Do you like old houses? If so, you’re definitely in the minority. Most realtors will tell you that they’re a hard sell. It’s amazing to see all the new subdivisions popping up all over town. And houses in every price range are selling like hotcakes. On the other hand, my husband and I live in a house that’s over 100 years old, and we’ve always loved everything about it. The beamed ceilings, pillared doorways, wooden floors. But now, one special feature of old houses has proved to be a blessing. The front porch is a godsend now, during this covid-19 pandemic.

A front porch is a blessing during the covid 19 pandemic

A front porch is a godsend during this pandemic. Friends can visit in fresh air, while social distancing.

For one thing, we’re not stuck inside the house all day—even if it’s raining. Except for the winter months, we always sit on the front porch and have a cool drink in the late afternoon. We live along a busy street, and simply watch the cars go by, or people of various ages and sizes jogging or strolling. It’s fun to see the different outfits people wear. Some are half-naked, sweat dripping off their shoulders. Others are covered in black workout clothes. And then, there are the babies in strollers, and families with little children. Until Covid-19, we didn’t realize how much we enjoyed this evening parade.

But the best thing about our porch during this pandemic is the opportunity to visit safely with family and friends who stop by . The porch is wide enough for social distancing if there’s only four of us. Right now, we’ve been starved for company and social interaction. But if a neighbor stops by to say hello, we feel safe inviting them to sit and chat for a few minutes while sitting in the fresh air. They may or may not wear masks. Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t, depending on how confident we are that they aren’t carrying the virus. We don’t invite them inside. But when they leave, we feel satisfied that we’ve seen and talked with someone we care about. Before the pandemic, we never appreciated how important that is. We took those random social interactions for granted.

Front porches are seeing a revival the past few years. Builders are beginning to include them in design plans. And if you’re lucky enough to have a front porch during this pandemic, put it near the top of your gratitude list.

The day I’ve dreaded since the temperature dropped has arrived. I’ve sorted through a jumbled up closet full of light and heavy clothes for a couple of weeks, because I live in a century old house with no walk in closets. It was built in the day when people had smaller wardrobes. Consequently, they rotated what few clothes they owned from side to side in the same small space. But now, weeding out the closet at the end of each season is a chore.

Weeding out the closet in the fall is a tiresome chore — WEEDING OUT THE CLOSET IS A TIRESOME TASK IN THE SPRING AND FALL

As I yank clothes from drawers and closets, I curse myself for succumbing to so many summer sales. I have culottes, shorts, blouses, tops, pants and dresses that I’d forgotten I even owned. I start by making 3 piles.

1. Goodwill bound: This is the toughest one of all. How can I part with my Mexican outfits, and T shirts from all the places I’ve visited in the last few years? And that lovely jacket from Italy? They’re all faded, and even though t I hate to admit it, too tight. Other clothes that I loved and paid too much for have gone out of style. Maybe they won’t even sell at the Goodwill store. No excuses here! The pile grows.

2.: T-shirts. I live in them all summer, often changing a couple of times a day. Many are stained and faded. And yet, I keep them for years on end for something to “wear around the house.” These cannot be given to a recycling store. No one would want them, except maybe for rags. T shirt rags are great for washing windows, so that will be their destiny. And then, one day, my husband will observe that our broom closet is overflowing with rags.

3.: Summer clothes: Which ones go to the Goodwill and what shall I keep? I fold many of them to put in storage boxes. The rest I put on hangers.

Luckily, this old house has a basement, with shelves and closets for storage. I load my arms with summer clothes and head downstairs, replacing them with heavier winter clothes to be hauled upstairs.

The bedroom is littered with empty hangers. Where will I put them all?

Okay, I’m almost finished. But next Spring, I’ll have to do this all over again, in reverse. Now, if I can just resist those end of season sales!