Thank you, Gray Hog, swrinfla, and SteveFromNY, for your great input and suggestions. Steve, thanks for the photo - I love the way your lanai looks!
You've been a huge help. Now I'm going to quit worrying about trying to feed an army out there and use the space I have in the house for that, and make the lanai more of a sitting area like Steve's. And I'm going to put seating in the front of the house by the breakfast room windows to give us more chances to mingle with our great neighbors.
The funny thing is, my husband has been teasing me for my devoted following of TOTV, and the stock I put in TOTVers' opinions and advice. So I showed him your responses, and now that you have agreed with what he was saying about both the lanai and the front porch, he is singing a different tune!
Walkr