SEPTEMBER PORCH TIME

“I want to lay up like that, to float unstructured, without ambition or anxiety. I want to inhabit my life like a porch.”
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Hey, Y'all!
Porches are my thing! Ever since I can remember I've loved porches. My first porch

 

memories are of my great grandparent's screened-in porch deep in the Piney Woods of southeast Texas. It was the coolest place in their house and I spent hours swinging on their big old porch swing with my little brothers.

My maternal grandmother had not one, but three porches at her lake house near Lufkin, TX. We used the big one at the back the most. From her mid-century rod iron patio chairs I watched

white towels blow on her clothesline or my grandfather clean his morning catch out near their well house.

Having a good porch is a big deal for me when we're looking at buying a house. The house we currently live in has a big covered back porch and a long inviting front porch. I often sit on the back porch and watch the birds at the feeders. Sometimes I write or just watch the clouds pass by.

For me it is a place where I enjoy "unplugging" and visiting with family and friends or just sipping morning coffee or afternoon iced mint tea.

I enjoy freshening up our porches as the seasons change--it's a chance to welcome our guests and create a place to enjoy the cooler weather.

 

 

 

Our porches are furnished with garage sale, flea market, estate sale, and antique mall finds, as well as my grandmother's patio furniture we inherited.
I use painter drop-cloths to cover the cushions on our wicker sofa. I've also used a drop-cloth to cover the necessary, but unsightly mess in the utility shelves. I used curtain clips to hang it. 

I enjoy having a comfy place to sit and relax. At my outdoor office I make sure to have lots of flowers, herb plants, and candles. A stack of favorite books and magazines is important too!

Life on the porch is truly a good thing.

Until next time,

 

Peace, love, and all

the good stuff sweet friends!

"LIFE LIKE A PORCH"

Porch furnishings can be as simple as a rustic 

table and an old rocking  chair. I've had this Mission style

 rocker for about 10 years now. It has lived on many of 
our porches.

Hey, Y'all! Summer is slowly slipping back into our lives. Hectic schedules are gearing down. Days are heating up and getting longer. Even the Earth celebrates in abundant beautiful, fresh produce. My earliest summer memories are of evenings spent with my family on our wrap-around deck. My brothers and I spent many hours trying to catch fireflies or discovering shooting stars in the warm summer night. I also have many memories of sitting next to my grandmother on her screened porch as she rocked the porch swing and shelled just-picked field peas for our lunch the next day. 

My brother, me, and our grandmother on the porch about 12 years ago.

While we lived in McKinney, I found a new fondness for porches. I met one of my best friends because she is an avid porch sitter and happened to call out to me 

They don't often build porches like they used to. 

This was my friend's house with its wonderful porch.  

She recently moved to 100 year old cottage 

on the same street--still with a great porch!

as I walked by with our newborn son. That friendship has thrived more than 20 years and counting! Through the years we spent endless hours 

My friend is a true Porch Master--her new porch is always welcoming and beautiful.

sitting by candlelight on her expansive, historic porch sharing stories and an occasional bottle of wine.

The southern porch is the quintessential place to visit with your neighbors. It is often the place of stolen 

kisses or the place to enjoy the morning's first cup of coffee. I have a true fondness for porches. 

Coleman Cottage was our home for ten years. A 100 year old Victorian, it had both a side porch and front porch complete with porch swings on both. One of my daughter's favorite memories is of us sitting cuddled up on the porch swing as a thunderstorm approached.  

We liked to listen to the thunder and watch the lightning dance across the sky. Sometimes, we simply sat together and watched a much needed rain soak into the parched ground in our north Texas yard. 

A wonderful porch on an old timey "dog trot"
style historic log house in Independence, TX.

There was no television, radio, phone, or computer. Simply our loved ones to share the moment with. It's such a simple thing, yet so difficult sometimes to unplug from the world and simply be together.

One of my favorite books, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells, captures southern porch culture so well,

"I want to lay up like that, to float unstructured, without ambition or anxiety. I want to inhabit my life like a porch."

This lovely passage is the basis for a design seminar I 

will be presenting from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Thursday, June 6 at Hermann Furniture. The presentation is free, but reservations are required. If you've ever wondered how to create an inviting porch or garden room, I'll be offering ideas on how to select and combine color and styles, repurpose vintage items, and inject tons of personality into this common space between the street and  your home. Following the design seminar, I'll be signing copies of First Monday Murder A Jimmie Rae Flea Market Mystery from noon to 1 p.m. By the way, 

 the early drafts of FMM were written on our porch! 

Until next time, 

Peace, love, and all the good stuff, sweet friends!