My house is surrounded with gardens on all sides: flowers in the front and sides, vegetables in the back. Cars driving down the road often slow down as the drivers peer through their windows to catch a closer glimpse of the roses or azaleas or tulips or lilies in full bloom. Gardening has some sort of purpose behind it, just like any other leisure activity. Some may say that what you do in leisure has no purpose, yet it does have some sort of purpose. You want to relax from a long week’s work in the office, get outside and away from rowdy children, just enjoy life and breath a bit. That’s definitely a purpose, I would say.
But if it has a purpose, why not make your work have as much impact as possible. Make it visible to those who can see it: people driving by, jogging down the street, walking their dogs. But you want to see it, too. Sit on your porch with your laptop, browsing the latest stock figures and news events, and be able to look up and see the beauty of creation around you. That’s what I’d like to do.
Only problem is, my house barely has a porch. Just a cement block with three crumbling steps leading up to the doorway. A faded welcome mat, a broom leaning against the wall, and an old pair of sneakers encrusted with dirt adorn this “porch.” Not very attractive, I must say, and not very complementary to the gardens in front.
What could I do? Well, I can consider the possible options. Plant some flowers that will grow high enough to block the view of this hideous porch. Plant some trees that will grow and obscure the view—but no, they’ll take many years before they’re even close to high and thick enough.
I’m considering a third option, and liking it. Adding on a wraparound porch would give me a great view of my entire yard, and make the house look so much nicer. I’d like to hire a general contractor who specializes in home remodeling. A guy who’s had years of experience building homes and additions and rebuilding old ones. He could come and give me an estimate of how much it would cost to build this porch, and could recommend what materials to purchase, what size to build it, etc. This option is sounding more appealing by the minute!
I’ve had great experience with some contractors in the past who really take a personal interest in their customers and want to satisfy their needs to the utmost. A contractor might offer me suggestions on what type of porch to build, whether open to the fresh air, or enclosed with glass to be a sun porch free from insects in the summer and warm in the winter.
Well, whatever he says, I’m going to trust the word of a reliable contractor. And soon I’ll be enjoying the view from my new porch.