I'm back on the porch after a long while away and curled up in my chair watching the bonfire with my cup of cocoa and lovely warm lap blanket. Missed sitting with all of you under the starry sky!
i finally made it here just to re-group, regain me. i brought brownies and orange juice to share. just sitting on a lounge chair outside the cabin nearby, seeing the spring flowers show up and dance in a soft spring breeze. anyone's welcome to share.
I came here with no intentions, with just the knowledge that there'd be something needed.
And that's what happened today -- I needed to find someone else, not searching for anything more than ourselves; and that's a lot, actually. Here it's a given that we can feel, and revel, in the freedom to find delight with the world.
The muffins and orange juice are great complimentary treats, but the highlight is finding someone else today -- someone who gets it (no explanations needed).
Thank you for being here, and for the invitation to join the dance. And now ... :grouphug:
I'm enjoying the sounds of the song birds in a big floofy beanbag chair across the porch.
I stopped by today for the first time and it feels good to be with everyone else here. I'm crying a lot but healing tears and I don't feel as alone as i have been. I may even be able to sleep tonight :)
Sweet dreams. It's warm and safe and there are hammocks here. :zzz:
Quote from: Armee on April 09, 2024, 01:05:45 AMSweet dreams. It's warm and safe and there are hammocks here. :zzz:
Thanks Armee - I had the best sleep in over a week - I shall have to visit more often ;D
so glad this is here, still up and running, so to speak. i'm going thru w/drawal from my ex and my meds, and i need a lovely, safe place to hang out while the poison is leaving my body. just want to listen to the small waves lapping the shore, listen to the birds, rock on the porch, snooze :zzz: till i come back to my self.
There's a little kid part of me who needs to hang out here today someplace safe while I do adult things. She's sitting in the grass playing with the butterflies and bugs and flowers and humming to herself. She won't need anything from anybody. She's just there in peace. I might send her a surprise puppy later.
I was just reading the first Healing porch description and I am in tears, happy tears. That's exactly where I needed to be right now. A peaceful place, a place I've dreamed for so long, a place with people who understand, a place where I feel I belong! What a wonderful gift!
:wave:
It''s been a while -- too long, really; since I've set out to spend some time here.
First stop -- get the supplies readied for my visit. I love to split wood a for campfire in case others want to share its warmth as the evening cools.
And for sure today I've brought the bag of compost for the garden. Compost, the waste material whose decaying nutrients will mix into this year's blend of seeds and other plantings for the season's growth.
Soon the transformation will start as new growth, sprouting forth beautiful new plants while anticipaing the transformation of the soil yet again.
I can't help but think of how this process, including the rotting compost, resembles my own efforts to discard my old story. Reminds me, too, of Mary Lennox and the excitement she found planting her own secret garden.
May this one follow her example of pluck and determination to find new meaning for life's new growth cycle.
The best is yet to come -- is that Robin's song I'm hearing? Familiar -- yet new, singing a welcome to new life. And I'm included.
What a wonderful discovery this first of May. I'm gobsmacked as the brits would say. Would you believe I'm sitting at my front door wide open looking out over my (unmowed) garden and just wandering around the forum and I stumble upon this thread!?!?
How happy does that make me!!!
It's raining ever so gentle but neither hot nor cold. I'm washing in and out of thoughts and feelings and the past and the future and suddenly I've tripped over the present. The mint wafts up into my nostrils with the humid breeze. I'm with you all and so happy to not be alone.
It is lovely isn't it?!
indeed, it is lovely. i'm back, going thru w/drawal, just need a quiet, safe place to let my body do its thing. this is the healing porch, after all, and i just let out a sigh of relief it's here. i'm sitting in the cabin off to the side of the original porch, listening to the birds and insects, breeze thru the trees, a lovely fire, and a book i haven't read in a while. mmmm . . .
That sounds lovely San.
I love the sounds of all the song birds, frogs not so much.
Just sitting here as day fully lightens, rocking gently, enjoying a rare moment of feeling wondrous.
I'm drawing ever closer to getting my hands and body back into "partnering" with my yard. Today might be the day for the vinca trimming... or shrub care... or just tidying up the porch and driveway so the two cats can come out and prowl around a bit.
:sunny:
Love to all,
-Cascade
:bighug:
:wave:
:hug:
i need to retreat to this retreat, and treat myself w/ a day of rest. end of summer,3-day heat wave, i'm going to take advantage of the trees here, a cool breeze, some horchata to share for all who care to imbibe.
