You Had Me At... Come Sit On My Deck

I mean..., for real!  

I would just be a bowl of mush with that invitation.  Completely weak in the knees.  I think I get my love for a screened porch from my Dad.  Never without his binoculars, he absolutely loved a beach rental with a nice big screened porch from which he could sit and watch the ocean and the weather and the birds and the ships at sea.  All.  Day.  Long.  Born and raised in New York City (#ozonepark, #fordhamuniversity) and never really a water guy -- baseball, yes; water, no -- he made sure we had a family beach vacation every summer because most of all, for Mom.  She, too, an NYC'er (#theupperwest, #washingtonheights, #hollaaa!) but somehow worked the water into her city upbringing.  Give her an umbrella, a chair, a book, and one of those goofy swimcaps with a chinstrap and the laytex daisies stuck all over and she was good to go.  This was her All Day Long.  And I'm not kidding.  She would get all us littles ready for another great day of sun, swim, sand, and adventure and then plant herself in her spot on the beach.  Read, float, read, float, read, float, repeat.  And then long about 4:30 or so when the sun began to show the evening was beginning and most everyone else packed up and headed to their houses for dinnertime, my Dad would join her on the beach with their cocktails.  And this was long before any Red Solo Cup craze, God love Toby Keith -- a stemmed wine glass with chilled white and a tumbler with something good and Irish on the rocks.  Plain as day.  Beach Patrol must have just known there was no need to bother. 

I think Mom's favorite part of the day was when the shade from the dunes began to creep up behind her until her summer afternoon ocean air was now a tiny bit chilly, the beach had quieted down, and this Happy Hour just for the two of them and they would sit and sip and watch the change in the ocean's colors and the late afternoon sky.  I think it was his favorite part of the day, too.

So, back to this triple-decker favorite part of my day, no need to ask twice.  I already know what parts of my day would be spent on which parts of that architectural beauty, and I have a feeling all the folks in this lucky family have staked their claim.  Congratulations on your beautiful home -- let the memories commence while you take in all the colors summer brings you!