The Porch Swing Chronicles

 One night last week, I successfully crafted a blog post for STYLE Savvy, and wrote the better part of a second one but, when it came to creating a post for this blog, I came up empty. Part of it was simply being out of mental energy, but part of it was also coming up with something new. 

Earlier this month, I promised myself to spend a few minutes each day reviewing the various notes and ideas I have scattered about or, if the muse dropped by, coming up with a few new ones. Tonight, I came across a page of questions I'd jotted down when I read Kate Schelter's Classic Style over a year ago. She had various questions she'd posed to the stylish people who filled the pages of her book, and I jotted down a few of my queries. As I sat down to press a few of them into service for this post, I realized it's been a long time since I had my characters on the porch swing.

So, on this muggy summer evening, I welcome Marita and Bets back to the porch swing (Charli is playing miniature golf with her father and Angel). Together, my characters and I will answer a few of Kate Schelter's questions.

#1: Always in your fridge:

Lisa: Iced tea.

Bets: Wine.

Marita: Milk. For Charli's cereal. It's a mom thing.

#2: Skill you dream of mastering.

Lisa: French. Or knitting.

Bets: I'm pretty skillful, actually. 

Marita: Parenting.

Bets shakes her head. "You're a good mom."

Marita: Thanks. But the rules are always changing.

#3: Less is more or more is more?

Lisa: Less is more, especially as I get older. 

Marita: Depends. Clutter? Less. Shoes? More.

Bets: What is wrong with you people? More! More is always more. Although with some people, less is more than enough.

#4: Wrist watch

Lisa: Apple Watch

Bets: Ooh, fancy! No watch. 

Marita: Fitbit.

#5: Writing implement

Lisa: Depends on the task.

Marita: Pencil.

Bets: Red Sharpie. Or purple. Depending on my prose.

#6: Piece of furniture you really love and use every day

Bets: My bed!

Marita: Can't argue with that. I think my kitchen table, though. Charli and I have had a lot of good talks there.

Lisa: My blue chair in our sunroom, which is one of a pair. They originally belonged to my parents and we inherited them, so to speak, when my parents opted for recliners.

Marita and Bets (and Lisa) have lots of opinions. You can read Lisa's here any time, and you can find out more about Marita and Bets (and Charli and Angel) as well as the people who spark their strong opinions in any of the books below. (And yes, Casting the First Stone has a different cover now. Same contents, though :-)