Larry, Curly & Moe?

It rained all during the night and even though the ground is still quite wet, my porch is nicely dry, so I went outside to sit and read a bit this morning. There were a few birds here and there, but it was all much calmer and more quiet than other, warmer mornings. The squirrels, though—they were out. I kept hearing them running back and forth along the edge of the roof as I sat in my chair. Occasionally, one would run up to the front of the porch overhang, lean s-l-o-w-l-y over the edge to survey the surroundings and then run back to report his findings to the others. The strange thing was that they didn't really acknowledge that I was there.

This went on for about 10-15 minutes. I loved listening to those little feet running, running, running along the roof. When they finally noticed me, the three of them were trotting along the edge of the roof to my left. The first one saw me and stopped quite abruptly—causing the second one to run right into him, which caused the third little guy to stumble into and OVER the others! Straight out of a cartoon. Seriously. They huddled and held onto each other as they all stared at me, then quickly turned and ran back to the roof behind me, chattering the whole time. I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Apparently, they didn't think it was funny.

Next thing I knew, they were taking turns running up to the edge, peering down at me, and yelling what I can only assume were squirrel obscenities... I'm not kidding. One by one, these three would saunter down to investigate, spout off whatever it was they felt they needed to say to me, then run back, boasting their success to the others. Sorry guys, but that just made it funnier.

space

porch collage
Originally uploaded by redbat.

I miss my Belmont porch.

Well, I did for awhile, anyway. I love my apartment, but it really has no place to sit outside. Here I am in this beautiful valley with big, bright, sunny days and I have no bench to lounge on while reading. Or writing. Or just watching the neighborhood goings-on. By this, I mean the birds, the squirrels, the ladybugs and beetles, and the occasional passersby.

This will not do.

It's up to me to create my own space, I suppose. For the longest time, I thought the backyard would be best, since it's bigger and has more possibilities. But it's also cumbersome to GET to the backyard, and it would require a lot of work clearing out all the weeds and cutting back the overgrown bushes���—not to mention the upkeep. So what I decided on in the end was to start with my small front porch and see where that led me.

I brought home a carload of potting soil, planters, flowers and plants of all types. I trimmed the hedges back from the walkway, but kept some of the overgrowth on each side, so as to keep the area slightly hidden and to create (much-needed) shade on hot days. I planted a small but promising clematis in an oversize pot, complete with climbing trellis. I created two small rock gardens, planted lavender, some dusty miller and arranged all the pots around the perimeter. On one of the side beams, I hung a bamboo windchime. On the other, a basket of red impatiens. And I placed a small shelf along one edge of the porch to hold some tools and more flowers—���and of course, to hold my cold beer on lazy afternoons.

I would never have believed that such a small square of porch could be transformed into such a calming and downright roomy little garden space. To top it off, Berkley surprised me on the morning of my birthday by showing up on my doorstep with a beautiful (and comfy!) chair. The perfect finishing touch.

In the end, what I have is an easy-to-get-to resting spot that really doesn't look like much from the sidewalk. But, I like that. I can simply step out my front door, sit down with (or even without) a book and escape into this soothing and relaxing garden. Secluded and cool, yet open enough to invite in the morning sun, this is my own space.
I created it.

This will most certainly do.

the chair

red chair
Originally uploaded by redbat.

My grandparents' kitchen was filled with all sorts of goodies and fun items we didn't have at home. My favorite cereal was on hand (Frosted Mini-Wheats!), dessert was usually cooling on the counter (chocolate crazy cake!) and something yummy was always cooking in the oven. They had what I thought was the King of all dishwashers, too. It had wheels so you could move it around the room and it hooked up to the sink faucet with a big hose—quite unlike our boring one at home that just sat motionless under the counter.

My favorite item, though, was the step-stool/chair that sat near the kitchen doorway (and still does!). It was my seat at the dinner table and when I'd watch Grammy making dinner or cleaning up afterward—and it always seemed built just for me.

With all the retro-themed items popping up in stores lately, I wasn't too surprised to see a remade version of that same chair at BiMart. I kept my eye on it but could never bring myself to spend $45 on something I didn't really need.

It may sound silly, but the day after Grammy died, I cried my way over to BiMart and I bought that chair—a small but heartfelt tribute to her. It's not quite the same style as the old one and it's certainly not as well made (what is these days?), but it's perfect in my opinion. It sits in my office, bright red and shiny, and although it's painful, it makes me think of her.

All the time.

Who'da Thunk?

the Belmont Gang...together again!
Originally uploaded by redbat.

When Addie and I joined Shane in Boston, we spent much time lamenting our lost Belmont haven in Portland (beer drinking will do that to you...). But on a walk through Sommerville, we stumbled upon a welcome sight.