The inside of our front porch looks, well, shoddy. (The outside isn't so hot, either.) The eight big storm windows are old, probably from the 70's and some of their smudges can't be wiped off. The lower panel on the storm door was replaced with plexiglas and is marked-up and all permanently smudgy like you wouldn't believe. The lower walls have never been painted, they're water-stained, they've worn to yicky-grey and need to be replaced. The two sills which I've not yet painted are flaking and the floor is just plywood. Or something like it.
But you know? On sunny mornings like this one, our front porch feels downright luxurious. On this porch I can sit at the bistro table in my robe and slippers, something I only longed to do at our old house on the open-to-the-world front porch. I lean against the window sill and soak in the sun and gaze at green lawns and myriad trees outside the windows and they soothe my mind while the Big Band Era music wafting through the opened door of the living room cheers me. And I dream, dream, dream. And read. And tear pages from my garage-sale-found Victoria magazines. And feel gratefulness down to my toes.
Our front porch is teaching me this: It's not always how a room looks that's important, but rather, it's how it makes you feel. And so there's your simple lesson for the day. Mine, too.
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You can click to enlarge the photo for some sunny details, some nice, some not. :)
A simple lesson, in contentment.
ReplyDeleteMy latest quested topic, on my blog. :-)
Aunt Amelia
What a wonderful and important lesson to learn. I sometimes think back on my younger years and they were filled with discontent and basically immaturity. The wold of contentment is a lovely place to live.
ReplyDeleteComfort is lovely
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. My bedroom is messy to say the least. Stacks of papers I am unable to get to, sort, toss, file. My mother has been ill for 9 years and there is just no time with working etc. But when I crawl into bed at night with the softest covers you can imagine. It might as well be a wonderful palace. I believe there will be time to do what needs to be done. Does all this stress me. Sure it does but first things first and mother has to come first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Looks lovely, Debra!
ReplyDeleteI live one block from a MAJOR intersection, yet I sit in my breezeway listening to birds, watching rabbits and woodchucks, smelling peonies.., it's a great feeling - contentment.
Your right about that, on how it make's you feel. Not all things can be done at one time. You two have done so much to this property and house. This place has really soothed your soul I can tell. What a blessing indeed!
ReplyDeleteSo so true.
ReplyDeleteTo me I see only the beauty of who you are on that porch. I have been correcting the feel of my home this week and letting go of the regard as to being afraid of what to do.
I thought this post was going to be about how you renovated the porch because at first glance I saw everything wonderful about that porch and none of the "shoddy" things you pointed out. So glad you're able to enjoy all the best things about it, and not worry about the others. It looks LOVELY just like it is!
ReplyDeleteVery nice, cozy and inviting. This is all you need.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look shoddy to me,it looks cozy,just my kind of room.So sorry to hear of the passing of your friend.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth