The FRONT PORCH

Growing up I spent many hours swinging, playing, and sleeping on my grandparents' front porch. It was a huge screened in porch that provided security and shelter from not just the elements but also the world. As I've grown older, I long for the days spent with cousins, aunts, and uncles in an old wooden house with no central air and heat, not even a window unit. Sultry summer nights were spent sleeping on cots cooled by the night breeze or spread eagle on beds and couches, no covers, trying not to touch the person next to you. Late night snacks of peanut butter and apple jelly sandwiches washed down with cold apple juice were punctuated by card games at the kitchen table or "rasslin" on the TV. Without fail, I was awakened by the haggling of blue jays and mockingbirds and the smell of bacon and breakfast on the table. Seats were assigned as Grandma sat at the head of the table and Grandpa sat to her left. I always sat facing him. Grandpa JD was a stern old man with a boistrous sense of humor and a contagious laugh. Laughing was a constant there and a marker on the Hallonquist DNA as I've never attended a family gathering short of laughter. Grandma Jewell was sweet and giving. She cooked three square meals a day and spent much of her time visiting people in the nursing home, quilting, and sewing. I could go on for days sharing the wonderful times I spent at Grandma and Grandpa's. My senses were overwhelmed in that house and in their arms. I am forever grateful for the laps that held me, the hands that shaped me, and the lessons about life, love, and family on their front porch.