Sounds perfect. I'm sending a bluebird from my yard to fly overhead and say hi, song you a little song.
I've no idea what "horchata" is, but I think I want a lot!
:)
i need this right now, am going to stay here until the surgery is over.
horchata is a sweet mexican rice drink, added vanilla, over ice - nothing better, to my mind, on a hot day.
tears in my eyes at the thought of just camping here in the cabin, listening to the waves, a lovely fire, nothing to do, no one to see, the world is away.
:hug: :hug: san
Healing Porch is a wonderful place to be.
I'm tiptoeing away to a different spot to give you your peace and quiet.
back again, to my cabin on a lake in the woods adjacent to the healing porch. gonna fish - they magically clean themselves and jump into the oven along w/ a pasta salad. yeah, i can live on that for a while. and i brought cookies and lemonade for sitting in the rocker on the porch if anyone cares to join me. fire on the beach in the evening, s'mores, sweet treats that have no calories nor ill effects on our bodies. i love it here, deep breath, thank you wife2.
:sunny: :cloud9: :cloud9: :grouphug:
:)
I'm curled up in the grass off to the side of the porch, watching the bugs and birds crawl and fly around when I'm not napping. The fireflies are out and land on me on occasion.
- Gráinne, the oil-slick dragon
starting a garden here, next to the cabin which is neighboring the healing porch itself. anyone is welcome to join in, plant your favorites - the soil, weather, fertilizer, sun and rain are all perfect for growing whatever you want. i'm going w/ veggies first - corn and heritage tomatoes, carrots and lettuce, onions and broccoli. plenty of room and everything grows magically quickly. always enough to share, too. just felt a touch of relaxation in my body. nice.
I finally made it here. Thanks for the nudge San ;D
It's early morning. There's dew on the fields in front of the porch. It's cool, but not cold. Just right to be sharp and feel comfortable. The fresh smell of wood and soil in the air is amazing. There's a giant bamboo forest with ponds and water falls. Right next door. There are endless tiny paths and creeks to explore. It's teaming with life. We go there with the whole group sometimes, to build rafts and stuff like that. It's great fun. All of us are full of energy and in good spirits. Everybody feels 100% safe and welcome. It's a given. Our sleep quality is the gold standard. Every single night. If fills me with immense joy and gratitude to be part of this tribe of beautiful souls. Today I'm planting banana plants. They perfectly compliment the magic San has done in the garden already. It looks beautiful. An abundance of fruit and veggies. Vines and leaves everywhere. Cozy corners with perfect shade to relax. Life's good.
:grouphug: Joining you but just to enjoy the sun and the warmth and the greenery. No planting work today.
:cloud9: :grouphug:
I've staggered in after months of heavy work and affronting storms. The tempest of October has settled into a constant drizzle. I'm loading up the fireplace and bringing in a stock of wood to feed a roaring fire throughout the chilly wet morning. Later, if the sun comes out I'm gonna walk down the path to the lake. On my way back I'll take a tour of the garden.
Breathing is suspiciously magical of a sudden. I'm so glad to be here.
so happy to see you here, chart. enjoy, enjoy!
that fire sounds wonderful, and we had our first snow today, so that's always fun to see, and your cozy fire makes it all the more delicious. hot chocolate at the ready, and fresh snickerdoodles - sugar and carb free! i'm gonna relax and enjoy my book - am reading steven king's 'dark tower' series, book 1 - the gunslinger. not really horror, more of a 'firefly' feel, it's a little bit here but a little bit magic, too. a good blend and i'm looking forward to reading all 7 books of the series. so, yeah, rest and relax in my rocking chair, smelling the logs burning, hearing them crackle. relaxing.
i'm here, having a very rough nite. blueberry assured me that my good feelings i've been having the past few nites will no longer overwhelm me while i'm here. i want to sit in my rocking chair in the log cabin, fire going, good book, knitted throw over me, bixby the bison by my side. wow, it's like i went back to a very good time at 16, enjoyed it all over again, laughing, smiling, whoopin' and hollerin' watching my beatles do their thing, but it was like i was suddenly thrust into reality.
the portion of the anthology that was on was when they began getting into drugs, being stoned all the time, top of the world, got scared cuz they were picked up by the police in manila - just hearing them talk about being so paranoid suddenly when everything before was unicorns and rainbows, riding high, enjoying themselves, making music, and then their reality hit, that they didn't quite have the world at their fingertips, they had rules to follow as well, and their choices could take them into some heavy trouble.
somehow it was the end of an age of innocence. and i came down just as hard. it was so pristine and fun and frolic before that. and i was thrust back into my real world, too. i need to rest for a few days here. good books - steven king's 7 book series about the Dark Tower right now. not scary, but mystical at times. i'm on book 2. i'll stay here, i think, until i finish it. this was too scary for me tonite. thank god this place is here, and thank you blueberry for being there for me.
