A Haven for Vee

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Hammocks

Source
Your best ideas, those eureka moments that turn the world upside down, seldom come when you're juggling emails, rushing to meet the 5 p.m. deadline or straining to make your voice heard in a high-stress meeting. They come when you're walking the dog, soaking in the bath or swinging in a hammock.
~Carl Honore

So that's why I've stopped having eureka moments: no dog, no bath, no hammock!

I'd really like a hammock. My great-grandmother had a daybed attached by chains to the beams of her "veranda" creating a swing of sorts. How I loved it! The entire end of the porch was covered with vines and roses making it cool and smelling lovely. What an inviting spot. 

Aren't these hydrangeas gorgeous?  
Manuela featured a very special hydrangea yesterday. If you've not seen how fast one can grow in southern climes, check it out *here.*  

Do you have a special out-of-doors spot for resting and relaxing? I do not. I'd like to change that one day.



p.s. If you'd like to pin, please do so from the original source. Thanks!

44 comments:

  1. We sit on our front porch, gazing at the mountain views. That is always relaxing. But we have often talked about having a hammock on the porch to take naps on.

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  2. Isn't that a pretty house you used for your photo! A hammock doesn't interest me but if we had a front porch I'll love a wide bench on chains to sit and swing on. We often go to the tea house Glenn built beside the pond to read. The chairs aren't the most comfortable (wrought iron with a cushion) but it sure is peaceful.

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  3. There was a hammock in the backyard of the cabin we had in Big Bear when I was growing up. I LOVED it! It was strung between two GIANT pine trees and it was one of the most peaceful things in the world. And I thought that as a kid! Can you imagine what an adult would experience? lol I have always wanted to re-create that spot and feel, but have never found such a perfect location. Who knows? Maybe someday! Enjoy your day Vee!

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  4. What a beautiful old house and landscaping! Oh, how I would love to plant a hydrangea plant in our tiny little flowerbed space. We used to have oak left hydrangeas at our former cottage, and I miss them so! There is one space that I can use, but the plant would need to thrive in our climate and also stay reasonably short (no more than 3 feet). And it would need to be colorful!

    One of our great joys over the decades, in all of the houses we have owned, are porches. We adore using porches for sitting and relaxing! We see such beautiful porches here in our subdivision and NOBODY uses them except for us! We currently use poly furniture (so easy to clean) that is incredibly comfortable - rockers on the front porch and gliders on the back porch. We use our porches like rooms to our cottage. They are meant to be enjoyed! Our grand 50' front porch at former cottage was heaven, particularly after long hours spent doing yard work in the summertime.

    I hope you can carve out an outdoor space for your own enjoyment! Even if you use it only a few months a year, it is truly worth it!

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  5. I have always loved hammocks. I'd like to put one on our front porch. Because our porch is on two sides of the house, we have a little eating area in one part and I'm putting a swing on the other part before the family reunion this weekend. Still lots of room left over for a hammock. Hmmm. P.S. You need to get a dog. I would recommend a German Shepherd. :-)

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  6. We have a hammock in our backyard, but it mostly gets used by the grands. I'd never be able to take a nap there for fear that a daddy-longlegs or some creature would join me. We do enjoy our patio in good weather. ("Good" weather = not extremely hot or humid; no snow.)

    As for "eureka moments"...those happen in the bath tub! :D

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  7. Such a beautiful and charming cottage.....only in New England, of course! Just a lovely place of inspiration...thank you Vee!

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  8. Ahhh, I could see myself living in that pretty cottage, Vee! Yes, I have my patio that is a small oasis, but I dearly love. It has a glider that I rest or read in and I have my small waterfall that brings me such enjoyment. There's nothing like the sound of water, even if flows with a pump!

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  9. Oh I just love the picture in this post and I love the quote...how true it is! When I was a girl, we had a hammock in the back yard...the kind that hung on the frame, not between the trees. When our boys were little we went camping often and had one of those and tied them between the trees in our campsites. So relaxing....that is, IF you could manage to get in without flipping out onto the ground! I'd say my favorite outside resting spot would be the swing in my wooded front yard (when it's not too hot) or the swing overlooking the creek at the cabin...it's always cool there :)

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  10. Oh what a beautiful house! We have a table and chairs out behind the shed, next to the garden, kind of an isolated little spot where I can see the flowers and vegetable plants and look over the deer and squirrels and rabbits playing in the back yard. The quote is so true! I have the best ideas when I lay down for a nap or at night when I'm trying to get to sleep. I kind of wish sometimes I could just go to sleep without ideas!

