my porch bench

it's not fancy

it wasn't expensive new

it's old

and the varnish has worn off 

it could probably use a coat of paint

but

it's been there so long

it has grown in beauty 

and I appreciate it more now than I did when I bought it

because of the things it has weathered with me

and the purposes it has served

 it is neutral

it doesn't draw attention to itself,

rather it serves as a base for beautiful things

I use it to hold my welcoming pretties,

it is my "drop it off on the porch with the bench" spot

it is my "I'll put it on the bench for you to pick up" place

it has also been the temporary home of unexpected gifts 

today it served all three purposes

a package was left underneath it this morning

I left a book for a friend on it this afternoon

and when I returned from running errands there was a surprise:

four plates

no note, and no cookies

I assumed one of my girls had purchased them and had them dropped off

I sent out a text and pictures

no one knows anything about them

it's an unsolved mystery*

and winter just keeps showing up...

*Mystery solved! A new friend knows I like Fiesta ware. She is in the process of moving and decided these weren't making the trip. She thought of me. Without the bench to set them on she may have been reluctant to leave them and I may not have received the gift!