The marked-up table
A yell for Mom from the kitchen ended a recent nap rather abruptly. Imagine the wild thoughts that ran through my mind as I made it from the bedroom to the kitchen where I found my daughter - a daughter who knows not to put a glass of liquids or hot food directly on the cherry table once owned by her late great-grandmother and now loved by her mother .... a daughter who knows the table pads are less then 3 feet away, placemats even closer and a bagful of read newspapers just across the room.
The crafting whiz was putting together another fleece flower kit and needed to expand a pattern by using wax paper and a printed paper. She carefully traced the basic outlines and then cut out her material. The yell came when she started cleaning up for the day and saw her "light" etching.
A few questions later and I discover she and her boyfriend discussed just covering the etching with a placemat or two, returning to Tennessee and a few other options. But she decided to tell the truth and face me.
She knew I had tried protecting the table over the years. She was the one who broke the thick glass that once covered the table. She knows no meal is served directly on the wood. She has watched me cover the table before using a rotary cutter on the my latest batch of fabrics or clays.
What she didn't expect was me laughing.
At first, I was amazed that a 24-year-old forgot basic lessons of crafting. But then, I was amused at her reaction. After all we've been through lately, a few more scratches in the table hardly matter. Yes, I like nice things and I like them to remain nice.
But I enjoy more the days she has the energy to create fleece flowers, crochet hats, and make her creatures from pom pons.
Besides, there is always a bottle of Old English polish under the sink. She could - and did - make the lines almost disappear with some elbow grease.
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I think with the passage of time and the wisdom of age we all eventually learn, to one degree or another, what is really important in life.
ReplyDeleteOur daughter once scratched her name with a sharp object into the paint of a new stove when she was five. We were upset that she would do that at the time.
The years passed, the stove wore out and was replaced.
Gosh, how I wish we had that stove back now with the autograph and everything now that the daughter is 23 and living away from home.
Life is one bvig learning curve.
ReplyDeleteHappy days learning.
Keep warm and happy.
Love
Herrad
ps
http://screamingrichie.blogspot.com/
Jim of L-Town:
ReplyDeleteCareful what you wish for! Living with an adult child is so different.
Actually, I am glad my daughter moved back home for it is easier to take care of her here then it was in the hilly lands of Tennesse.
She has a great sense of humor and a knack for picking good movies to watch.
Herrad:
Thanks for the good wishes. With wool and words, I think I can stay warm and happy
Mary Ann
My wife and I inherited a great oak table from her grandparents. We stripped it, refinished it and recovered the seats of the chairs.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing we couldn't remove? The burn mark in the table from where a Christmas centerpiece once caught on fire when Jenny was a youngster. It's a conversation piece and a great way to remember her grandparents.
Consider it a mark of character.
I love learning that others treasure furniture with character especially when it has family connections.
ReplyDeleteI remember the day my mom's parents bought the couch in my "library." A buffet from my dad's mom anchored my childhood home and has been with me since 1975. They are part of my scrapbook home,
Thanks for sharing, Jeff. You constantly surprise me.