The Porch Block

I have this recurring dream, where I discover an extra room (or rooms!) in my house. The rooms are usually full of undiscovered stuff, and there's this feeling, like "Oh, this was here all along!" I dreamed this mainly when I was pregnant, but it has crept up a few other times as well. I have various interpretations of this dream, depending on what's going on in my life at the time...

Lately, as the weather is warming up and my kids are getting a little more independent and adventurous, our backyard has started to feel like a newly discovered or rediscovered space, like having an extra room. The kids have a blast, and between pushing on swings, kicking a ball, and doing a chore or two, I like to sit down on the porch and do a little carving. The kids are so involved in playing that they are not concerned with my tools, as they would be in the house.

So, here is what has become my "porch block." I did the drawing a couple months back. It took a long time, and the thought of carving it seemed sort of daunting, but it turns out that it takes just the right amount of focus for hanging out on the porch. And best of all, I can just brush the wood chips into the yard--no clean up!