A Day in the Life of Our Front Porch

Morning has broken and the day begins. Out to the front porch as soon as the bed and coffee are made. Yesterday I took my paper out to the porch and a cup of ovaltine to drink. It was a beautiful cool morning with no humidity. I looked up as walkers and joggers passed by. Cars speeding off to work...some waved and some were on their phones or drinking coffee on their way. This is where I plan my day most days. Joe is in the house putting the finishing touches on the new sliding glass door that we had installed the day before. He comes to the door and asks for my help. That finished I get dressed in my finest gardening outfit and make my way to the garden by the front porch. I get my chair, gloves, trowel, scissors, bucket and sit next to the flowers. It's nice in the shade and I have quite a bit of time before the sun comes around. I get busy. I work on my flowers...deadheading, pinching, trimming watering. I water my hanging basket hanging by the door. It is doing well, but I wish it had more color. I make mental notes about next year and what I'll plant in it. The Japanese Beetles have left it alone. They love my moss roses in the back so much that I think they have forgotten that we have a front yard full of goodies.

As I am working in front of the porch, a woman about my age, comes walking down the road with a little Pomeranian hopping on three legs. Hippity hop goes the dog with a bad leg. She is so much fun to watch. Such a happy little dog. The woman stops and says what a nice day. She has a German accent. We chat a bit and she comes closer to see my flowers. We introduce ourselves...she is Kathy and the pup is Schatzy. They are fairly new to the neighborhood and we told each other a bit about ourselves. She has an interest in flowers and invites my to her house to see her Oleanders on the deck. Kathy and Shatzy make their way up the drive and continue on their walk...Shatzy hopping and Kathy soothing the pup in German.

Into the house I go as the sun gets around to the garden by the porch. I have lots of chores to do and I need to get our meal started. We eat our big meal at about 2 and then just a snack at night. I made rouladen the day before and we are having leftovers. After we eat I go out to the porch to sit and rest for a while. Hippity hop across the yard comes my little friend Audra. She wants to know if I would like her to bring her dolls over. I say yes and she runs home to get them. Here she comes again with her babies. I oooh and ahhh over her cute dolls. I ask her if she would like to "do" their hair. She is excited and I go into the house for barrettes, colored rubber bands and a wide toothed comb. The blonde doll will have one ponytail high up on her head, holding her hair out of her eyes, the brunette will have two ponytails. I haven't done this in years...what fun. Audra giggles and asks me to do her hair. She is going away and wants one pony in the back. She's here for about a half hour and is off hippity hop to her house. Oh, I wish I had half her energy.

Joe and I decide to watch some TV and spend the rest of the afternoon just catching up on our emails and some TV watching. I go out to the porch again for some iced tea. He is on the computer. Hippity hop, here comes our girl with her little friend. Keeley has her babies too. She wants to show them to me, but I must not do their hair or hers either. This is what this 5 yr old says, "I'm a very particular person." The two girls play with their dolls and then they notice another girl coming across the street. They drop me like a hot potato and run to their new friend. I like the girls coming over...just enough time to have some fun, but it is good that they run off to play with one their own age.

Well, evening is upon us and I rented a movie to watch. A Haunting In Connecticut...We started watching it and decided it wasn't for us. Much too scary and not really our cup of tea. We stop the movie and I catch up on some letter writing and Joe heads for the front porch. I finish up and go join him. Our newlywed neighbor girl has come across the street with her three dogs. She walks them a couple of times a day. Her hubby works at night most times and I think she's a bit lonesome. We visit for a while and I remember the movie. I ask if she likes scary movies and she says yes. I hand her the movie and she is delighted. As she goes up the driveway with the dogs in tow...Joe says don't get scared and lock your doors. I thought about her over there alone, watching that horrible thing, but to each his own.

Our porch is a big part of our summer life. We relax there after working, read there, eat a snack (last night we had a bowl of cherry tomatoes, fresh from the garden between us) and the best thing is we are part of our neighborhood there. People might say that we just watch the world go by...I beg to differ. In small ways we are a part of the world each day...by sitting there for a time and seeing our neighborhood in a new way.Most everyone waves as they go by and as you have read here...we have many people stopping by. It's a good thing for old people....keeps us in the world, so to speak. We had visitors of all ages yesterday. I wonder who will hippity hop down my drive today?

Balisha