With the warmer weather we are spending more of our time outdoors. In past years I have hosted a July party. I spent much of the first part of July cleaning the deck, patio furniture, the fountain, and the carport. Extra chairs and tables were brought out from the shed and cleaned as well. I loved setting up seating arrangements and food stations. The front entrance also got a good cleaning. This year that is just so not happening. I had to release the idea for now – maybe my December party will still be a go.
But my husband and I are still enjoying the deck. And we do have my son or a couple of friends visit occasionally. I still want the area to get its once a year deep clean. But more than that I want to revisit how we are using the space. It’s time to revisit the vision.
The large gas grill has stopped working. It’s time to release that large piece of junk and when appropriate replace it with a charcoal grill. Right now, we have a small terra cotta charcoal grill that works just fine for the two of us. We have moved two of the comfortable patio chairs along with a small wooden tray table to the carport. It is more fun to repurpose our carport for us rather than one of the cars. We find that when the rain comes, we love to sit in those chairs, facing the yard and fountain. We stay dry and get to hear the rain and feel the breezes.
We have just enough furniture on the deck to serve four people. It can be set up to eat around a table or just in chairs and the swing. The furniture can be moved around easily.
The front entrance is cleaned with a fresh planter on the stoop to give a pop of color. This gives me a smile when I come home. I feel it is important to make our home a welcoming place for us as well as any guests.
I have noticed that one of our next-door neighbors has dug a pit and made a camping type place for a bonfire in his yard. For a while he had a tent up in the yard. The neighbor on the other side has done some repainting of her home and fence surrounding her back yard. She has spruced up her pool area and rearranged furniture.
It makes me happy to see that families are working to make their homes the nicest possible refuge.
Look around your outdoor space. What can you do to give it a new life and lift your spirits? Enjoy!