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  11. There is nothing quite like a hammock.I keep thinking I will put one up in my yard, but it hasn't happened yet. As for a special place in my yard. . .I don't really have one. There is a small bridge in the backyard that goes over the ditch that I like to sit on and listen to the flowing water so I guess that could count as a "special place."

    Enjoy your day, Vee!

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  12. I do not, either, Vee. I would like to have a spot like that. We're working on making our outdoor spaces a little more private. Our home is exposed on all sides. An odd setting but with a little work we could make some area more private.

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  13. We spend a lot of time on our balcony here in the condo...it's so cool and we have such a beautiful view. I hope you enjoy your big plans today! Come have Mexican food with me, too! hugs, Diane

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  14. Pretty house :) Your grand mother's house memories were beautiful to read :)

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  15. That house is so dreamy and pretty! We don't have a hammock, our dogs have gone to their rest, but we do have a tub - ha! We have a closed in back deck with comfortable wicker furniture and an infrared sauna for warming up on a cold evening - I guess that's our "sweet" spot for relaxing. Why don't we take more time to do so?

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  16. What a beautiful spot, love the whole look of the place.

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  17. Nope..don't have a special place..we do have a hammock though, no front porch though. Love the picture of that house..very pretty. Blessings

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  18. That is a beautiful house. I think I'd be on that porch most all the time.

    I have the front porch, my swing and soon to be the back stone patio listening to the water feature. Wow aren't I blessed!?

    Usually I come up with my good ideas while walking in the morning.

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  19. I miss my screened porch at my last home so much. It was my favorite place to watch the birds and relax.

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  20. The porch in your photo looks so inviting! I have a spot in my back porch where I like to sit whenever I can grab a few minutes. It's large enough for two chairs but that's all I need. And my dog - she likes sitting out here with me. :)

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  21. I do have a spot like that and just realized I haven't shared my changes in it since last year.

    Everyone needs a spot like that, and I truly hope and wish you one soon. You have sooooo much creative juice, anything that gets you to writing about it is a win-win in my humble opinion. Hugs.

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  22. I love hammocks and always think of my Aunt and Uncle and growing up when I see one. Nice, happy memories. I don't have a place for one, although they come with their own stands now. The one my Auntie had was tied between two trees. A stand just doesn't seem right! I have a lovely balcony that I like to use ... in fact, I was out there today watching the rain fall ... a nice quiet rain for a change!

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  23. We were never hammock people, but our son has one and Tim was quite taken with it ,so maybe I'll see that he gets one for next Father's Day.
    I love my screened in porch and I would love to have a swinging day bed like your g'mother had there!
    I'm trying to visualise it, but not with much success. You'll have to give me more details, Vee!

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  24. I'm not a hammock person - I think I'd have trouble getting in and out :) Thanks for the link to my hydrangea post!

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  25. What a pretty house. Wish mine looked that good. I'm not a hammock person. It makes my neck and back hurt. I do have a Get Away For It All (like I have any stress! HA!) place on the property. Being born and raised on the Space Coast, I naturally dubbed it Tranquility Base. I fixed it up last year with fresh paint, new straw, pulled down the cats claw growing all over the trees and trimmed the trees. It looks dandy now. If it will ever cool off, I plan to spend many more hours back out there reading my new English history books. I am so ready for Fall!

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  26. I don't know that I've ever tried out a hammock! I would have loved your grandmother's bed on the porch. The fresh air, the scent of roses - sounds delightful.
    GA is generally too hot to do much outdoors. Maybe April/May and Sept./Oct. we enjoy rocking on the front porch. Always a breath of fresh air to visit you, Vee.

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  27. You just gave me more blog fodder....I do, indeed, have a few outdoor places to rest, relax, have a glass of wine or just watch those puffy, white clouds I've become obsessed with.

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  28. I'm going to make a guess BEFORE I click the link that it leads to A Cultivated Nest. I read a wonderful post from Manuela earlier with limelight hydrangeas. Ironically, I my florist was just telling me about them. I love them and want to try to grow some here.

