It was stressful for me to try and get the swing in place by the proper time. In reality, I needed to be hiding in the bushes with the piece when my mother and sister pulled out of the driveway if we were going to have the installation completed by the time they got back. The packing up of and getting things home took four hours instead of the two I had scheduled for. Seattle afternoon traffic is a living example of what is not working in America.
Upon arriving, my father and I worked on installation for about two hours before deciding that good enough was good enough. The swing was roughly in place, and that would have to do. The swing turned out to be precisely where my mother wanted it when she saw it for the first time. Although we did not have the final decorations in place on the first night, the idea and intention were clear. It soon became a comfortable draw for family members to enjoy at any time of day.
Since Friday, my nephew Noah has made the porch-swing his bed. By Tuesday, when my brother-in-law Daniel arrived from Tucson, the swing had become a centerpiece for family time. My uncle Norman once explained the satisfaction of building to me in this way: he said “at the end of the day, you’ve made something. There it is; sit on it, stand on it, touch it.” And he was right.
albaniacalling 