Tag Archives: porches

Ode to porches

What better way to while away a sunny afternoon that to curl up on a porch swing with a good book? For 20 years or so our porch was inaccessible, but when we renovated our house we opened up our front porch, and it’s now an extra room for us to spend time in, whether enjoying afternoon tea or coffee with friends and family, watching the birds, waving to passersby, or reading the newspaper. Even on a rainy day we can sit on our porch, and listen to the rain coming down.

In researching porches, I came across a charming book (from the Portland Public Library) called “Out on the porch: an evocation in words and pictures.” While more Southern in examples, it showcases some wonderful porches in photographs, and quotes by famous authors such as Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe, and Flannery O’Connor, that appear in fiction and non-fiction.

“One afternoon I found her sitting alone upon the front porch, reading”–from Black Boy by Richard Wright.

And so, I invite you to carve out a place on your porch, and open the pages of your favorite books, to savor some quiet time to read, and enjoy fresh air and ocean breezes.