August Porch

Here it is...the August Featured Porch! It is the home of my neighbor. She'll be 92 in just a few days. Mrs. SSS is such an interesting person and spends much time on her porch. She has lived in this house for about 35 years after living right next door for approximately 35 years also. Mrs. SSS loves the trees and vines growing so cozily all around. However this grand porch wraps around 2 sides of her home. When she turned 90, my little girl and I went down and took everything off her porch and scrubbed the ceiling, wall and floor for her with a broom and the water hose. We cleaned the furniture then put everything back. It was her 90th birthday gift from us. She was thrilled.

Our neighbor was very close friends with the lady (her next door neighbor) who lived in this home before she and her husband bought it. It was built in 1900 by the lady's grandfather. She can remember her grandfather cutting trees from the woods and taking the logs to the sawmill to be made into lumber to build this home.

My 92 year old neighbor doesn't read my blog. She doesn't have a computer. She was fine with the fact that I was going to post photos and write about it though. Many days when I drive past her home to make sure she's OK, she'll be sitting on the porch reading or writing letters. She writes me the most interesting letters...sort of like continuing conversations of questions that I asked her when I was down there talking to her. Such as what life was like during the Great Depression and what our town was like when she was a child. Her latest letter to me mailed from just 3 blocks down the street was filled with interesting information about homes around town and 2 photocopied pages of black and white pictures of how our courthouse and several main buildings looked years ago.

My neighbor has never driven a car. When she walks past my home I have to run to catch up to her. She retired from a lifetime of teaching in elementary school. Yet she has traveled the world, written two books, and owns a two acre island one mile off the coast. She has spent every summer there for years and years. This summer she's only going when her children can stay with her. That is the way they will let her go now.

A few days ago she called. "Rachel" her voice came through loud and clear, "I'm just checking on you," I heard her say. Ah, she's 92! I thought she was at the island.

And so I took her a bowl of chili and listened to some more great stories. We talked about the end of life and the love of life and the joy she finds in living.

She said we'd had several days where it was too cold to sit on the porch. That's true. We have. I suggested she could wear her fur coat! She laughed her hearty fiesty laugh. Life is good on my neighbor's romantic porch.

Love, Rachel