i love the front porch. i love to sit and watch cars (and tractors and semis and bikes and scooters and people walking dogs) go by.
when i am overwhelmed and discouraged by the state of our house…the peeling paint, the rotting steps, the unfinished bathrooms, the unfinished kitchen, the unfinished bedrooms, the base boards that need to go up, the ceiling that needs to be painted its second coat, the hay loft door which fell off last weekend, the garage door that is breaking, the cabinets that need new pulls…i go to the porch (and don’t look at the floor which is chipping or the ceiling which is buckling).
i’m reminded of a friend of mine who says her mama would put a towel over a pile of dirty dishes when she didn’t want to do them right then…i think i’m good at that too.
prairie daze 
Now that is the joy and pain of owning and old house. We left ours 2 years ago. Now I don’t have the porch to sit on. these darn new houses with no porches. I still get that restless feeling when I look around my imperfect surroundings – but I have no porch to sit on to escape them. Old houses are so lovely. You are so blessed. p.s. sprinkles make it all better don’t they?
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these are the days….
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I love this post. Love love love it. I think I too will favor the front porch over the ripped carpet, waterstained ceiling and missing bathroom tile. xo
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I’m outside sitting on my porch swing with a glass of wine right now. Not a care in the world.
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was it one of my sisters who said that? that’s what our mom did / does!
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yes, libby! it was!!!!
: )
i love that concept. it feels familiar and exactly what is needed so often.
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i find comfort in knowing that a person i admire and gain strength from also has an, aging house with unfinished projects and places in it that are not perfect. i am now going to go frost my mini rainbow cakes and know that i’m not alone. then i’m headed to the deck, to sit in the shade of an enormous, old tree.
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I’ve been reading your blog at preschool daze for several months. You pour your heart and soul into that school. I know how much time it takes to give children the quality of care you provide–I’m a director/teacher too. Between that and the time spent enjoying life’s precious moments with your own family, there is little energy left for painting and repairs. When your children are grown they will be glad that you didn’t spend time worrying about dirty dishes in the sink or peeling paint. They’ll remember ice cream with sprinkles and warm afternoons on the front porch with mom.
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Kristin-
I needed to read this post so much. Too often I feel like we’re the only ones whose house or world or chores or focus isn’t what it should be. Knowing that we’re not alone is such a blessing. This post is such a great exhalation for me. Thank you thank you.
T
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Ooh Kristin – my precious Kristin. Your surroundings, how you see things falling apart around you. Wow, somehow you’ve just described my inner life. i share with you the frustrations – God sent or not.
Beautiful images captured – that moment in time, never to be taken away.
Miss you soooo much
i used to dream of taking photos on a safari – now…i’d really enjoy, heading out your way and the 2 of us, cameras intact – lose ourselves in the gloriuos splendor of everyday life. Wow! It’s been soo long. like another lifetime.
ty
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