Expectations

Let me segue from my last post by quoting my art teacher, Lisa Forster Beach, from Stowe, Vermont: "Expectations, whether your own, or another's for you, are burdening..."

When I first saw the drawing of my house at the Cambridge Historical Commission showing my house had a front porch, I began to visualize how it might look if I were to rebuild it. It might have a vintage swing with inviting canvas cushions and a few potted plants on its shiny new deck....

...or maybe a few old rocking chairs

in front of the shutters

and barley twist plant stand

with a potted caladium.

I think these

would be

reasonable expactations.

But when I got home from work on Friday,

this was the sight.

Expectations... [insert sound of screeching brakes]...crushed.

Maybe it's a mistake.

So I ran into the house and grabbed the measuring tape.

Nope.

3' 10" just like it should be; in fact, the finished size should be 3' 10"

so it will be a little bigger than it was originally.

I was expecting a friend to stop by so we could go out dinner and I was still outside when he drove up. Now, let me preface this by saying this is a friend who asked me last week if I'm going to be siding the house with "those long strips or the little squares." (Translation: clapboards or shingles) He gets out of the car, looks at the house and asks, "Where's the rest of your porch?"

There's really nothing I can do about it at this point but it makes me start to wonder, is this going to look ridiculous?

So I made a trip down the street to take another look at the Greek Revivals down on the next block.

This one looks the same as mine.

So does this one.

Why did I never notice how narrow the porches were?

Oh, I guess it was those "expectations" that clouded my vision.

So what were these porches for? I know people were smaller in 1842 but a porch this size would barely allow for someone to sit in a chair without their feet hanging off the front of the porch. It's almost like it's just for decoration. A fancy brooch on the front of its new dress.

That's okay.

No swing with inviting canvas cushions.

No old rocking chairs.

Maybe a barley twist plant stand with a potted caladium.

All is good. Or should I not have that expectation?