....front porch

Yogis,
I love a good front porch! They are so welcoming. You walk out the front door, plop down in a comfortable chair and watch the world go by.

Our beach house has a screened front porch. Old pine floors and a bead board ceiling give a relaxed vibe.  A couch, a few chairs and twinkle lights set the mood. It is where I am drawn after filling my first morning mug, sleep still in my eyes.  Facing east, it receives the gentle early morning rays before the day sets in. Bikers ride by while new parents walk babies to get them out of the house.

We added a front porch to our old house next door. Adorned with incredibly comfortable sturdy wicker rockers, it offered a perfect view of our boys playing with friends in the front yard. Facing west, the porch was the place to sit with a beverage and watch afternoon storms roll in….. until Molly our dog let us know it was time to retreat.

The porch of the current house faces south. Thick stone columns.  A fig bush graces the front edge while a holly stands tall at its end. Sitting on it feels like being tucked in a secret garden. A hummingbird visits.

Then there is Cape May. On our annual weekend trip, I was again awed by the porches. Deep and wide. Old and solid. The perfect setting for early morning coffee, late afternoon cocktails and dark evening group hangouts. Candles lit and soft ocean breezes.

They are no longer in our architecture. Focus has moved to behind the house. Decks, patios and pools. New homes that add a porch, do so for show. Too small for any true ‘hangout.’

We value privacy.

Porches harken back to a time before television. No phones. And no air conditioning. Entertained by life as it rolls down the road. Neighbors coming by.  A social thread.

I vote for the return of the front porch!  Front porches lead to connection and we need that right now.

Come sit and talk to me for a while,
SARAH