THE FRONT PORCH

 I really enjoy watching these home shows on television where folks are choosing a home.  I find many generational differences in things that seem important.  For example, now it's a big deal for people to buy a home that is great for entertaining.  That usually includes an outdoor space for cooking out and such.  In my 43 year old ranch, we have a very small uneven spot of concrete that barely holds the two of us.  When we built this house, 43 years ago, it was built with a small budget and in years since has had some improvements and a nice sized "den" added.  One thing that has remained constant is the front porch.  

The front porch houses a swing, a single rope swing seat, and two rocking chairs.  A bit of trivia about one of the rocking chairs is that it's an antique.  Years, really years, ago in high school home economics I "antiqued" that rocking chair green and got an A+.  (Yes, I had pride in that endeavor.)  The rocker stayed antique green until I repainted it gray a while back.  There is a small table , some wind chimes, and a corner with frisbees and sidewalk chalk.  Reckon who uses those?  :)  I do have a smidgen of decor on the house by the red door that makes me happy.  All in all, the porch itself just makes me happy.  

I was recalling how, through the years, we have photos of "entertaining" times with family and friends.  Entertaining is used a bit loosely as that would involve sitting on the porch and talking--sometimes serious talk, sometimes junk, but good talking.  I can recall a time when The Girl was just a toddler and she got her head stuck in the porch rails.  Ahhh....that was a challenge but afterwards The Husband took care of the rails so it never happened again.  I've watched birds and animals from that porch and there has also been a time a few years ago where a stray cat gave birth to more than two kittens on the front porch door mat.  That was NOT a fun time.

Now at this season of life, I still wake early, usually at daylight (not the 4:30 a.m. I did for years) and spend some time on the front porch.  The Husband joins me often.   He says the "waking up of the world with the sounds of nature" is something he misses from his hunting days so I told him the porch sitting is a good compromise.  :)  We have a bit of a habit now of being there when The Grandbaby's car goes by on the way to school, blows the horn, and we stand and wave.  Yes, we have "arrived" at the "senior" mode.  It's the little things.  :)

This sitting on the front porch in the early morning has become a bit therapeutic for me.  Some mornings I try for many many minutes to capture the perfect hummingbird photo but I ain't there yet so I will share the few I have.  I am hopeful for a nice clear one....just one....eventually.  Hummers are a challenge to photograph.  Here are some of my moments on my front porch in the morning time. 

My favorite coffee cup beside my now gray antique rocker....

...and my favorite book....

And look at these big guys right at my porch.  They positioned themselves between each post of the porch just for my enjoyment....

...and this little one all alone....

My two favorite "morning" scriptures....

"....weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."  Psalm 30:5

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning:  great is thy faithfulness."    Lamentations 3:22, 23

And then, after lunch on this beautiful Sunday, I took my little camera and resolved to sit on the porch for 10 minutes and got these treasures....

Which makes a sermon of it's own....it's not always the big cameras that take the best pictures just as it's not always the BIG things that make the most differences.

Consider....