August 27, 2006
Dear Family and Friends,
I have a small new (well old actually) desk and chair that cozily sits
onto my front porch in front of the windows. I have been looking for
just the right table ever since I bought The House At White Picket Gardens.
My porch is surrounded by the old windows that open with weights and
ropes. When I moved in, then were in disrepair, but I had screens built
and ropes repaired and now it is the room I live in. I have wicker furniture
and lamps and candles...baskets of seashells, my telescope (a gift from
Philip) and an array of books.
Neighbors are always stopping by...either talking from the sidewalk
or bringing their coffee over to sit and chat. We were actually chatting
about porches the other evening. It seems as if they are making a comeback
in trying to get neighborhoods to take care of each other. The new trend
is to build houses closer together and closer to the road with front
porches, not reclusive decks any longer! Here, here, I say!
My wonderful neighborhood must be ahead of the trend..we all have porches..they
are all used. Late at night when I walk there are warm yellow glows
coming from these porches..sounds of voices..glasses tinkling together..folks
reading, playing cards, laughing, talking...sleeping.
Philip has a great porch. I spent hours on his "pizer" this
summer drinking coffee in the morning...wine in the evening. Folks were
always stopping to talk, no matter what time of day. And if a local
car went by, I just give a wave of the hand, as I knew everyone.
My sister, Jessie, and her husband have a wonderful old porch. They
have a lovely home in the shaded, quiet area of Fort Wayne. When I stay
overnight, we sit out in the morning (no matter what the weather) and
drink coffee until someone makes a move to leave.
I remember porches when I was a child. We spent hours playing marbles
and dolls on our porches. It is where we would gather at the end of
the day with our jars full of lightning bugs. We had birthday parties
on porches...afternoon lemonade parties.
My children had a porch growing up. It never was screened in so we often
had to wrestle with the summer mosquitos, but oh, how we loved that
porch. I have a great photo of them racing their pet turtles on the
porch. We used that porch as a room as it was lined with hooks which
held fishing gear and poles, nets..lifejackets..the broom was also hung
as it was used daily. We had a swing down at the end along with two
old rocking chairs and the wood cut and stacked for the woodcook stove.
I had a large pan hung that was used nightly when they came in from
a summer's day. I took it down, filled it with water to wash their feet.
Sometimes that was all that got washed as they were so tired from a
day's play on the farm, they just went to bed. Happy memories.
My Grandmother Rhoads had a porch on her house in Fort Wayne. There
were two small (well, we thought they were large) sides of the porch
that lined the steps. We would walk out on those small walkways and
jump down onto the grass. We didn't just jump once (we were kids, remember?)
we jumped hundreds of times. We would never go home!!
My Grandmother had a porch swing as well. We loved it as children, we
loved it even more when we started dating. I can remember being 16 and
bringing a date over to my Grandmother's. It was summer and we sat out
swinging on her porch swing. I guess she was watching and didn't approve
of our "late night activities" on her porch. (They really
were innocent!!) But she began to blink the lights until he finally
went home. I was definitely mad at her that night.
My Mom said she did that when she was dating my Dad. They, too, would
sit out on the porch swing late into the evening until my Grandmother
would blink the lights. I don't think it discouraged my parents, though.
Their sweet courtship led to marriage. Tomorrow is their 58th Anniversary.
I am in awe of their relationship, I think most of us are. My Mom and
Dad showed us such great love and especially such great love they had
for each other. I asked my Dad once what is their secret...I really
need to know..I really want to know. He said, "It's easy. Your
Mother and I go out to dinner and dancing twice a week." I sighed.
"How romantic," I said, "I didn't realize."
"Yes," he said. "She goes on Wednesday and I go on Friday."
That's my Dad!!
Happy Anniversary to my favorite couple!!
Before I close on this cool, dark Sunday night (I feel like we are leaving
a meeting here!) I have my Carl Sandburg show all together (no, I am
not asking you to hire me); however, the journal will be on line, but
if you would like a copy, I will be happy to send it to you, just let
me know!!
Also, don't forget the daily blog, www.louannhoman.com, then click on
to Daily Journal. Lots of fun stories this week: my book club, voting
for the planet Pluto!!
It is time to move on to other projects on this Sunday evening..it is
so quiet and lovely that I could stay out here all evening.
Porches.
Go sit on one now..with a friend..with a lover..with a book or a glass
of wine..check out your neighborhood or the stars or just dream.
Love to all,
Lou Ann
"I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing
bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would
step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind
that that person could be me."
Anna Quindlen
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