In a fit of optimism that winter might really be behind us at last, I decided that today is the Opening Day of Porch Season. I'm pretty sure this is the latest Opening Day in the seven years I've celebrated Porch Season.
I swept off the porch (kinda--don't look too hard at it) and put the new doormat in front of the door. I got it at Target and I love the colors in it. So bright and cheery. After this winter, I'm in desperate need of all things bright and cheery.
Then I dragged out the cushions for the wicker furniture and rolled out my plastic porch rug from World Market. Please note that I followed the "rug rule" and put the front legs of the furniture on the rug. Rug rules are important, even on porches. Otherwise, it's just anarchy and chaos.
By the way, most of the cruddy stuff you see on the porch floor isn't dirt. I did sweep better than that. It's glue from when the porch had that fake grass outdoor carpet glued to it. People who used to live in this house really liked to glue carpet to stuff, even outside.
Then I put the rest of my matchy-matchy pots on the porch steps. The little ones have been there awhile which is why they're dirty. Usually I'm not a matchy-matchy person, but when I set out my collection of mismatched pots on the porch steps (which was supposed to give it a whimsical cottage look, or so Better Homes & Gardens says) my OCD kicked in and I couldn't stand it. I kept rearranging them to make them look even, but they just looked worse, and it made me nervous and unhappy. This is much nicer. (Nicer except for that giant dandelion growing in the flower bed on the right.)
Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to really celebrate Porch Season on my days off and sit out on the porch with the furbabies.
