I've decided to do several blogs about the view from my sunroom. I guess my initial intent is to capture life in my neighborhood and city, although I think I really could do a complete series on the life within actual seeing distance of this room. With that said, I would like to describe my sunroom, where most of the blogging will occur. In hindsight, I really don't know why I didn't just make my whole house one big sunroom, as this is where I spend 90% of my free time, such that it is. You see, I am a recently retired accountant, from Shell Exploration and Production Co., and Karen, a friend of mine, has a theory: my family and friends have a "to do" list for me that is being safeguarded by someone out of town. At first, she thought it might be my son Christopher, who lives in Lake Charles, LA, but we decided that he wouldn't do that to me. Then, she thought maybe Jewel, my niece in Atlanta, GA, since she's so good at organizing. That's a possibility, but we still have other usual suspects (and they know who they are!). Ummmm? But, I digress...
I designed, and added, this sunroom while I was repairing my Katrina-ravaged home. I could not have imagined the pleasure I would get from sitting in this humble room. I label it as humble because I don't want to give the wrong impression. When I talk about this room to anyone, I have to tone down my exuberance. It even sounds fabulous to me, when it is merely a 12' x 17' room at the back of my house. There are 5 windows and a glass door across the back of the room, with 3 windows on each side. The windows sit above a 29" kneewall, my only regret, as I think it would have been better to have the windows extend to the floor. The room faces the west, and the sun is brutal between 5 and 7 in the evening, but shades that I have purchased (but not yet installed) will take care of that.
Just beyond my sunroom, my backyard is enclosed in a 6" privacy fence. I miss the openess that a chainlink fence afforded me, giving the impression that all of the adjoining yards were bigger, but the privacy fence takes away a bit of the busyness of the other yards, which is too distracting from a sunroom window. Directly behind my house is an empty lot, that I hope will stay empty (no such luck, I know). The owners, I think, plan to put up a modular home, and city codes dictate that new structures be raised 5 feet(?). So much for the view! Diagonally right, my neighbor Veronica has raised her house; her 5' high deck has full view inside my sunroom in winter, but a large Chinese Tallow tree gives me some privacy in summer. So far, this has not bothered me. Right of me is Mr. Dennis, who plans to repair his home, and replant his backyard with fruit trees that used to keep me supplied with satsumas, kumquats, and miniature pomegranates.
Other than my bed, this is the first room for which I've purchased furniture. After weeks of research, I decided on a seating/conversation set from Sears and a dining set from Walmart, both great buys that most efficiently fit my area. Everything else in this room reminds me of some friend or family member who made a contribution to my enjoyment.
- The door is full of fingerprints that remind me (in a good way) of family and friends who have already so often passed through..
- My plants, a Meyer Lemon from my son Kevin and his wife Rheesa, and a banana plant from my friend Wendy, both causing me a bit of worry, since I refuse to plant them outside.
- The candle that Chris, my younger son, and his girlfriend Leanne, gave me to replace the one I lost in Katrina.
- The rocking chair I recovered from my mom's damaged house.
- The rug I bought, while vacationing in Williamsburg, VA, with friends, Karen and Clarence.
- The window sill items: a "believe" plaque from my sister Evangeline's friend (and mine, too) Celie; a "There's No Place Like Home" plaque from Judy, a co-worker; and a ceramic bird candleholder that I purchased while shopping with my friend Barbara.
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