Sunday, May 2, 2010

My Rocking Chair...A Repost !!


Last year, in the month of May, I did a post about rocking chairs and front porches.

I decided to repost it, mainly because I've been thinking about rocking chairs again! I hope you don't mind...and that you enjoy it!

I Really, Really Want One...!

This is the one thing I can think of that I really, really want!

What started me thinking again about this was a mention by Meadowlark yesterday about front porches. Now we all are familiar with front porches. Nearly all houses have one, and most all homesteads and cabins and farms and fishing shacks! All with porches!

My cabin or shack will certainly have one! Can't imagine having a cabin without one, but that's not the main thing I want. Sitting on that porch, I want a great big rocking chair!

I don't want just any rocking chair, but a chair with character, with soul! I want a rocking chair like my Grandma King's old rocking chair. Big enough to move around in, big enough to tuck your leg under ya if you wanted to! It has to be made out of wood. Probably maple or another type of wood that's good and sturdy.

Another reason it needs to be made from wood is that a rocker made from wood will, after time, get a certain sound to it. Usually the rockers themselves will develop a small, comforting squeak while rocking. That squeak, although very quiet and very diminutive, is often enough to make you nod off for a nap.

The arms need to be wide. I mean, wide and flat enough for a good book to be balanced on, wide enough for a grandchild to sit on while talking to her Grandpa...just like I did as a youngster with my Grandma King!

I have imagined that rocking chair ever since I started planning on building a cabin. I have actually seen myself coming out of the cabin after supper, sitting down in that big ole wooden rocking chair, on the front porch of a home I built myself, and gently rocking back and forth while watching the sun setting to the soft songs of the birds as they start to bed down for the evening.

I love that vision, me sitting on the porch in my great big rocking chair, feet propped up on the railing...with a cup of coffee in my hand. I love that rocking chair. I've never seen it, I've never touched it, but I love it! To me, that chair is representative of freedom. It is a symbol of what a man can do if he has a vision and remains true to that vision.

I'm a simple man. I don't ask for much out of life, just a small piece of land to call my own, with a small little shack on it that I built myself. Attached to that small cabin or shack will be a porch and on that porch, in all it's wonderful glory, will be my big ole rocking chair!

Man, I love that ole rocking chair!

Now, my friend, let's get some fresh coffee and sit on the patio a bit. Sorry, there's no rocker...

14 comments:

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Over here front porches is unusual and has almost always been. Ours are more like an extra small room with windows and a door. Guess it has to do with our climate. Even if we didn´t use to have any heat in them, they sort of were an extra insolation towards the winter winds.


I agree about the rocking chair! There has to be a rocking chairin a home, especially in a croft cottage like mine :-) But the one You mention is so loved that the price on them are sky high, so I have a more modern one, a bit slimmer. Not the same but it is made of wood and it gives away that special sound :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One, I don't mind the repeat stroy at all.
I wish I could sit out today and just rock, but the wind is so bad they have alerts out. But I do have that wonderful old rocker that was my dad's and I may spend a lot of time in it today.
The memorial was beautiful and I am ready to relax.
Bring on the coffee and enjoy the patio with good friends.
Hugs

HermitJim said...

Hey Christer...
Right you are about having a rocker! I'm glad that your chair, even though smaller, still gives off that special sound! Sort of like it's talking to you, isn't it?

I think it's things like this that make a place truly a home!

Take care, buddy, and thanks so much for coming by!


Hey JoJo...
I'm so glad that the memorial went well! I know it must have been a little stressful for you, but now maybe you can put that chapter of your life to rest.

As always, if you start to feel that you should talk to someone, you know how to get hold of me...

My thoughts are with you, sweetie...and I do thank you for coming by!

Jeremy and Jenny said...

'Bout a foot of snow on our front porch this morn. Talk about a return of spring, more like a return to winter. Ahh, life in the Rockies.

HermitJim said...

Hey Jeremy and Jenny...
Good to see you this morning!

I forget sometimes that many folkls still have, or have again, snow and cold weather this time of the year!

One thing about living this far south, Spring comes fairly early...along with heat lightning, 'skeeters, plenty of bugs, and all the rest!

Really good for the garden, though! And the roses seem to love it a LOT!

Hey, thanks for coming by today!

Mechanic in Illinois said...

I agree,nothing like a nice rocking chair to relax in. We still need to get Mayberry over because he's still tighter then a bull's ass in fly season and needs some relaxation. Thanks for another great lesson.

HermitJim said...

Hey Mechanic...
I think that the only thing that can even come close to a rocker for relaxation...is a good ol' fishing trip!

That would probably do Mayberry more good than a rocker! We ought to all get together and go fishing!

Afterwards, we could have a big fish fry and sit around a bit and swap lies! What a great day...!

Thanks for coming by!

Kyddryn said...

Hey, Mister Hermit, sir - we spent some several hours in the rockers on Mum's front porch this weekend. It was grey and drizzly much of the time, but we had our burn any way, and from the rockers we could watch as it died down a bit (no worries, we didn't leave it unattended/unmonitored while it was really active). It was lovely to rock and listen to the rainwater plinking in the downspouts, dripping from the trees, punctuated by various bird calls.

I've always wanted a home with a broad porch with Brumbie (sp?) rockers on it, enough for family and friends to enjoy...some day...

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

HermitJim said...

Hey K...
Glad you were able to have the burn! I know Momlady wanted it done...and now that's one thing less for her to worry about!

How is your resident gardener coming along in his endeavors? I do hope your garden is productive this season!

If all the blooms on my tomatoes turn to fruit, I'll have a lot of 'maters for the table! It sure would be nice!

Thanks for coming by today, my friend!

Momlady said...

Hi HJ...Well the burn has occurred. And a lovely one it was, too. While family was here I took the time in the morning to sit in a rocking chair on my porch with my coffee and maybe some fruit and listen to the quiet and watch the birds. I get up earlier than they so I had the porch to myself. A nice quiet time. I do so love my porch.

HermitJim said...

Hey Momlady...
Can't think of a better way to start the day! Nothing like sitting on the porch with coffee and enjoying all of nature's blessings!

Glad it all went well and that the pile is out of the way!

Thanks so much for coming by and keeping me posted!

the dafthermits (Mel n andy and wee clan) said...

hi my friend

we are at last slowly moving into spring and warm days and nights

the joy of a simple life is the fact that we have time to think and enjoy this wonderful planet

peace and light from the highlands my friend

HermitJim said...

Hey Andy...
I can only imagine what Spring time in the highlands must be!

I have a feeling that beautiful doesn't begin to describe it!

Be sure to keep us updated with plenty of pictures, OK?

Thanks for dropping by today!

Anonymous said...

I know what you mean when you mentioned that special 'squeak' - my grandmother's old rocking chair had that sound, perhaps aided by the wood plank floor underneath it. The arms were about 4" wide where the wrists were, but tapered down to about 1" near the back. Spindle shaped backrest, with wide neckrest, maybe 6" or so.