The house I grew up in had an open front porch and a screened-in back porch. I think we evenly divided our time between the two.
The back porch was a place to play on warm, rainy days when I was a child. And as I grew older, I’d help Mama shell “butterbeans” (not limas) and snap “snaps” (not green beans) in the summer. This was before my mom had a clothes dryer, so in addition to the outside clotheslines, there was also a short one on the back porch.
In the winter, after playing in the snow, this was where wet boots were discarded before entering the house.
I never realized until recently, as I was looking through old family photos, that I have childhood pictures of both Marshall and me with the back porch in the background.
I was around two years old when this picture was taken. At that time, the back porch had two doors and two sets of steps. Later, we stopped using the door on the left, and those steps were demolished.
This picture of Marshall was taken when he was around three years old . You can tell the condition of the house had deteriorated over the years. A kitchen window is visible in the picture, and just to the right is the kitchen door. To the right of where Marshall is standing, there’s the corner of a flower planter. My mom used to plant nasturtiums there.
I don’t recall whether I took this picture of Marshall or if it was taken by someone else in the family. Why a picture of him on the porch steps was taken, I’m not sure. He was probably in a hurry to get inside to see his “Goggie”.
Simple pictures from a “few” years ago can certainly stir up some sweet memories, can’t they?
these days of mine 
Oh my. Two pictures, one of then and then fast forward later. The steps, the door and screened porch stand unchanged. I like this page in your scrapbook.
Doesn’t this show the quick passage of time – you as a little girl, your son as a little boy, and now he’s a man! Wouldn’t you like to be able to slow it down?
Love this post~ really brings back memories. The only thing I’d add is the fact that the ‘side steps’ where Marshall is standing were wood when your picture was taken and were concrete when Marshall’s was taken. Do you remember that a chunk of one of those concrete steps was knocked off and Mama thought it was the result of the lightning that struck the tree right across the driveway from the porch?
It’s so neat that you have the photo of you and Marshall by your Mom’s back porch, they’re a precious treasure to have.
Screen porches are great. I wish our porch was partially screened in. For me, there’s a cozy sense of comfort in a screened porch plus the bugs can’t get at ya. 🙂
Continuing with the theme of leading parallel lives…we had a front porch and back porch too, but both were screened when I grew up. I helped shell “butterbeans” and snap “snaps” on the front porch! We did not have a clothes dryer either but you have one-upped me because we didn’t have an “indoor” clothes line!!
This is so sweet! I have pictures of my kids at the house I grew up in too – playing in the back yard, climbing the front stairs…my dad still lives there!
It can stir up sweet memories! I wish I had more pictures like this!
i bet those screens held in a ton of memories on that porch… how sweet.
How neat that you have both pictures! I remember that my grandmother had a screened in back porch and I think either she or my grandpa slept out there in the summer.
We have a family room that was added on to this house and we never use it. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to convince my husband that we should saw large holes through the brick to install large windows and make it a screened in porch, sort of. 🙂
Memories, memories. We had a screened in front porch and a very small back porch. We would sit on the front porch in the swing and shell butterbeans and snap snaps too. I always said I never had a boyfriend in the summer because they knew if they came over they would have to help!
I don’t remember the picture, but I DO remember the porch. I used to pass the house every day as I went to work; Goggie’s house on the left, Epps Dairy on the right (check out past posts!) I’m glad we have this photo set, too!
How special to have these two photos! Oh the sweet memories…
I have always loved screened porches. My childhood babysitter had one off the back and one on the side and we played out on the side porch for hours on a summer day. The back porch was where she kept her old Frigidaire.
What a cute story and I love the old photos. We didn’t have a screened porch in the house I grew up in but my Mom Mom & Pop Pop had one in back of their cottage in Rehoboth Beach, DE. We vacationed there every summer and my brother & I always slept on the back porch where there was a pull out bed. My Pop Pop kept all his fishing rods (that he made) hanging in there. I can still remember the smell of the musty room with such found memories.
**LIKE**
How very special to have those two pix — your family tree has some very deep roots. 🙂
I can just feel the breezes blowing through that screened porch! My childhood home had only a front porch which was high off the ground. We played under there with tin cars and trucks, catalog paper dolls, etc. Sometimes in the summer we would make palets and sleep there because it was so hot in the house. Good memories.
Yes mam…They sure can stir up sweet memories! Funny how we both posted similar things today! Love it.
How nice to have a front and back screened in porch. I would love one of those to drink my coffee in each morning. Love the comparison photos, too – both cute little angels 🙂
Memories! Definitely a good one and worth the cherish.. 🙂
Wonderful pictures, show how some things change, and some always stay the same.
Wow, it’s so nice to hear somebody else talk about shellin butter beans and snappin snaps. I did that with my Grandma along with a mess of other things. She taught me to knit and crochette. I even have some pictures of the old farm house and screened in porch. Oh yea and a picture or two of me in outfits like little you 🙂 Bonnetts and patten leather shoes with crinlin. Lots of good memories from those old pictures of mine just like yours. Thanks for sharin’.
I love looking back at old photos of my grandparents and of my mom and dad when they were young. I especially love it when my mother tells me the story behind the photos.
How wonderful to have a pictures of you and Marshall about the same age and same place. That is priceless.
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