Hello. My name is Claudia and I love to read on the porch.
Let me put that more precisely: I love, love, love to read on the porch.
I’ve been this way since I was a child. I was one of those kids whose head was always buried in a book. Always. A stack of new-to-me books from the bookmobile was the best thing ever. All the possibilities contained between those covers filled me with joy.
I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan and we had a porch. Every house in our post-war community of small bungalows had one; some were rather small, like that of our next door neighbor, Linda. Others were fairly sizable, like ours. My family loved to spend time on the porch. We read, we played games, we chatted with our neighbors as they walked by the house. We drank lemonade. On hot summer nights, before we had an air conditioner, we often sought refuge there. We even watched fireworks from our porch.
I liked to read. And I liked the porch. So it only makes sense that some of my fondest memories are of life on that porch, book in hand, head lifted occasionally to say hello to someone passing by, but mostly, head buried in the pages of a book.
If I looked at the house to my right, I might see Karen sitting on her glider reading to one of her children. If I looked to my left, I would see Linda reading.
Linda, who was an elementary school teacher, loved to read. She often made trips to our public library and checked out lots of books, which she would bring home and proceed to read – on her porch. I can see her still, sitting in her aluminum chair, legs propped up on the wrought iron railing. We shared a love of gothic mysteries, those wonderful books by Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart and Phyllis Whitney and a host of other writers. When Linda finished one book, and she read voraciously and quickly, she would pass it on to me. In the years when I couldn’t drive yet, I was envious of Linda’s ability to drive to the Main Library in our city at any time she pleased. But I also benefitted from those trips because that pile of books she would bring home was for me, too. After we’d both read a book, we would talk about it, often from porch to porch. Our houses were fairly close together, so this was entirely doable.
Linda was a great neighbor and I remember her fondly. I babysat for her son Kevin for many years (he was a handful.) Years later, after I had long ago left Michigan behind and my parents had retired to a home in northern Michigan, I was in town for a high school reunion. I had a rental car and decided to drive through the old neighborhood. Something made me stop in front of Linda’s house on the off chance she might be home. She was. It was so great to see her again. She happened to be house sitting for the people that lived in our old house, so she grabbed the keys and I got to walk through my childhood home again.
Linda was cool that way. Still is, I imagine. I used to hear the news about Linda through my mother, who kept up a correspondence with friends in the old neighborhood. But now that mom exists in a sort of twilight, I no longer hear about Linda. I think I need to contact her because she’s been in my thoughts lately.
After leaving Michigan behind and living in a series of apartments in other cities, I was thrilled when Don and I rented a Craftsman house in San Diego that had a porch. Oh, heaven. I felt like someone who had been stranded in the desert and had finally found an oasis. Loved that porch. Loved reading there.
But this porch, with its bluestone floor and a rusty old glider that rocks gently while I read, this is the best yet. Because not only is it beautiful, it is surrounded by gardens I have planted, by a huge old maple that gracefully spreads its branches over the gardens and lawn. It’s not my parent’s porch. It’s ours.
This time of year especially, before it gets too hot and muggy, is the best time to grab a book and mosey on out to the porch. I sit and read for a while, look up at the gardens, watch the cyclists ride by, tuck back into the book, take a picture….I while away the hours there. I’ve done a lot of that lately.
What could be better than losing yourself in a book and being transported to another world, all the while feeling the fresh air on your face, catching the scent of roses on the breeze, with a sweet little doggie at your feet?
Do you read on a porch? Or a patio? On a dock by a lake? Or, glory be, in a hammock?
Happy Tuesday,
Wow! After reading this, I think I’ll head to my local library to find a good book to read on my porch! Love your porch Claudia. I have fond memories of our porch on the last house that we lived in Detroit (just on the edge of Dearborn) I drove by our old neighborhood last week and sadly it’s a slum neighborhood now. So sad to see what has become of the whole area. Our old home looks nothiing like it did when we lived there. The new people tore down the porch. Dave and I created a beautiful covered back porch in the home that we live in and it’s perfect for reading. So….I think I’ll take a bike ride, come home shower and then go get a good book to read on the porch! You made it sound so inviting!
So sad to see a beloved neighborhood decline, isn’t it? It’s hard to imagine why anyone would tear down a porch! Go get a book and enjoy reading on your beautiful back porch, Sandy.
ahhhhhh…..will be thinking of you, out on your porch. we don’t have a ‘front porch’ but have a large back yard with trees and plenty of birds, our oasis :)
It sounds heavenly, Lori.
I like to read on the porch too!!!
xo Kris
Yay!
We have a three-season porch which translates to about two weeks a year of use! When I was a kid, my mom used to take a dining room chair and sit on our small front porch to read. It is really relaxing!
It sure is, Diane!
I was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in Belleville, MI. We didn’t have a porch, but I read all the time too, and loved it when my mom took me to the library for stacks of books. We had a big old cherry tree on our property and I used to climb up in it and read for hours. Your post brought back such great memories for me.
