Our various Homes, and the porch.

"Two roads diverged into a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference! -Robert Frost

Years ago Chicago was my home, 2 brothers, 2 parents, 5 of us total and always a dog.
In my youth I had two different homes, my first home on Richmond, across from Humboldt Park, was my favorite for early childhood memories of hide and go seek at night, of learning ennie, meanie, minie, moe, of digging for worms in our dirt backyard, of caterpillars growing out of the brick on the corner apartment building, and of the summer nights we sat out late on the big front porch, neighbors and neighbor kids invited. It was awesome. And of course the resounding whack of the wooden baseball bat hitting my temple as the boy grew angry my jump rope had hit him.

It was Richmond that my husbands home reminded me of so much, the two stories, two different households to be learned and enjoyed. And especially sitting out on the porch, it was a way of proving out that this enjoyment experience was not just a figment of a childhood imagination, in adult years the porch outings have proved to be highly enjoyable. So when I visit that home now as an older adult I always wonder what the front porch will give us for that day, it borne witness to so much life and zest for life, it holds promise to give us something. I see you in it's shadows leaning back into the siding with one foot up to brace or bounce you a bit, I see Your craziest sister giving sermons to anyone that walked by like a minister with her repent lectures, and I see every step filled with laughing, talking people.

My next Chicago Home off Bryn Mawr and McVicker had a smaller porch, brick bungalow, with cement stoops to sit on, one unhinged from the cement had to be sat on, just so, or it would "man overboard" a harsh fall by any standard, childhood bones or adult. But we still had fun out there, we heard our first live guitar on those steps, we watched birds make nests in our eves and have their babies, teach them to fly and hunt for food, we had the enjoyment of being able to stand out on the porch and watch heavy spring rains with benefit of shelter. I see mom and Dad burst into laughter over something said, I see my oldest brother coming back from a ride on his motorcycle in his jockeys, telling us how he drove down by the convent to get a reaction, I see my youngest brother working under a car in the streets because in Chicago even if you have a garage doesn't mean you use it at repair time.

Yes, the Porch has given much amusement, much heart, and many memories to us.