Inside Out


Last night we were with friends who are debating replacing a deck or adding a screened-in porch. Mr. Blandings thinks one of the few drawbacks of the Dream House is its lack of screened-in porch. A few weeks ago local antiques dealer, Suzanne Cooper, arranged a house tour, an adventure, and the appeal of this porch keeps bubbling to the surface of my consciousness. Shady and cool, the allure of the black wicker is undeniable.

I can just envision myself feet-up, enjoying the one space where a ceiling fan seems appropriate, vodka drink in hand. (I'm off wine, mostly, because I fear it makes me whiny. Mr. B noted last week that Wine Spectator called vodka a colorless, odorless, tasteless intoxicant. I'm not sure what his point was. And I think they could be biased.) With her lovely furniture the homeowner has created a spot where you can enjoy outside inside. Heaven.