Home sweet home •
It is always easy to look back fondly at the house you grew up in. Whether 1850,1930, the 50’s, 70’s… we are all fortunate in someway.
The stories that emanate from home and how it affects us forever is remarkable.
There are kitchen stories, bathroom stories and porch stories. There are very few days that go by, where I don’t think about the simple pleasure of the brick porch, the wicker furniture and comings and goings of the people on the street. The porch always had a life cycle. In the summer it was a refuge from sun and rain, a great place to play games, take a nap or be a philosopher. My father held court on that porch, had an afternoon Coke or evening tea. My mother and her friends had cocktails on that porch at 5 pm sharp. Different times. I was reminded of them recently while watching some very old home movies my father had taken of that house, me and my Grandmother walking from the house to the car, going to church. From the movie I was maybe 3-4 all dressed up. My grandmother, who lived until she was 96 was almost 70 in the pictures.
Then you see my mother and sisters all dressed up for church. I am quite sure my father didn’t go.
As with many households back then, (& now), there were strong routines, seemingly slower pace and succinct ritual. Summer birthdays on the porch, Sunday morning bakery adventures, actually using the dining room for winter holidays.
My parents were social, not with the neighborhood people or the parents of my friends’ parents, but their friends. They had their golf friends, their card friends and their porch friends. It set a standard to which I have to this day.

One of my friends from my early teen years, Stebbins, liked that porch so much, he would come over, we would sit out there, he would take my fathers chair, drink my fathers Coke, and practice his philosophical rants. One of his best, which made it into the original Theories, was simple, “What is your Mission ?” If you are a thinking person, try it, then live up to it.

We had the requisite sleepovers with cousins and friends, we were encouraged to go and to do, not to hang around, go outside, go for a bike ride, get lost, go for ice cream, …. just try to be home when the street lights come on, it was probably easier then. (rose colored glasses)
Now I know it wasn’t always that simple and easy but as time goes I prefer to remember it that way. That porch is still there.

I have a barn now ..