A CELEBRATION OF SUBURBIA

Suburbia

 When I was four years old my family moved to Richmond Virginia.  My parents bought a house within city limits in a neighborhood referred as "the fan".  That house was my absolute favorite house from my childhood.   We could walk to school, we all had lots of friends who lived on the same block and we always felt safe.  There was a real sense of community...in fact the houses were so close together that the bigger kids could jump from front porch to front porch!


Then, when I was in the fourth grade, my parents moved us to the suburbs, and oh my god I hated it!  Unlike city life, suburban life felt dull,  it was quiet, too quiet...I think all the parents worked because there was never anyone around, in fact walking through the neighborhood to my friends houses was a little creepy.


Fast forward to adulthood and I'm back in suburbia...only this time it's been a completely different experience. I love it.  Our daughters were able to walk to school safely, I love having the privacy of a back yard full of trees, Braxton and I walk all over the neighborhood and have always felt comfortable doing so.  This go around, suburbia rocks!

Let's talk about how the suburban kitchen differed from the city kitchen.

1950 was the first year that more Americans lived in the suburbs than anywhere else.

Let's talk about the suburban backyard.  Complete with groovy airstream!

Let's talk about the effect  moving to the "burbs" had on family dynamics.

Patio culture!

Swimming pool culture!

Let's explore the architecture of the mid century planned neighborhoods.

After WW11 more Americans could afford a car which made suburban life more attractive.

                                                            My suburban life

Yesterday afternoon it began to snow.  A nice well behaved snow...sticking to the trees and grass, but not to the street.

A picturesque dusting of snow on my watering can.

My St. Francis statue always looks regal in the snow.

The garden gate. 

 Just when I was thinking it was nice to finally have a little winter weather...we woke up to this!

A pine tree leaning against our bedroom window...

 and the roof of our house. 

It apparently snowed all night.

Our mystic circle covered in about eight inches of heavy wet snow which stuck to everything.

Poor St. Francis...shivering and wet.

 I have to admit...it is kind of pretty.

Please join me this week as we explore suburbia.  Do you live in suburbia?  


I actually love city life, and can see myself living in a city again at some point, but for now, I'm very happy in my little suburban house, even with that tree on the roof.
Have a beautiful day.
yancey