Your Porch Parties, No. 9
Well, you did it! We asked you to join us in hosting a city-wide porch party on July 13th and we were overwhelmed by the response. Thanks to those of you who have sent us photos and accounts of the day. We’ll be sharing many of them here. So, enjoy! And if you haven’t had a porch party of your own, what are you waiting for?
I used to write a family blog- I actually kept up on it for years. It was called Big Wide Porch: Life in a Midwest Bungalow. That’s was when we lived in Irvington, before the fourth child came along. My blog, like many others, was a fun way to keep in touch with friends and family who lived far away, a place to share our life. Our home in Irvington, like every home we’ve owned, had a wonderful deep and inviting porch. It’s always been a main criteria during house-hunting. And when I wondered what to name the blog, Big Wide Porch fit because our porch is the entryway into our lives and home. It’s a meeting place, a place to rest and be known.
Our current home in the Springdale neighborhood also has a lovely porch. Tonight we gathered with friends and neighbors as we helped to host a city-wide porch party. Just an hour before the party my husband and the kids ran across the street to invite the newest neighbors, who surprisingly were home and able to join the fun. I made some food to nibble on and put some drinks on ice. There were countless kids running up and down the stairs, playing with bubbles and waving sparklers around. Eventually they faded to the cool indoors for a movie while the adults enjoyed conversation. We were all a bit warm outside, but no one seemed to mind too much. There was laughter and story-telling, introductions, and gestures of friendship. New and old friends gathered in this welcoming space, and honestly, it made my heart happy.
I have not been keeping up on the blog these days. Its fallen off my priority list. But our porch will always remain wide open for gatherings like tonight. This community, these friends, make city life so wonderful.