The Porch

My parents loved their house in St. Louis and everything about it. Dad did a good deal of counseling sitting on the front porch, a feature lacking in their other homes. This was printed June 29, 2006 and told from the perspective he had while sitting and watching the cars and walkers on Crescent Road.

I sat on the front porch with Mom after lunch today. It's one of my favorite places in the world. Four times per year, I visit in St. Louis with my folks. During the other three trips (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break), their house is exposed to the neighborhood by the nakedness of the trees that dominate their yard. In June, however, 157 Crescent Road is almost hidden to outsiders by the foliage. When they built this house twelve years ago, Dad sold his lawn mower and said he'd never cut grass again. His yard, which slants from the road up to the house, would be seeded with wild flowers and he has constantly planted more pine tree seedlings. Early on, there were some run-ins with city fathers who demanded he cut the weeds. Dad pleaded his case and after a little compromise, they let him keep the yard pretty much as is. It's a neat yard. He was so careful when they built on this lot to save every tree possible. The trees are so thick right now it's almost dark even at mid-day. There is a Golden Rain tree that is descended from a tree in our yard in Nebraska and we moved from there in 1976. He doesn't scatter wildflower seed anymore but he doesn't really need to. There are purple cone flowers everywhere that attract finches and bees in great number. Cars come by every so often but it is a one way street so traffic is limited. It's the best place to drink an early morning cup of coffee. Dad says you can see deer out there, but I haven't had that pleasure yet. Beauty is defined in so many ways. There is beauty in symmetry and there is beauty in a yard in a more natural state. I think God likes it, too. I doubt the Garden of Eden won Yard of the Month honors. The grass was probably too high- but talk about wild flowers! I bet Adam and Eve had the best porch ever!

Applicable quote of the day:
"People in, say, Georgia aren't sitting on their front porch singing anymore. They're inside in the air conditioning, watching cable like everybody else."
Charles Reagan Wilson


God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
http://www.hawleybooks.com/
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com