Also somehow just realized you’re in Oregon too. I wonder if there’s been or will be a Portland Substack meetup. I went to one in Seattle, and it was great fun.
Not sure if there has been one in the past, but I've put out some feelers about a Portland Substack meetup and got one response. I'd LOVE to organize something! I know other local folks, let me know!
I'll put out feelers. Let's stay in touch on this.
My cousin owns a terrific crepe cafe in Corvallis, and I asked her about hosting there. Her response was that Portland people won't travel here. So ... I'll start with the feelers in general to see who's around and interested. :)
"You have everything you need on this front porch, I tell them. A beverage to sip on, a place to sit, and people who love you."
Really, what else do you need?
What a beautiful ode to your front porch. It's sad that people don't spend time outdoors anymore. They're too busy, and to dependent upon technology for entertainment. As you said, people don't know how to just "be" anymore, they have to constantly be "doing."
I don't have a front porch, but I have a poured concrete patio and you've inspired me to start making more use of it.
I was just talking with my partner yesterday about the difference between sitting inside & outside. I'm almost physically incapable of just sitting in my house, unless I'm watching a movie or show. There's something about being outside, whether on a porch or patio, that calms me... or maybe it's just not having to look at the perpetual wreck that is the interior of my home :)
I completely understand. I have a hard time sitting still inside my house because there is always something that needs to be done. Plus I love all the outdoor noise, the birds, the trees, even the traffic. I’ve noticed inside my house is too quiet when I’m home alone.
Love this! My neighborhood used to have "porch beers" parties before covid. Those have gone by the wayside, and our porch is too small for them, but there are definitely way more porches here in Oakland than in San Francisco, and people even use them sometimes as it's a bit warmer.
Your post made me think of a great book I just read that's been on my mind, Four Thousand Weeks. It's kind of an anti-time-management manual whose main message is that life is short and we can't possibly do everything we want to do or feel we should do, so we should acknowledge that, relax, and prioritize the stuff that really matters to us. His ten tips for a healthier way to make the most of our limited time include deciding in advance what to fail at (because we can’t do it all) and practicing doing nothing (which can release us from our need to control everything).
As a fellow Oregonian (and former NW Portland porch sitter) I so appreciated this! I, too, refused to sit on our stoop without book or phone. There is a stillness to the observed movement, a unity in the engaged solitude.
Yay for fellow porch sitters! This post has inspired some chatter about an Oregon Substack meetup. Are you still in the Greater Portland area? Let me know if you might be interested!
I would LOVE to! My husband and I now live in rural OR, coastal range foothills, but I come into Portland frequently and would make the trip to connect with fellow Substack beauties!
Oh, I so love a good porch. So glad you have one!
Also somehow just realized you’re in Oregon too. I wonder if there’s been or will be a Portland Substack meetup. I went to one in Seattle, and it was great fun.
Not sure if there has been one in the past, but I've put out some feelers about a Portland Substack meetup and got one response. I'd LOVE to organize something! I know other local folks, let me know!
I'll put out feelers. Let's stay in touch on this.
My cousin owns a terrific crepe cafe in Corvallis, and I asked her about hosting there. Her response was that Portland people won't travel here. So ... I'll start with the feelers in general to see who's around and interested. :)
I’ll host on my porch! 😝 I’m quite sure we can find a place if we can get together at least a few people!
I’m in Salem
Awesome! Let's be in touch!
I love this line:
"You have everything you need on this front porch, I tell them. A beverage to sip on, a place to sit, and people who love you."
Really, what else do you need?
What a beautiful ode to your front porch. It's sad that people don't spend time outdoors anymore. They're too busy, and to dependent upon technology for entertainment. As you said, people don't know how to just "be" anymore, they have to constantly be "doing."
I don't have a front porch, but I have a poured concrete patio and you've inspired me to start making more use of it.
I was just talking with my partner yesterday about the difference between sitting inside & outside. I'm almost physically incapable of just sitting in my house, unless I'm watching a movie or show. There's something about being outside, whether on a porch or patio, that calms me... or maybe it's just not having to look at the perpetual wreck that is the interior of my home :)
I completely understand. I have a hard time sitting still inside my house because there is always something that needs to be done. Plus I love all the outdoor noise, the birds, the trees, even the traffic. I’ve noticed inside my house is too quiet when I’m home alone.
Love this! My neighborhood used to have "porch beers" parties before covid. Those have gone by the wayside, and our porch is too small for them, but there are definitely way more porches here in Oakland than in San Francisco, and people even use them sometimes as it's a bit warmer.
Your post made me think of a great book I just read that's been on my mind, Four Thousand Weeks. It's kind of an anti-time-management manual whose main message is that life is short and we can't possibly do everything we want to do or feel we should do, so we should acknowledge that, relax, and prioritize the stuff that really matters to us. His ten tips for a healthier way to make the most of our limited time include deciding in advance what to fail at (because we can’t do it all) and practicing doing nothing (which can release us from our need to control everything).
Oh wow, I will definitely need to add that book to my list! I feel like so much has gone by the wayside since Covid... 😢
It's not a long book, so it's easy to fit in! I listened to the audio book, read by the author with a nice British accent.
As a fellow Oregonian (and former NW Portland porch sitter) I so appreciated this! I, too, refused to sit on our stoop without book or phone. There is a stillness to the observed movement, a unity in the engaged solitude.
Yay for fellow porch sitters! This post has inspired some chatter about an Oregon Substack meetup. Are you still in the Greater Portland area? Let me know if you might be interested!
I would LOVE to! My husband and I now live in rural OR, coastal range foothills, but I come into Portland frequently and would make the trip to connect with fellow Substack beauties!
Yay! I'll keep you posted!