Being Thankful

We just celebrated Veteran's Day. Thank you to all those who have served in the armed forces to keep us free.
Next week is Thanksgiving, a day to thank God for all the blessings He gives us.
  
See GardenandPorchSwings.com for beautiful redwood, cedar, and teak garden and porch swings, gliders, and benches. Sit, relax, and count your blessings.

Celebrate Reading During November

In the U.S., during the month of November we celebrate national Literacy Day, Author's Day, and Young Reader's Day. So pick up a book and start reading, help someone who can't read, or write your own story. Books open the world to a reader--learn about history, science, the arts, current events, places near and far, or let your imagination soar as you enjoy a novel--sci-fi, historical novel, literary classic, or mystery. What a gift it is to be able to read! Enjoy a book or two or three this month.

        

What's Your Favorite Autumn Color?

The colors of the Creator are amazing! Such bold, bright, beautiful reds, oranges, and yellows. I like the reddish-oranges.


Yellows are awesome, too. Sit on the porch swing and watch the leaves flutter to the ground.

A Little Solitude

    If you need time alone, relax on a swing or bench. You can read, journal, meditate, take a nap, listen to music, or to nothing but the sounds of nature. Enjoy a cup of hot tea, hot chocolate, or coffee.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Fall in Upon Us

September is coming to a close and the leaves are starting to turn to their beautiful autumn colors. Wouldn't sitting on a garden bench under a tree, watching the leaves flutter to the ground, be a great way to spend time outdoors? Add a cup of hot chocolate or hot apple cider and take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

        Soak in the natural beauty of the open fields, mountains, lake, or ocean from your porch. Where ever you look, there is bound to grass, trees, or look up and watch the clouds.

Enjoy Watching the Birds

     Add a bird seed feeder or hummingbird nectar feeder to your yard, sit on your swing, glider, or bench and watch the fascinating behavior or the birds. Watch the antics of our feathered friends as they preen in a birdbath. Maybe a bird is building a nest in your yard or tree. What a great way to learn how birds build a nest, then about a mother bird caring for her offspring.

Look for a Shooting Star

   The night sky sparkles with stars. Look for constellations—the Big Dipper in the northern sky is the easiest for those not familiar with constellations. Orion’s belt is fairly easy to spot in the southwestern sky. Find a book from the library or a bookstore about constellations. See how many you can locate, depending on which hemisphere you live in and the season of the year.

Enjoy the Beauty Around You

  Soak in the natural beauty of the open fields, mountains, lake, or ocean from your porch. Where ever you look, there is bound to grass, trees, or look up and watch the clouds.

Love to Swing?

     Almost every child loves to swing, or you may have as a child. Hang a garden swing from a sturdy tree limb and swing away.  You can create memories for your children or recall memories from your own childhood. You can also enjoy the leaves--from new buds and blossoms in the spring, lush green leaves in summer, and spectacular fall foliage. Sit on your garden swing and watch the snow fall in the winter.

Sit and smell the roses

    Do you have a flower garden? Place a bench or glider amongst the flowers to enjoy their beauty and fragrance. Take a break from tilling the earth, planting flowers or veggies, or harvesting the fruits of your labor.

Talking is Good

   As you enjoy the fresh outdoor air, talk—to your children, your spouse or significant other, your friends. Keep the lines of communication open and receptive as you relax on a swing, glider, or bench. You don’t have to talk about anything heavy-duty. How’s school going? Work? What did you like about the TV show, book, or shopping trip? Find out another’s favorite color, food, board game, or sport.

Read!

A great way to spend time is to sit with your children or grandchildren and read. Reading to children is a wonderful way to instill a life-long love of reading in them. Bright, colored picture books for toddlers, easy to read books for young children, and chapter books as they grow older. Visit your library or pull books from your collection. You can read to them, they can read to you, or take turns. You read a page, they read a page, or a chapter. Enjoy the summer weather sitting on a garden or porch swing, reading.

Add a garden or porch swing to your yard

GardenandPorchSwings.com has some really nice redwood, cedar, and teak garden and porch swings, gliders, and benches. Great way to enjoy the summer outdoors.