It has been raining for about 24 hours straight in New England – alternating between sheets of rain that come down diagonally, strong winds, thunder and lightning, light showers, sun … then back to driving rain again!
Since I can’t get outside (to read), I spent much of the day cleaning through a pile of papers that had accumulated on my desk. I came across the accompanying photo, from the Better Homes and Gardens Summertime 2008 issue.
The short article is titled “10 Secrets for Summer Fun.” Number One is “create an outdoor reading nook.” Suggestions are: a comfy chair with roomy seat, outdoor fabric pillow, and a hook and lantern for night-time reading. They’ve added a cozy blanket and refreshing drink to round out the scene.
At home, my “outdoor reading nook” is simply the glider on the front porch, or a chaise on the patio out back. In my mind, my outdoor reading nook would be more open than this fenced-in backyard, then add a water feature, and some songbirds for subtle background music. A good book can transport me anywhere! Waiting for the rain to stop so I can venture outside, I ask you:
What is your fantasy of an outdoor reading nook?
We’ve got a porch swing, but it’s not very comfortable to sit in and read for extended periods of time. I used to like reading in a hammock as well, but since we’ve moved we don’t have any good hammock-trees on our property.
Someday, I would love to have a cozy front porch with a huge, comfy rocking chair. Or turn my backyard into a garden with a gazebo where I can just sit and read and enjoy my flowers.
fyrefly – we lost our hammock tree when we moved a year ago. I forgot how much I miss it until I read your Comment. Hmm, I may be looking online for a “hammock stand” tonight …
Ruth – yes, I dream of a beautiful porch wrapped around a lovingly renovated Victorian home! Our porch is more of a large covered stoop … big enough for a glider. The garden/gazebo idea sounds lovely.
I’ve got- nothing. A fold up lawn chair so I can watch the kids playing with the hose, that’s about it.
lisamm – Did I imply that my backyard reading time was a solitary pursuit?! Au contraire!
I usually have my 4 kids running around (sometimes reading in short bursts), maybe a few neighborhood kids, a stray dog or cat …. but a girl can dream, right?
My current house doesn’t have a great outdoor reading spot. I wish we either had a large front porch or a screened-in porch…something with an overhang/shade and/or ceiling fans…it’s WAY to hot here in Alabama right now to be reading outside without those!
I’ve got a great outdoor reading place. We have a comfy three person padded swing in the back yard that I love to plop down on and read. But…(there’s always a but,huh?) my problem is the opposite of yours, I live in So. California, where its roughly a gazillion degrees in the summer, so I can’t wait for winter when its a clear sunny morning and I can spend some quality time with a wonderful book outside! Of course after a while, I start noticing that the pool needs to be scrubbed, the gutters need to be cleaned, the patio cover needs another coat of paint. *Sigh….I live in the house of unlimited potential, and we’re always working on it!
jill – we had a screened porch when we lived in Charlotte; they are so nice to spend time in, especially with ceiling fans in the south, as you point out.
Kelly – oh yes, If You Give a Mom a Muffin strikes again! I love “the house of unlimited potential”; that puts a great spin on our projects.
My fantasy outdoor reading nook is probably a screened in porch with a nice sofa, something I can put my feet on, with a table for snacks (gotta have the snacks!). As it is we have a small yard and a nice hammock, which I enjoy a lot and read in often. It may not be my fantasy but I really can’t complain too much!
I’d LOVE a screened in porch with a padded loveseat. Got to have room for my “stuff” beside me, or for the boys to sit with me. As it is, we have a covered gazebo thing (the canvas type) with a fairly comfy patio chair. I need to find a side table of sorts. Bugs aren’t so much of an issue here in SD, but I’d like to be able to not worry about the cats getting out, so a screened porch would rock.
I just came upon your site so I hope you don’t mind me catching up with comments. LOL.
I have a lovely backyard with a covered patio and I was just thinking that I need a good reading spot out there. There are lots of possibilities but I have been talking to my husband about getting a gazebo. We overlook the valley so if we put a gazebo just so… I would be able to read and catch views at the same time. So. Cal is hot though so my perfect outside reading time would be Fall.
marie – thanks for reminding me about the snacks; yes, we’ve got to have snacks!
Lisa – I think we’ve had the most votes for a screened porch; it’s on many wish lists, including mine!
Ti – your view sounds wonderful! I like the idea of being able to “gaze” and rest my eyes and think about what I’ve read for a bit.
I wish I had an outdoor reading nook! We do have a deck and recently got some comfy deck furniture, but I can’t stand the bugs. I’m terrified of bees/yellow jackets/wasps which float around continuously. And if I go out in the late afternoon/night the mosquitoes get me. But it would be great if they magically weren’t there. For now, I’ll just have to stick with my boring comfy couch.
kegsoccer – our mosquitoes come out around dinner time, so they don’t interfere with my daytime reading outside, but they’ve put a damper on a patio dinner more than once!
Boy, do I have an outdoor reading nook, although I guess it’s a bit larger than a nook! You can see it here:
http://cathyskye.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-summer-reading-spot.html
cathyskye – your poolside reading area is beautiful! I could lose myself in a book for hours in that setting.