Sunday, June 14, 2009

JUST A SWINGIN'

That's the title of an old country song...do you remember it? It really was a terrible song, but it told how the boy was swingin' with the girl on the front porch.

What are your memories of swinging? I remember little about a swing set when I was a little girl...but, there do seem to be lots of pics of my sister and I turning flips over the bars...not much swinging going on.

My boys had a swing set they loved to play on in our backyard. We also had a lawn swing under the big tree in our backyard that we all swung in for many a mile. During the last remodel of our previous home, we built a sunroom, and I had a swing hung inside...I loved it...as did everyone else that came to our house.

Now we are in our new home. Don got me a little potting shed, and it has a swing on the front porch. There really is not much room to swing....mostly just a place to dangle your feet.

Now, this is a beautiful old swing, isn't it? I bet it could tell lots of stories of people who had swung within its arms. Parents and children...boyfriends and girlfriends. It looks as if it has been well used. Wouldn't it be fabulous to restore it, put in a new seat, and a comfy cushion?


This one, on the other hand, is strictly a fantasy swing. A beautiful forest, a beautiful girl, a beautiful dress, beautiful flowers, and beautiful sunshine. What's not to love?

This swing, made of metal, is called a moon swing. It is supposed to represent swinging in the cusp of the moon. It is very pretty, but I think all those metal circles would not be very comfortable.


This is the pumpkin swing. Sort of like Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater...put her in a pumpkin shell...It, too is quite beautiful, but I imagine it would get very hot in there on a summer's day!

And, this is the best one of all...good sturdy board...strong ropes...and room for 1. You can swing as high and as fast as you want. Yep, I want one just like this in my backyard!

12 comments:

Southern Lady said...

What a neat post, Tonja. I have many happy memories spent on swings when I was a little girl. Thank you for sharing yours.

andi said...

Love the swings. My best memories are as a little girl on our large front porch in Missouri on our porch swing reading.

Justabeachkat said...

My grandparents had one on their front porch and I spent many happy times on it as a child.

Hugs!
Kat

Gram said...

My father build a swing for me outside our kitchen window - I would swing and swing and try to touch our lilac bush with my feet. The toes of my shoes were always scuffed from dragging them to slow the swing down. Kids don't swing much anymore - what a shame. Thank youf for bringing back a wonderful memory.

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Thank you for sharing and reminding me of how much I love to swing. I think I need to get to a park and have me one!

Mindy said...

Ah, this post brought back such sweet, sweet memories. When my siblings and I were kids my Grandmother's house in Wilmington, NC was our favorite vacation place. It was magical and the very best part was the porch swing on the screen porch. They called the porch their treehouse, because it was built over the garage and was literally up in the trees. It was amazing! It was fully shaded and stayed pleasantly cool even on the hottest day. It was screened so it was also bug free and the trees offered a good degree of privacy. The swing looked a lot like the one you pictured first, and my brothers and I spent countless hours, well....just swinging. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Jean said...

They don't make them like this last picture anymore. I just loved swinging high on these. Now they make the flexible rubber seats that squeeze your behind. I hate them.

I grew up with porch swings. They're the best.

LivingTheLife said...

I love to swing...my daughter loved to swing as a young girl and I have great memories of her enjoying every type swing imaginable.

When I was a young girl we moved to the country and had to do away with our swing set (it was far too old to move) so my dad put up a tire swing under the biggest oak tree on our farm...just a few steps from the house. When I would go there to swing...it felt like I was miles and miles away...what an escape...I think I'm going to take a cue from "just breathe" and find myself a swing!

Oh...and I'm with Jean about those rubber seated swings...they aren't made for hiney's like mine...I prefer the wooden one in your last photo...and when I am blessed with my first grandchild...I've already picked out a tree at our Cali place to put it...and if by chance we move back to Texas and build on our land...I have the perfect tree, there, too.

Thanks for sharing and allowing us all to step back in time.

Blessings...
Teresa

nancygrayce said...

I remember that song....only I heard it like this....just a swanging, with a country twang! I had a recurring nightmare as a child of swinging....it didn't scar me too bad cause I still like to swing! Your potting shed is too cute!!

Jill said...

I have very fond memories of swinging...learning how to pump my legs "out and back in" (which is what I'm trying to teach Adam right now). As I've gotten older, I am not able to swing as much as I'd like. It makes me nauseous! Yikes! Lovely post.

Love Being A Nonny said...

A swing is one of those things of the past that really is timeless. I love that it is still *in style* to have a swing. This was a great post. Love your potting shed!!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your swings! Some of my best memories are on my grandmother's front porch swing: waiting for the milk man to fill the milk box, sitting with boys while my grandmother turned off the front porch light and I would turn it back on, waiting for my husband's letters when we were dating, afternoon sitting, and just sitting with my grandmother as dementia stole her memories of swinging with me. Thanks for taking me down memory lane!