    As for hammocks, my grandmother had one too. Honestly? It's just not that fun to be outside in this part of the country. It's not just that the heat lasts from April to October, it's that it's a very humid heat. Plus, we live below what is called the "gnat line". It's horribly buggy out there and will be until later in the fall.

    So... those are my excuses for not enjoying the outside. Lame, huh?

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  29. Woohooo! I was right. The link lead directly to Manuela's place. (Little trivia: Hers was the first blog that I downright fell in love with. I love it to this day. )

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  30. Vee, I'm enjoying your new header. So cool and refreshing.

    And the house with the hammock and lovely garden around it... oh my, that is l-o-v-e-l-y!

    No special sitting spots in the garden at present. Although we have a lovely view on our deck, I tend not to sit out there too much this summer. Maybe too warm.

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  31. I like the idea of a hammock much more than the reality of it. One does tend to flop about trying to extract oneself from it. I'm not over-fond of making a spectacle of myself ;-)

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  32. I love the house in the photo. I think John can whip up a hammock for you. ;-)

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  33. Perhaps if more of us had hammocks and shady porches we could think thoughts that would change the world, or at least a little part of it. I don't have a favorite outdoor spot in which to relax - that tends to happen indoors. Outdoors means gardening.
    Oh. Unless I'm on the boat. Definite relaxation there. And rocking not unlike a hammock.

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  34. What a charming little cottage type home. That area with the hammock looks delightful. I've never had a hammock but would sure like to give one a try! I usually sit on our back deck to read, or the front porch...

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  35. That is one fabulous hydrangea!

    I don't have an outdoor spot. I used to love my deck when I had the cover on it, but now it's gone and its just too hot usually in the direct sun. I've been wanting a nice sitting area down under a red oak and a maple tree that are huge, but so far it's not happened.

    One day.

    Deanna

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  36. We have our gazebo - which I LOVE!!!! AND our side deck.....and then there's always the driveway where we have a couple of lawn chairs with cushions that are by the stone wall which we prop our feet on. No hammock although I did have one years ago......I found it rotted quickly and I did not replace it. I would have loved a PORCH but I am like the apostle Paul.....I find myself content with whatsoever state I am in!

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  37. What a charming house! I could move right on in. I thought the very same thing as you did after reading the quote and before I saw your thoughts. I don't have a dog to walk, nor a hammock, and I take showers! No wonder I haven't had any good ideas lately. My preferred spot outside is on the patio when the sun moves over the house and it's shady and cool enough to sit out. Which is usually in the evenings. Once in a while, I'll sit on the bench under the maple tree.

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  38. Your great-grandmothers respite sounds delightful! My favorite place is our cottage porch in Maine, I love it! In MA it in my family room or the "happy room" as we call it! I hope you get your place soon!

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  39. I could think some great thoughts in that beautiful spot--or at least take some good naps. I enjoy our screened porch and love hearing the sounds of the neighborhood when I'm out there.

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  40. Growing up, both sets of grandparents sat out on the porch. One in town, the other in the country. I miss those days, shooting the breeze, shelling peas, or just pushing the swing lazily back and forth with one foot on the ground. Of course, I just listened to all the talk...this was back in the days when children didn't (and wouldn't dare) interrupt adults with all of their chatter. Now it's hard to get a word in edgewise around kids.

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  41. The house we rented in the Outer Banks had a hammock on the front porch. The grandkids loved it, but I did not find it too comfortable as I could not read in it lying down. I prefer a lounge chair or a chair and ottoman to relax in. I bought a chair/ottoman set for our outdoor patio, but it has rained almost every afternoon this summer, so I've hardly used it!

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  42. What a pretty house, I would love a hammock too. The hydrangeas are gorgeous.. Enjoy your day!

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  43. I'm with you, I'd like to change that someday! It seems that when I'm outside, I'm working. I do sit at the patio table for a few minutes most evenings. That is my spot for now.

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  44. Well, I have a nice front porch to relax on...with a great view. But no hammock! I have a big soaker tub...but rarely take a bath. As for the dog...I sometimes wish I had one. But then I remember that I also like to leave home on a regular basis.

    Love them! I think one can relax anywhere outdoors...just find a quiet place and a comfortable chair. Some nice plants nearby are a good thing too (maybe hydrangeas?).

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