I know Belleville well, Nicole. I had friends who lived there and I went to school just down the road in Ypsilanti.
Reading in a cherry tree sounds like a slice of heaven!
I love to read on either my patio or porch, not only in the summer, but late into the Fall too. When I was a kid, I would read on a blanket under the shade trees in our back yard. Delightful!
Three season patio/porch reading – I’m all for it.
Oh how I love my porch ! There’s wicker chairs with fat fluffy cushions, potted plants and various reading materials.
Sunday mornings we read the paper and drink coffee, wave hello to the jiggers and dog walkers. By noon, it’s time to pull out the I Pad and read some blogs. Week days you’ll find us sipping a cold drink and reading books. Oh how I love living in the city and my porch.
Vanessa
Vanessa, your porch sounds like it’s gorgeous. And well loved.
I read indoors as it’s more comfortable in my favorite chair. I want lots of light when I read. Plus, I’d be distracted by the kids riding by on the sidewalk. I need total silence when I read. Of course, our house is usually silent but anything will disrupt my reading! A glider would be wonderful though, sweets!!! I could glide and people/children watch then. L-)
xoxo,
Connie
I’m a big fan of gliders, Connie!
I love to spend time on our front porch too, Claudia. I have a swing out there and two white rockers and a couple of benches so there are plenty of places for sitting. Our kids and grandkids all love to gather there during their visits. The grands love to eat their lunch out there, too. Lots of great memories being made out there. Your porch is gorgeous, by the way. I love the stone flooring! ((Hugs))
I think it’s so wonderful when a family hangs out together on the porch, Charlotte.
Thank you for bringing back fond memories! I remember reading Victoria Holt romances as a teenager while lying in a chaise lounge on our screened porch on hot Indiana summer days!
I found an old Victoria Holt book last year – in a used bookstore – and I bought it! What great memories.
Claudia, Delightful post! I personally believe that the gradual fading of front porches,either logistically or because of hectic life styles,has had everything to do with our break down of society! Communication! We don’t even look up at people as we walk down the street. By we I mean “nobody in this blog-Thread”! LoL But I think we all know exactly what I’m talking about! Loved growing up with a porch, playing “House,” paper dolls and anything else we could come up with! ( which was a lot) back then,when we still had our imaginations.Thank You for a great post, and letting me wax nostalgic. -Judy A-
I think you’re absolutely right, Judy. Heads are buried in cell phones. People text. No one looks at each other. I think porches might be the key to saving civilization!
I played paper dolls and house and school and all sorts of things on our porch.
Claudia
I’m mulling over some favourite spots where I enjoyed reading over the years and they do bring a smile. Once it gets drier outdoors, I’ll have to get into the habit of taking a book outdoors and enjoying it along with the scent of whatever is blooming. Peonies now, as you know!
-Karen
I just got back from going outside to check on the peonies after yesterday’s big rain.
I love to read. I love to read almost anywhere. And, I love porches, too. Life is good.
Life is indeed good. Beverly.
I haven’t thought of Phyllis Whitney in years…great memories of getting lost in her books!
We share many of the same memories, I actually read on the porch to escape all the noise and activity in my house. Now, I really enjoy most of all, reading on the boat while hubby fishes. Peaceful, serene and the gentle rocking is so calming. The only interruption is his occasional swearing.
XO,
Jane
Reading on a boat sounds wonderful. I, too, tried to escape all the noise in a tiny bungalow filled with 6 people and a dog.
Hi Claudia! I love your comfy porch, especially that floor – so pretty!! I have a back porch and just love to bring my book out there and watch the birds and read from there. When the weather is nice, it is my favorite place to be. I have also gotten into Deborah Crombie books (I just finished the latest which was great!) and I am really enjoying them… How nice that you had a neighbor who shared porch sitting and those wonderful mysteries with you!! I really enjoyed this post, Claudia!! Have a good day – Francine
Deborah Crombie is wonderful. I am trying to read them in order, give or take a book or two.
Oh, how I loved reading this post! It’s hard to convey to our children and grandchildren what it was like then. For the lucky ones of us, it really was like many of the old movies. You did a great job of helping us to picture that porch-sitting society. It was also where my grandmother and aunts shelled peas or shucked corn or strung green beans from the garden by the peck to can. That leisurely world, or so it seems to me now although they were always busy bees, these women I remember.
Our own post WW II cottage only had a small covered entryway but there was the patio out back. I took my books out under the trees to read, sitting in the grass. There must not have been the chiggers and ticks in the grass then that there is now. And today I don’t read on the front porch but in the backyard as it is covered by a huge green umbrella of three sugar maples. I sit in Adirondack chairs, the red one is mine. I’m just feet away from the bird feeders and hummingbird feeder and they zoom over my head ignoring me. June, nice reading outside time. I’ll be thinking of you on your porch with your feet on that blue stone floor that holds the coolness a long time, and Scout lying there while you read.
