A DESTINY FULFILLED...

A couple of summers ago 

we screened in a plain old porch 

and turned it into a magical place.

 A place right next to

 the Secret Garden,

 a place where we could 

listen to the birds, 

watch the fairies dance

 and a place where we could 

sit and dream 

and let the world,

 and all of its problems,

 pass us by.

  

And sit and dream we did! 

 So much so

that the remaining task 

needed to fulfill this porch's destiny

 didn't get done...

the painting.

The white paint, or primer, 

already there, 

had been a quick fix 

from a few years ago 

when the exterior walls were 

chipped and peeling 

and waiting for a new finish.

  It looked okay 

and we figured 

it would get us by for awhile,

 but then that sitting and dreaming thing

 kicked in

 and before we knew it,

 the season of summer

 was gone.

Now,

 it's nearly a new summer 

and a lot of hard thinking 

has gone into

 what the new

 paint color job should look like.

 At first, 

we thought just a new coat

 of shiny white 

would do the trick. 

 After all, 

it had made the cover of

 a national magazine!

 But, 

then I saw this on

 Pinterest...

Pinterest - Source

...and since the Secret Garden 

looks like this...

...it just seemed like a 

match made in heaven.

 I just knew it would seem heavenly 

when the hot summer was pressing down

 and we were surrounded by cooling greens

 that would make the 

sitting and dreaming 

so much more

 delightful.

Laurel Garland - Behr

After the basic color

 was decided,

 we found this 

table and chairs...

Table - Local antique shop

Chairs - The Rehab Store

...and the full design came into view.

  I had in mind 

a cabin in the woods 

or a camp in the Adirondacks 

and slowly,

 but surely,

 our version of those two ideas 

came together.

~~~~~

We had this birdhouse

 in Jacob's Garden

 for about twelve years. 

 It was starting to lean 

and the patina was just at

 the right stage, 

so we brought it inside the porch

to preserve it...

...I love the whimsy

it adds 

over the table.

With the addition of

a few of our 

favorite things...

...we have turned our little 

Summer Place

 into a peaceful spot 

where we can continue 

to sit and dream.

"To sit in the shade

on a fine day

and look upon verdure

is the most perfect

refreshment."

Jane Austen

~~~~~

We received

 a wonderful gift 

some 50-ish years ago.

 Happy Birthday

 to our beautiful daughter,

 Tami.

You, sweet girl,

 are a gift that just

 keeps on giving.

 We love you.

...Judy...

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