Summer afternoons

Summer afternoons the week school is out. Favorite words in my 13th year.

A friend and I, barefoot, pigtailed, and free of lessons, would sit on my front porch and draw floor plans of houses we wanted in later life. 10 bedrooms, 10 baths, winding staircases, living AND dining rooms, huge kitchens and room-sized closets with a beautiful pool outside. All furnished like the ads we saw on TV and in magazines.

Now 53 years later, summer afternoons mean staying inside my air-conditioned bungalow. Blessed beyond my wildest dreams, I am totally happy with 2 bedrooms and a study, 2 baths, no stairs, a cluttered garage with room for one car and a bird bath. Someone told me recently that my house looked like a magazine layout. Maybe it was all those years sitting on the porch that gave me an eye for color (mostly red).

Thank you God for giving me "way more" than most people in the world and for the sunshine of your love.