This is such a beautiful place... thank you all for painting it so vividly that I can almost feel the warmth of the fire and hear the floorboards creak under the rocking chairs.
San, I'm really glad you came here to rest. Your description brought something soft into my night too. That feeling of innocence and then the sudden drop back into reality ... I get that.
If it's okay, I'll join you for a while.
I'm settling into one of the porch chairs with a wool blanket wrapped around me and my service dog curled at my feet, listening to the quiet crackle from inside the cabin. The air smells like cold night sky.
I think I'll stay here a bit too. It feels good to imagine a place where nothing is urgent, and everyone gets to just be.
:grouphug:
Just a heads up to everyone, I'll be out and about this morning around the cabin doing little chores. No worries, it's my thing. There're some trees down farther off that could use clearing. I'll stack the logs I get in the dry-shed. Noticed the gutters could use cleaning as well. I'll do that after. But after that I'm joining you by the fire. This afternoon I want to read too. I've got the energy to make tea this this afternoon and I've brought French pastries. There's plenty for everyone.
:-)
TBB, thank you for joining me. so glad you found this place. there is a big porch off the big house that faces the beach and water, w/ chairs and blankets, a fire on the beach, waves lapping. there's this cabin, a veggie garden for those who like to putter there, a tree house - whatever you want. this cabin is in the woods on a lake for fishing, and it really is magic. i slept in my rocker last nite - it felt safer than my bed. glad you find this place comforting. :hug:
chart, i love that you love to do that stuff! there's always plenty to do (or not), so have at it! thanks for being here. love it. :hug:
i'm very shaky this morning, so will be staying here for a bit. i just can't believe this happened.
Finally come to join you on the porch, san and everybody. I'm curled in a chair covered in warm wool blankets watching the fire and dozing off. It feels easier to sit and do nothing but here on the Porch than at home.
so very glad to see you here, blueberry. you sound comfy and cozy and just right. thank you so for your suggestion to come here. it, too, was just right. :hug:
An old friend is coming to sit quietly on the porch steps to catch up in comfortable silence. :grouphug:
:wave: :)
Quote from: Armee on December 11, 2025, 05:13:23 AMAn old friend is coming to sit quietly on the porch steps to catch up in comfortable silence. :grouphug:
My daughter made cookies and I'm setting them out for whoever wants :-)
Seeing the cookies on the porch table made me smile; it's amazing how this place has a way of softening the edges of a day.
I wander back up the steps with a mug of hot chocolate, the kind you hold with both hands because the warmth feels like company. The light has that late-afternoon hush to it, the kind that makes even breathing feel like an act of settling.
I'm pulling a blanket around my shoulders and taking one of those cookies - thank you, Chart's daughter! - and letting myself just be here with all of you. The gentle quiet, the crackle from inside the cabin, the soft thud of someone's footsteps on the porch boards ... it all feels like a place where nerves unclench without being asked.
If anyone wants company, I'm right here; not talking much, just sharing the stillness and passing the plate of cookies along.
Maybe tomorrow I'll wander down toward the lake and skip a stone or two - very un-skillfully, but trying.
It's good to be here with you all. 💛
:bighug:
:grouphug:
Do thank your daughter for baking enough for us too, Chart!
:)
I know that as soon as I tell her how much everyone appreciated them she'll insist on making more.
:)
Knock knock, hello? Hi there, I smelled the good food cooking and the wood fire smoke, and decided to stop by. I brought a bundle of tall, home-made beeswax candles that anyone is welcome to light and enjoy, plenty for all.
I think I'll light one on the beach at sunset tonight and watch the night arrive down by the water. Join me if you'd like.
still reeling in pain so i want to pick a pear and eat it w/ some muenster cheese while i sit in a rocking chair near the fire and just wait till the pain goes away. thanks for the cookies - i'll have one of those as well. what kind are they? just curious. or i can make them be choco chip w/ nuts just cuz i love those. i'm babbling, really brain dead right now.
My daughter almost always does chocolate chip cookies. She doesn't like nuts herself, but she takes requests and happily does half the batch with nuts for those who like...
:hug: