I live in a garden home section of a large subdivision in Tuscaloosa. Built in 2006, the facades on our street all look the same and are swallowed up by the great beige blankness of garage doors. I work in my garage a lot, painting and glazing furniture and when the neighbors walk by they always stop to chat and see what piece of junk I'm attempting to rehab. I do the same when walking my dogs. We all make conscious attempts to maintain relationships in our little neighborhood. It takes effort and luck to catch your neighbor's out when you're out. Some of our older neighbors set their lawn chairs out in front of their shadeless garages and will enjoy a few hours and a glass of sweet tea while watching people, children and cars go by. A porch retreat would be a welcome addition to all of our homes. Let me clarify that - a front porch would be a welcome addition. All of our homes have back porches. Mine is even large and screened. The problem is the back porches don't allow us to look at anything but a patch of grass and a privacy fence. We want to see what's happening in our little neck of the world and wave at the mail lady and wonder what Mr. King's getting in that big box the Fedex man just dropped off. I love to take my dogs to a new neighborhood near me where all of the homes are built around the perimeter of the park and have huge front porches. I have developed a case of porch envy. If you are lucky enough to have a front porch make sure you decorate it like you would any room in your home. Make it an inviting place to sit and watch the world go by.....and don't forget to wave at the lady walking her dogs.
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