The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 5,518 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—7,301 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Make It Easy/Carp-HEN-try Merit Badge, I decided to tackle a project I’d been wistfully daydreaming about for weeks. Now that the weather has cooled down a bit, I am spending even more time outside (everything from eating to reading to painting my nails to gossiping is done out of doors these days) and I’ve been eyeballing my old carport.
It’s a sad little carport. A bit tumble down, a bit unloved, it houses exactly zero cars and is nothing like a port. It’s more like a ramshackle weed patch, with a cover. But in my head—ah, in my head—it’s a lovely little outdoor patio.
Picture this: a level ground, grapes or ivy growing up over the trellis, maybe some large stepping stones, and a cute-as-a-button, bistro-style table and chairs. Maybe an old hutch as well, filled with outdoor enamelware and pitchers for iced tea. Some hanging lanterns, perhaps, or some twinkly Christmas lights? A mister for those hot summer evenings?
Winnie Nielsen 
MaryJane 
annie 
Mary 
Being a middle school Language Arts teacher, it was interesting to look up words as if given my own homework assignment. I enjoyed the small task and look forward to the coaptation of more words into my notebook.”
Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya 
Jennifer Knox 
Darlene Ricotta 
Laurie Dimno 
Jacorn 
Joey 
Ace 
This is a great idea for those who have an unused carport! I saw once in a magazine where someone took an unused garage and converted into a huge dining/sitting room. With the door totally up, life blended in with the yard which had a woodsy setting. The photo was taken in fall so the colored leaves were everywhere and dinners were eaten outside in this space where the woods met the door and mixed together. There were lanterns for lighting and comfy pillows in chairs and an eclectic mix of furniture. Easy, free style, open and useful, this idea makes new spaces to be enjoyed. I love what you did in 20 hours with this badge challenge! It is a fabulous, low cost way to have a new place to enjoy! Are you serving coffee when friends drop by? I take decaf.
Of course decaf but hold the garlic, right?
Yes, please hold the garlic! Karlyne, we mean no garlic in regular cooking and not in coffee. Coffee is just plain coffee. garlic in coffee? Now that would be my worst nightmare!! LOL!
Whew! I love garlic, and I love coffee, but I’m thinking not together!
Hmmm. Do you two usually put garlic in your decaf? Must have quite a kick!
I now am inspired to get at those little things that will change other things around in my life. Time to get busy. Now where to start?
I am so glad to see you did not plant Ivy. That is not your friend. Believe me when I say that, we had to places side by side one had a white Lilacs the other a pink Rhodadendaron. I decided to plant Ivy. Well, for awhile it looked very nice and then I noticed the girdling of the Lilac tree. I cut it back only to grow faster. Finally when we just were beside ourselves with it, we decided to get rid of it. Wow. That was a huge undertaking. We dug and dug, then we sprayed the nasty stuff. Which was hard for an organic minded women to do. But it was the only way. Then we thought we got it all, oh no, two years later it popped up in my flower bed quite a long way away from it. I have pulled it up and am going to let the people who buy my house deal with it. He is not an organic gardener.
Please for the sake of our fields and hills and mountains do not plant it.
Thank You
Kay