I Love My Screened-In Porch!

the porch

a view from the porch

Of all the spaces and places in my house, the screened-in porch is my favorite. From my kitchen, the room where it seems most of my time is spent, I can take a break and step out onto the porch to experience the peace of the birds flying from tree to tree, the heat from the sun, the flittering of butterflies, and the sight of tall, luscious green trees with a perfect cloudy blue sky as a backdrop.

During the five or six months of warm weather and sunshine, I sit on the porch as much as possible; only my busy life prevents me from being there more.

Reading on the porch is very relaxing. I pull out the leg rest from under the chair, position a pillow at just the right spot behind my back, give the dog a chew toy or bone, and then attempt to get totally absorbed in a book. This works well when it’s just the dog and me. During the summer, that’s not often. The girls always have a reason to interrupt – but they’re okay – as long as I don’t have to listen to any whining. Sometimes, one of them may get a book and join me. They, too, are part of the complete picture.

In addition to good reading time, my other reasons for loving the porch:

---Lunch or dinner on the porch is like being at an outdoor café. Sometimes I’m joined by one of the kids or my husband or all of them.

---Conversations with my husband are always good when we’re sitting on the porch.

---The sofa on the porch has provided me with some of my best Sunday afternoon naps – the kind that don’t give me a headache as I’m waking up.

---Talking on the phone is more fun on the porch. There are no dishes staring at me waiting to be washed, or any other domestic chore. I laugh a lot during these conversations.

---It's a great place to have a morning cup of tea while listening to sounds of nature.
---During a summer storm, I stand on the porch a minute or two listening to hard, pouring rain – until the lightening sends me in.

I haven’t always had a screened-in porch. As a teen, my equivalent was a roof covered porch on the front of the house. After waking up on a “don’t have to be anywhere day,” I’d go outside to the porch into the slight coolness of the morning to “wake up my face.” My mother would say, “Wait until you get my age – you won’t be able to wait for your face to wake up. You’ll have to PUT it into place!”

Throughout the years, a porch of some sort has been a must. Before I moved into a tenth floor apartment in 1984, I had to check out the balcony to make sure I’d have my serene, outdoor space, even if it was overlooking the parking lot, accompanied by the sounds of traffic on I-395. I still got my “fresh” air!

It’s nice to have a place (or two) in your home to veg out.

Where is your special place?