It has been a bit since I posted. For some reason life just got in the way of writing anything. Somewhere between gardening, canning, sitting with a family member in the hospital, birthday parties, baking cakes for birthday parties, family reunions, picking beans, canning again, splitting wood and pressing apples for cider…..a post just never got written.
The other morning my husband and I had a chance to sit a bit and reflect on the busyness of the past weeks. We were starting our day, sitting on the porch, having our first of the morning cups of coffee and tea.
It was beautiful…a bit chilly for this time of year. It was quiet with only the migrating blackbirds to disturb the peace. It was the kind of morning where porch conversations take place….those conversations where everything gets discussed.
The past weeks were rehashed and relived. Some we laughed about and thought we should do again. Some we decided we really didn’t want to repeat. Porch conversation meander (at least ours seem to). They seem to take their sweet time and sometimes end up in places you had no idea they would go.
We pondered on contentment. We wondered why it seems some people never are content; and how those people always seem to want more. For the life of us, we cannot understand that thought. I am kind of grateful we don’t understand that concept.
It was decided that, perhaps, we viewed life more as a cross country race than a sprint. When our sons were in cross country we noticed that winning was important…but even more important was beating your own time….running your own race…but running it better than the race before.
We kind of liked that thought. The thought of living life; to live it better than the day before was kind of good. It seems to be a way to live without competing against everyone else and without comparing yourself to others.
Living life by just trying to do your own stuff better, really frees a person up from wanting what everyone else has or wanting more than everyone else has. Maybe time on a porch just makes for being content. Maybe it is the slower pace that sitting on a porch seems to bring.
There is just something about sitting on a porch, starting your day with a good cup of tea/coffee and connecting with someone you love; that lends itself to a very content state of mind. Whatever it is….I am all for it.
May you have time to sit with a loved one this weekend. May your conversations meander and bring a smile to your face…..and if you can do this on a porch….may it bring a sense of contentment and a feeling that all is right with your world.
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want
but the realization of how much you already have.”
Anonymous
The Chicken Grandma 
Doing your own stuff better – good advice! We were just talking about what outdoor stuff we’ll try to get done before the weather forces us indoors!
Blogging has taken a back seat here too. Multiple hurdles this past few months have thrown a monkey wrench into even the simple things. But, it has also forced us to look at other ways of doing things – and that is a good some times!
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I hear you on the getting things done before the weather turns. Seems like we have been trying to beat the clock all year!
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We’re definitely porch sitters. In our case it’s a sunroom in the back. We like to have our morning coffee there and watch the herons stalking fish.
Enjoyed the post, as always.
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I have a feeling your herons are very entertaining. We see get to watch Great Blue Herons fly over every so often. They seem to like the bend in our small river.
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I happened to look at the picture as I was looking for my stopping place. I’m thrilled to know how to get to your kitchen from there. Silly things bring me pleasure.
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I love the fact that you know how to get to my kitchen from my porch. That was such a good day!
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It will live in our memories until dementia sets in.
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I’ve cut back on blogging…I’ve literally run out of new ideas…it seems all I do is revisit the same routines, plants and projects, and write about them year after year. Cutting back has helped me I think, but even now, I get hurried at times, and can see it in the lack of flow in my recent post. I think I need to get out my editing pencil and make some corrections.
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I have found since I was sick last year it is harder to blog. My brain does not seem to work quite like it did before West Nile and encephalitis.
I do enjoy reading your posts. I think it is okay to talk about the same things. Not everyone probably read them a year ago so it is fresh for them.
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Thanks so much for the encouraging words. I’m so glad you made it through the illness. God bless!
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This post moved me deeply, for I know exactly what you mean. Have you ever noticed all of the empty front porches? Tragic. and then contentment . . .contentment is wealth. You have that. I too have been so busy and have missed writing. Hoping to do better. Stay your beautiful course, my friend. love Michele
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I figured you would “get” this post Michele. Yes….there need to be more front porches and more people sitting on them with friends and family and anyone who wanders past. Maybe if people sat and talked more on a porch there would be a lot let striving and scrambling to get more stuff.
Please tell me that when you do move to a new Rabbit Patch that you will have a porch! I just cannot imagine you without one…or an outdoor place to sit and just be.
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Will, laughs because I always look at the yards first-and old trees! Well, it is about down to me and the critters and the yard matters a lot! Also room for flowers and can I see the stars” haha! I do hope for a sitting outside place. love Michele
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I love trees! My husband laughs because I am plotting to order some fruit trees next year. I have a feeling he thinks we will be to old by the time they start to set fruit. I told him since I cannot go back in time to plant them I had best get to it now!
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Hi Faye. I too have been having a hard time keeping up with blogging (writing and reading) but I am glad I found this post. My husband and I have decided to live a life of contentment or as we call it a simple life. The bills are paid and I haven’t missed a meal. Life is good! It really is a choice. It is not something that is taught and it doesn’t seem to be valued by our society. I love the idea of just living each day better than the day before. Thanks for sharing your porch conversation. 🙂
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