In this summer of social distancing the patio is proving the place to be.
If the area is large enough it's possible to have a few friends or family around for drinks, six feet apart and buffered by wind and fresh air. (I'm finding the key is to ask any visitors to bring their own glasses and drinks, it feels a bit rude but it cuts the physical contact down to nothing.)
Even without trying to see a friend or two, this patio area has been a balm to the soul. After months of staying inside, not just due to our covid lockdown but thanks to a miserably grey spring that was both cold and almost completely lacking sunshine, just being outdoors feels like the ultimate luxury.
I didn't want to purchase anything for the patio (besides some new plants, and a Chiminea), so I've been using things I have to decorate and fluff the space.
This is really a classic patio space: a completely paved area (a combination of poured cement, bricks and raised planter beds) that is adjacent to our kitchen and the big room. It is private due to fencing, cedar hedges, and the walls of the house and the garage.
I somehow convinced MrBP to give our ugly steel and plastic barbeque a break for the summer, it sits in the garage well out of sight. It freed up a prime corner of the patio for this colourful Chiminea.
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| Chiminea, marshmallow-ready. |
We are allowed to have open fires if they are used for cooking, so I keep a camping grill as well as marshmallows and sticks nearby.
I have to say what I really love is the look of the fire and the smell of wood smoke.
I've tried to use the colours of Provence out here on the patio as much as possible. Not only do I have a few tablecloths and scraps of fabric from trips to France, I also had bits of golden yellow and blue kitchen things just collected here and there over the years.
Provence... isn't travel anywhere, never mind the dreamy rural areas of southern France, such a lovely thing to think about?
I try to spend time every day out here on the patio, not just for family meal times but to simply soak up the bright colours and the sunshine while I read a book. It's very calming, and when juxtaposed to the worries and concerns of the world just now it feels like a dream holiday.
I hope you're taking time to enjoy this summer as well, even in this period of great unrest.
As of this morning I still haven't fixed my comment form, but I'm working on it. In the meantime please email me if you'd like a chat, I'm around!
mopphilosopher@gmail.com
xox Love, Dani
