap-around porches make me smile because they usually include space for children to play, run & laugh. No matter the size of the porch, they draw me out of being inside and draw me in to the magical-ness of the outside. Bundled up against the cold or seeking shade, I’m sold!  I have memories of a few more special porches…to name a few…the beginner 3ft x 3ft one of Partnow’s before their giant, wonderful, mini-baseball field sized one (both afforded the much-needed outside vibe), my balcony porch at the hotel in Ocean Isle Beach, the screened-in porch at Barb’s house, eating lunch on that restaurant porch in Coeur d’Alene, Baldwin’s front porch with the chiminea and lots of chairs & benches to gather in on, TX Kremer’s back porch, the hummingbird haven upper porch in the Estes Park B&B,  Val’s backyard gardened-in shady space, the B&B South Carolina porch with the white porch swing, outside dining at the Inlet View in NC, the Montana smokehouse with giant windows, the cedar smell, and endless hours of connecting.  I really like porches. They have afforded me a front row seat to many a breathtaking sunrise or sunset. They feel like a God-hug which imprints upon me moments of restoration and renewal. Just thinking of spending time on a porch makes me breathe a sigh of decompressing and satisfaction.  I’ve heard sayings over the years akin to gathering on the porch of God’s Goodness, which evokes such a sense of comfort and connecting to my heart.  I like that sentiment as much as I like porches.

Kudos to designers & architects of porches!

I invite you to join me for tea or coffee on the Porch of God’s Goodness some time soon…..