opening the porch

Does your porch become a “catch-all” during the winter?  A place where everything lands, to be “put away another day”?  Well, that’s my screened-in porch from November to April.

Yesterday, the sun was shining into the porch in such a beautiful way, that I wanted to sit and relax there, but it was such a mess, and so dirty from six months collection of dust and dirt.  That prompted me to get out the bucket and vacuum, and start cleaning.

Besides winter dirt, all my gardening equipment was piled here.  That orange Home Depot bucket may be ugly and an eye sore, but it’s slogan has the right idea.

And so I began by hauling out all the stuff that belonged somewhere else, leaving me with just the dirt.  I started in one corner, pulling the furniture out, washing everything down, and vacuuming.  Slowly, it started to look like a place I’d like to sit with a book and a drink.

The table came first.  Once I’d cleaned the glass and put out the seat cushions, despite the high heat and humidity, I was motivated to move on.

Moving on to another corner where I like to sit.  I brought out the vase of yellow daisy wildflowers from last week’s bouquet and the cushions for comfort, which immediately brightened up the space.

And then on to that cluttered table.  Believe it or not, this faux arrangement was there behind all the mess.

Over the table hangs my favorite Photoshop creation.

And on to the opposite chair, most sheltered by the side of the house.

And lastly, to the other “catch-all” spot on the porch.

After the clean-up.

My porch is the perfect oasis after a hard afternoon of gardening, to take a meal, visit with friends, read a book, or just reflect on how good life can be.