So lovely, Claudia! I miss the Bookmobile, and Library Day at school.
I envy you your Adirondack chairs – I so want one or two someday. Don and I were just saying that we used to be able to lie on the grass with no problems at all. Today, in our neck of the woods, there would be ticks.
I’ll be thinking of you in your red Adirondack chair!
I love your porch, the floor, the swing and the plants. We only had a small porch in Flint, but enough to make you happy. Remember as kids we were always outside til dark and our parents would call us in? Great memories…
I loved that. The streetlights would go on and my mom would ‘call me in.’
I really hate to tell you this, but I don’t read. I look at lots of magazines, but I’ve never been a reader. I just can’t sit still and read. But, it looks like you have the perfect spot to do that especially with that precious dog at your feet. Enjoy your book!
Judy
I have a feeling you just never sit down long enough to read, Judy!
I love your charming porch, Claudia! These days I read in an adirondak chair near our back door, but I still miss the front porch at our previous house.
There it is again, Adirondack chair! I want one. Or two.
I envy your beautiful calm, cool , relaxing porch..I still love to sit outside to read..even if I am sitting on a comfy wicker chair with an off-set umbrella to keep the sun off..so peaceful..
I know – there’s just something wonderful about it.
You are so lucky to have a porch to read on! I used to read on a hammock as a child…that was great! Now I’m reading this in the Philly airport…any place will do if there’s something interesting to read! ;)
I agree, Donna!
Boy this post brought back memories for me too. Linda didn’t share her books with me but memories of taking care of Kevin have come back to m, yikes. He threw a tuna fish sandwich at me once. We had great neighbors and you know how much I LOVE your porch.
Mere
He pulled all sorts of stuff with me – that kid was a brat!
What a lovely scene you’ve painted with your memories and present day activities, beautiful post. I don’t have a front porch but a deck off the back with an extra large umbrella that is my go to place for reading and a swing out in the backyard if the mood strikes but a front porch with a swing or glider would be heaven. Enjoy!
A swing in the backyard and an umbrella on the deck sound good to me!
I miss my screened porch. I could read out there for hours. Your porch is wonderful. Love your choice of books, too. I have read all of that series. can’t wait for the next one. xo Laura
There’s a new one out, I think. I know there is one in hardcover right now.
You hit the nail on the head – dock at the lake is my favorite spot. And the deck at the lake house. On the back deck at home in Chicago. In my favorite chair, in my car, in bed, in the boat…. Doesn’t really matter where, just as long as I can read!
Reading on the dock with the sound of the water lapping at the shore. Heaven. I grew up going to my aunt’s cottage and I really miss being around a lake.
I love sitting on the porch at night with the heater on, a glass of wine and a few good friends to chat with :)
Sounds lovely!
Oh my how I love to sit outside and read. Here it is on a back patio where I can watch the birds and the household pets do their thing. When I was little I used to have a reading crook in a big Maple tree in our backyard. I’d haul up some pillows and a quilt and would have the best time. Ann
A magical place for a child to read, Ann!
I always had my nose stuck in a book as a child, too – and still do! My childhood home had a small porch and it wasn’t private, so my reading was done either in my room or lying on the living room couch. Now when I read outdoors, it’s on my patio. The patio is tucked on the side of my house, near the back, so it’s quite private. There’s a lot of shade there too, so it’s lovely on hot summer days. I read an entire magazine out there this morning with my iced coffee by my side. I loved reading your memories about Linda. :-)
Thank you, Melanie. Linda was a great neighbor and friend. We used to laugh a lot together.
Little Bungalow with a nice front porch :)
Sounds very nice, indeed1
My home has a huge wraparound veranda,yes I read there,do my yoga and chi kung,we have our meals there,
my clients sometime came to see me and they love too.I have even smal book shelf there
Sometime we all have some vine,ice cream,some neigbours came and play music.
But now is cold here in Australia,I have my washing line there,some lights in colour to remaind me of sunshine.
Love your blog.
That veranda sounds like a wonderful, peaceful space.
Hello!!! I’ve figured out how to leave comments!!! Thanks for your email. Love the garden.
Yay!
Hi! I love your blog. I live in Necochea, Argentina. Don´t have a porch. Houses here usually don´t have porches, but I ahve a garden and a patio. I love to read there. When it´s not cold, for it´s autumn here now, and too cold to be outside.
Books have also been there for me with their enchantment since a very young age and my love of reading has accompanied me throughout life. As a child i would seek out some nook (over the heating duct in the bathroom(northern Canada),behind the sofa…)where i might be undisturbed for a while and reading this i realized i still do.! The porch sounds idyllic and i hope those beloved moments allow you to let your cares be for awhile also, as your life expands:)!( Maybe the place to begin writing the book i look forward to hearing about?) Enjoy!
I love to read anywhere but outdoors there are too many mosquitoes here…so sadly I read indoors.