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MY SECRET GARDEN

My favorite house to live in was my first home in Baltimore, MD.  It was the last house in a group of row houses with front and back stairways, basements, stacks of floors, seemingly endless closets and my favorite childhood place, the sun porch! Although we only had a sun porch until I was 8, it made such an impression on me that I have a Pinterest board featuring things I would have in my dream sun porch.

Not exactly our house but same neighborhood, same awesome sunporch!

SECURE SANCTUARY
My large sun porch was all glass (from my youthful perspective) bordered on all 3 sides by the side yard – part of the yard I rarely explored and something our neighbors didn’t have.  When I played or read at my activity table, the view made me feel like I was in the middle of a protected castle courtyard in the hidden corner of the green and manicured but unexplored garden.  I didn’t have to worry about the busy street in front of our house, the neighbor’s big dogs, or my other neighbor’s invasive daughter.  I was safe and sound. I waited for the Velveteen Rabbit to hop by and peek in curiously.

WARMTH
I regularly felt like a green sprout inside a greenhouse. I’ve always been a sun lover and feeling warmed to my bones!  On the rainy or snowy days, the furnace, or the fireplace in the adjacent rooms heated the room and seeing the chill outside made me appreciate how warm I felt inside.

GOOD PEOPLE
Formal guests made it to the living room, right off of the foyer.  Good friends and family busted through the formalities and hung out in the sun porch.  Eventually we had a pool table out there to add more flavor. This was a room for hanging out and bonding over billiards, not just keeping up appearances

SPECIAL OCCASIONS
Many years we gathered around our Christmas tree, conducted Easter egg hunts and took photos in the porch.  As mentioned, any visiting family hung out there, so this added to the magic.

We Californians don’t know how to do basements or sun porches like the east coast.  I’m determined to share the plans for my secret garden with others!

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