Porch People

Our addition of the porch has truly completed this house. It made me remember a post I wrote years ago about our family's deep rooted relationship to porches. I thought it might bear repeating....


Summer 2014.....

Our family is getting together at our parents' house this week - sisters, daughters, nieces, nephews, sons, and dogs.   We have several things planned; a birthday/retirement party, a fishing trip, Chinese checkers, building a marble rollercoaster, and a day trip to Natchitoches, but the main event will be sittin' on the porch. (Sitting on the porch would imply straight backs with feet on the floor. Sittin' is leaned back, feet thrown over the arm of the chair, and an ice cold something in your hand.)

     We're porch people, always have been.  When we were little and visited our paternal grandmother, the adults would sit on the porch drinking coffee while we chased little toads, picked dew berries, and raked pine straw into floor plans of imaginary houses. Every now and then the deep laughter of our dad and his brother, Darrell, would come rolling off the porch bringing the assurance that all was well with the adults in our world so everything must be all right with us too.

     As teenagers the porch was often the scene of our life lessons.  Dad would call us out to the porch to sit on the swing.  Here he and Mom would hand out reassuring wisdom when we were sad or discipline when we were bad.  One particular disciplinary action holds a famous place in family lore. That night Dad innocently asked one of us sisters to come sit with him on the swing where he said, " The moon sure is pretty tonight." "Yeah", she answered.  "Well, you better look at it really good because you're not going to be seeing the moon for a while.  You're grounded!"

     Now that we're grown, Dad has taken the art of porch sittin' to new heights.  He has replaced the swing with a "swing-bed" so he can even sleep out there; weather permitting.  The old swing has been moved out to a tree in the yard.  Mom says they sit out there as often as not.

     When we are all together this week, the mornings will start with each of us sleepily drifting from our beds to the porch; one at the time, old folks first - young ones later.  There we will start visitin'.  We'll catch up on local gossip and share what's been going on with us.  If anyone is in a "low swirl", we'll boost them up.  If anyone is riding a wave of good fortune, we'll ride it with them. There is nothing that sittin' on the porch can't solve or celebrate.  Our laughter will roll off the porch and out into the pasture, and our little ones will know all is right with the world.

  

Until tomorrow,

Shelli

My family lived off the land and summer evening meals featured baked stuffed tomatoes, potato salad, corn on the cob, fresh shelled peas and homemade ice cream with strawberries from our garden. With no air conditioning in those days, the cool porch was the center of our universe after the scorching days.

 -David Mixner