porches...

Many of us live in small towns...towns in which most of the homes are trimmed with porches. It's a simple pleasure to find a porch with rockers swaying in the breeze, or a wonderful old porch swing with plump pillows...just the right spot for an afternoon nap.

Some porches in our town are dressed-up with regal pillars

and urns overflowing with ferns and ivy.

 Driving outside of town, we find porches with flower-covered latticework, Old Glory waving in the breeze, and enamelware pails filled with cheery red flowers.

Still other porches are simpler in nature...

practical rain barrels and only a tin star for decoration.

Most of us can remember fondly one special porch. And whether it was at Grandma's house in the country, or a friend's white clapboard house in town, each one has its own personality.
They were places where families gathered to catch up on the latest news, or relax at the end of a busy day. And yes, even a few romances began on a front porch.

My husband's parents lived on 100-acre farm before his father retired. It was an Amish-built home with a wide front porch,
a porch swing, and several of those terrific, springy metal chairs from the 1950's. We would enjoy sunsets, twinkling fireflies,
and just catching up. In those days, we lived in the city and a weekend escape to the country was wonderful.

Things haven't changed much, porches are the same today...
a simple pleasure no matter whether your porch is in a big city,
or on a country road.