Outdoor spaces

 I took today off of work and I'm thankful that I work with people that are ok when we need to take a day every now and then.  I wanted a day to catch up on some things, relax and clear my mind.  So far, I've gotten some laundry done, emptied the dishwasher and did some work out in the garage.  So far so good in my book.  As I'm getting things done, I realize that desperately need to clean our front porch and our patio.  The weather is warming up and it will soon be time to utilize those spaces so it is time to get them in shape.  Porches and patios are wonderful spaces to gather with friends and I want more of that this year.

Front porch sitting is not something I did much as a child.  We had a great porch in Monroe, but we did not sit out there often.  But it was always neat.  It had benches and rocking chairs, planters, hanging baskets.  Much like the porch we have now.  Only we use this one more.  And I love it.  On beautiful weather days it is so nice to just sit out there with a beverage and relax.  I used to go out there every morning when I smoked to have my first cigarette of the day.  Nowadays I don't get out there much in the morning since I stopped smoking.  Still, I enjoy going out there.  Lois, our next door neighbor, has a wonderful porch and we are often out there in the afternoons visiting and enjoying the day.

 

We also had a great patio in Monroe which we used quite often.  In the spring and summer months, you could often find us sitting out on the patio, relaxing.  And we had many meals out there too, particularly celebrating summer and spring birthdays.  Our patio here is a decent size and I would like to use it more.  Like every other room in the house, though, it requires upkeep and I have not been keeping up like I should.  I would love to use it more this year and create more memories there.  We have it, so why not use it.  It's not like we haven't used it before it has just been awhile.

I have so many wonderful memories of outdoor spaces and porches.  Going to the beach, growing up, meant many afternoons on the porch...especially if there was a swing out there.  There is nothing better to me than sitting on a beach house porch and listening to the waves and smelling the sea air.  It's so relaxing.  Of course, I have memories of the spaces of other family homes from my childhood as well.  Grandmother had a wonderful screened porch on the side of her house.  On days like this, overcast and cool, I would love to go out there and sit on the wicker sofa out there.  She did not use it much during my lifetime, but I always enjoyed it.  The family home in Wingate also had some fantastic porches and I spent some good times on them.  While there was not a patio, there was a picnic table out back that was a covered area.  It was once where the well was but that had long since been covered up.  It was beautiful.

While I cannot go back in time and relive those other than in my mind, I can take those feelings and move forward with them to create new experiences and memories.  Well, I guess it's time for me to clean the porch before it starts raining!  That is all.