For the past few days, Florida has been getting alot of rain. With Irene massive size, even from as far off Florida as she was, the bands brought rain and lots of cloud coverage. Needless to say, that rain has kept us from working on the property. My cold hasn't made it any easier either, working in the heat {when it is not pouring} made for a very rough and painful nights sleep. Or lack there of.
But that did not stop me... Not for long anyway.
If I couldn't work outside, then I would work inside. Well, under cover would be a better word for it. On the front and side of my mothers house, are two porches. Both are completely covered overhead, have wood for the flooring, screens to keep the bugs out {when the squirrels aren't chewing them in attempts to get to the bird}, and plastic framed windows that will either slide all the way up to the ceiling or down toward the floor. In all kinds of weather, you are protected. On spring days, you can sit on the porch and enjoy the colors of nature fly by. During the winter months {if you can call them that}the coolness of a mid afternoon greets you while you read a good book. In the height of rainy season you can still enjoy the electric light show by pulling the windows either up, or down; thus keeping the rainy spray off you. Many a morning I have sat on the porches, and just listened. On this Tuesday morning however, I had my fill. Let me show you what I am talking about...
While sitting at the round glass top table, I looked at another view. The one on my mothers front porch. With a vision in my head, and a drive to get it done, I began full speed ahead. In the right corner {out of the picture} was the boxed Christmas tree, covered with two black trash bags; just sitting there as if it owned that spot. First thing, the boxed Christmas tree has to find a new home, but in order to accomplish that task I would have to clean out and organize my mothers laundry room. Sounded like just the place to start. With my mother and Paul helping, I climbed the ladder and began pulling items off the shelf. Before any of us knew it, we had the shelf sorted {keep, toss, and donate}and emptied off.
I could have easily had everything sorted into 2 piles {keep and toss}, but there was always something that caught the attention of Paul. Oh, and my mother at times. In my opinion, if it has been out of sight for ages.. then you don't need it. Once the laundry room was ready to receive the items I wanted to store, the porches new design began to form.
This is the other porch, or as my mother calls it The Long Porch. This porch held my brother Mark totes {filled with his worldly treasures}, and the treasures my brother Fred {baby clothing of his daughter, her doll house, and a picnic basket}can not bring himself to part with. They all found a nice home on the shelf of the newly organized laundry room. Don't worry, I am going to break the news to my mother... porch swings are not the same as clothes lines.
Moving right along, shall we...
The computer desk seen on the right, found a new spot in my mothers bedroom. This swing; that rested in front of the dining room windows, has been moved to rest in between those very same windows. Now the view from the dining room isn't clothes or, the back of somebodies head. The plants will be moved to pots, I can not wait to watch them thrive out there, and I picture a rocking chair and another iron chair to define comfort on this porch. As the morning merged right into the afternoon, so did the plans to clean up and organize the smaller porch. The very reason for this day full of sweat and dust. Once I moved everything over to one side of the porch, allowing me to begin with a clean slate, I slowly and carefully replaced each item to their prospective spot. And than moved it. And replaced it over there. And moved it. And replaced it one last time... There, perfect.
Much, much better. The stand to the left, is a bird cage stand. I kept the cage-less bird stand, had my sweety cut and fit a piece of plywood so it would rest on the edges of the stand {just like the cage would}, this made extra space for plants or, whatever else my mother wants to add to her porch.
We then moved the glass top table to the center of her dining room window, my sweety remove the shudder from behind the bakers rack, and lastly I swept while my mother cleaned up the porch-wear set. What a difference moving furniture and a little organization made. I couldn't get enough of the porch before, now I could put a cot out there and enjoy a good nights sleep. OK, so maybe not sleeping. Or a cot. The window coverings are a thick plastic, can be purchased at a fabric store, and that is also in future plans. Stretching and setting the plastic in each window is a job for more than just two people. But, I see it in the near future. Also, the white area under the dining room window, well my brother Mark removed the siding to install a sprinkler system in the flower beds {years ago}, and never replaced the siding. No telling where that siding went to. But I see a chair rail, wooden with nice etching on it, and it run all along the area just under the window, from one end of the porch to the other. Underneath the chair rail is a solid color slate of some kind or wood slats. Completing the porch and bring comfort to all who enters. When we were completely finished, we all sat back and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Oh, what a good days work this was.
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