Front Porch Pleasures

Summertime by Mary Cassatt

Summertime

An aria by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.

Summertime, 

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Oh, Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

One of these mornings

You're going to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take to the sky

But until that morning

There's a'nothing can harm you

With your daddy and mammy standing by

Summertime, 

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

In the full swing of summer we are. But I wouldn't say the livin' is easy. Never is. For me, summer brings outdoor chores that aren't present during cold weather (self-inflicted wounds, I call them!)

However, life does change somewhat during the heat of summer. We slow our steps and take in the sights and sounds of the season, enjoy the scenery, reflect more. Time out of doors is limited to early morning and late afternoon -- at least for me.

That leaves the middle of the day. And what better way to spend it than reading inside the air-conditioned house or in the shade of the front porch?

Since I last posted, I have been on a book binge. After completing The Moonflower Vine, which I posted about here, I also read the author's only other book,  Clair de Lune, on my Kindlefire.

Next I moved on to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, a novel by Helen Simonson, a thoroughly charming read with its crisp wit and gentle insight.

The two books to the right in the photo below are in my soon-to-read stack.

Currently, I'm reading Lowcountry Summer, a hilarious novel full of the sights, smells, attitudes and tastes of the South Carolina lowcountry.

It, and the book below, were purchased at the Dollar General Store for $1 each. At a price like that, who could say no?

Reading on the front porch is enhanced by having this old glider and (two) chairs borrowed from my mother's front porch. They are old, once green but painted black some decades ago. I happen to like the mottled look, however.

The glider is the perfect spot for kitty naps. The pillows are temporary for kitty comfort. I'm trying to decide if I want to choose a fabric and sew pillows or take the easy way out and purchase them.

This old baker's rack provides some respite from the hot sun for my shade loving potted plants.

Here's one of the pots I crafted a few weeks ago. Once I get the process perfected, I will do a post on how to transform plain clay pots to French flea market looking finds.

I have to admit this fern stand is reminiscent of weddings and funerals, but I couldn't resist buying it because I love wicker.  I am looking for a white wicker seating arrangement for the porch but have been unable to find the right one. I could really kick myself in the pants for not buying the one I found a few weeks ago and didn't purchase on the spot.

Another recent flea market find. A place to rest a tall frosty drink on a summer afternoon. I am not wild about the flower pictures painted on the tray and at the bottom and may very well paint over them.

Wicker again. Great for taking to the garden for flower cutting.

Well, that about sums up what I've been doing instead of blogging. I am way behind on reading your posts but hope to catch up soon. Today is the first time I've sat at the computer in almost two weeks. Where does the time go?