Thursday, August 04, 2011

Porches

Several days ago discussion on this blog turned to porches. I thought our readers might enjoy reading more by clicking on the following links.

I learned of the first link from a comment by one of our readers. It is a review of a new book by Margaret Ruth Little, "Carolina Cottage: A Personal History of the Piazza House." The author writes about the distinctive Carolina cottage design, and the very real possibility that the American front porch, or piazza, originated in the Old North State. She even mentions the eastern North Carolina transformation of the word "piazza" into "pizer." I have ordered the book from Leslie at Books to be Red on School Road.

http://www.news-record.com/blog/63640/entry/110846

Lou Ann alerted me to the second link, "The Evolution of the American Front Porch." I haven't yet perused the entire web site, but what I have read is quite interesting. I hope some of our readers will enjoy it.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CLASS/am483_97/projects/cook/first.htm

Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is Lou Ann's story of the Night Blooming Cereus Cactus. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news072111.htm.

7 comments:

  1. debbie s.7:51 AM

    heres my porch question for ya...

    is pizer pronounced pie-zer (like you would eat a pie) or with a short i/e sound, as in fence? (sorry, was the best way i could think to describe it LOL)

    I always say/ think it the first way, but that doesn't mean its right LOL

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous8:06 AM

    Good morning-I actually was trying to find the pronunciation of the word when I stumbled upon "Light on the Piazza". Please let us know if the book is worth reading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pizer is pronounced with a long "i." It rhymes with "riser."

    I am planning on getting the book this morning.

    ReplyDelete
  4. debbie s.9:20 AM

    ahh good, glad to know im saying right ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous10:22 AM

    Philip, when you have the time , a question was asked on Aug.2 right after your comment (anon.1:48-com.28). You probably just missed it. Just curious, but if you don't care to answer it no big deal.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I didn't miss the question ("how old WOULD you be, if you didn't know how old you ARE"?). I guess I just don't have an answer. I'm very happy with my life...and my age. As Roy Parsons used to say, "everything is copesetic."

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:12 PM

    Thanks for your very interesting reply. I have never heard anyone answer that question without giving a number. The only reason for this, I am guessing, is maybe they never asked a person with true "peace of mind" before.

    ReplyDelete