Notes from my back porch

Hi Y'all! If I ONLY had a laptop, I could be posting this from my back porch. . .aka the screened porch. Alas, both my Hubbie and Annie B. have one, but I am in the study at the desk top model! My favorite spot "in" our house is actually "out" on the screened porch. That is where the very old Fick's Reed furniture, circa the 1940's sits, with it's multiple coats of paint. It was purchased from a resale shop, about 28 years ago, before "shabby chic" became stylish. It worked for us, because we had little or no cash and a cute "starter house" with a screened porch that was larger by far than the living room of the 1300 sq. ft. abode, that cost us (newlyweds. at the time) far less than most cars do today! We needed furniture for the porch, so that we could entertain freinds and family. The resale shop, over in Aberdeen, was our answer. With a borrowed pick-up truck and a promise to pay for the gas, we headed to the shop, that depended on folks, who were retiring to North Carolina's Golf Capital, to fill their cinder block garage with "Timely Treasures" that would not fit in their downsized digs. We scooped up the entire set, which had 4 chairs a coffee table, end table and a sofa for $125.00, which was an ecomonic stretch, at the time. The furniture was originally natural, bamboo-style, with rattan wrappings. Over the years, the furnishings have been painted a glossy white, then a bright "Volvo" green followed by the current classic black. The first cushions were a sage green, followed by a bright floral, then a laminated red/green lily print and now black and white Sunbrella stripe on the sofa, and a lime green and white pindot on the remaining pair of chairs, piped in black and white stripe. When I finally figure out just how to post photos, I will add some snaps of my personal favorite place.
The old furniture has become an dear friend. Each house that we chose, HAD to have a porch, or the option of adding one, to make room for the furnishings. Through four houses in two cities, this porch set has followed us! It has been the setting for birthday parties and funeral gatherings. It has seen new babies welcomed, eldery relatives entertained, gatherings of friends, of graduates and of bridal showers. Today, I could go out and purchase a new set of furniture, that would be all shiney and pretty. I choose not to, but instead, hang on to the furniture that has followed us along the path of our marriage. It is a little tattered along the edges, but still holds strong. Unless a pine tree in a hurricane or ice storm decides to make a direct hit on the back porch, this comfy furniture will endure a little longer. It beckons us to sit a while and visit or curl up with a good book, under the ceiling fan. It provides a spot for coffee and conversation, or a place for prayer and reflection. What a great spot to gather, and speak "Y'all!"