The Summer of Chairs

I've mentioned before that I think I have a thing for chairs. When Mike and I first married, we simply combined household goods in an effort to furnish this house. Over time, we have culled some of those furnishings and added something new. Then, weeded those out and started again. Chairs seem to be one of those things that have come and gone the most in this household. 

We both had a version of an arrow-back or Windsor-type chair to start with. Mike had a couple that were a blonde wood finish and they were sturdy and pretty comfortable for everyday seating and dining. 

I had a set of four - two arm chairs and two side chairs - that I had picked up at a thrift store. The style was a wee bit different and the seat finish was a bit darker and the legs and bowed top was red. We blended the two together for a few years and made things work. 

It bugged me a little that they didn't match and things were a bit disjointed but they were close enough and fairly comfortable and, again, we made things work. Mike also had a set of four chairs that sat around the dining table. They featured a hand carved back and were antique and sort of small and not all that comfortable but when all the family came around, they were sturdy and worked out so that everybody had a place to sit and eat.

I always seemed to be on the prowl to find a big lot of matching chairs for a reasonable cost. I sold those four smaller chairs when I found a fellow selling a set of eight chairs that were just like the red ones I had brought except they were finished more like the blonde wood of Mike's. I bought the eight matching and we had a collection of chairs that were pretty similar then. Those worked for a short time but they began to drop a leg or just broke altogether. 

Just before Mike's mother moved into our basement, she gifted him eight ladder back chairs along with the lazy Susan table that had belonged to his grandparents. So, all the hodge-podged collected chairs were offered in a yard sale (but I think we wound up hauling them off to Goodwill at the end of the day). Finally, we had a matching set of nice and nice looking chairs.

After a week or so, Mike mentioned that now we don't have a single chair to sit in and eat that is comfortable. He was so right! While I loved the ladder back chairs and thought they were beautiful, I realized that they truly were some of the most uncomfortable sitting chairs I had ever plopped my fanny into. So, my chair hunt began again. Soon, I stumbled across four chairs that were exactly what I wanted. Sturdy, comfy, and attractive all wrapped into one.

They started off with burlap seat covers. However, even though burlap is a rugged fabric, it does not hold up well as a chair seat cover. So, I covered them with a lattice print after a while. We both liked the style and comfiness of those chairs. So, I always kept my scouting eye out for a few more that matched to add to the collection but never found anything that I thought was close enough to really pursue. So, the comfy chairs sat at the everyday small dining table and the ladder backed chairs sat at the larger table with the lazy Susan. Plus, Mike's mother had brought six more ladder backed chairs when she moved into the basement. So, we now owned a total of fourteen beautiful but highly uncomfortable chairs.

I continued to keep a look out for something that might coordinate or blend with the Queen Anne style cane backed chairs that we both loved. Of course, I was only scouting in thrift stores and second hand offerings at places like Facebook Marketplace. Plus, I was surfing the internet and gathering ideas and dreams for future decorating projects. One of the things I noticed was that the ideas I tend to gather often included chairs with a padded seat that was covered in a checked fabric. Then, one morning last fall on Facebook Marketplace I saw a set of eight urn backed chairs with Queen Anne legs and checked seats offered at a reasonable price. I waited till Mike came in to eat and asked his opinion on them. He was impressed and encouraged me to buy them. Sadly, that was just enough time that the seller had sold them. 

What that sad event did do, however, is open my eyes to look for something similar where I could cover the seats and blend them all together. So, the casual perusal continued. Then, one day in June, I felt like I had hit the jackpot. A lady who lived about forty minutes away was downsizing and offered eight urn backed chairs with Queen Anne legs. While they were not my first love of more cane backed chairs, they did look like nice, sturdy, comfy chairs that I could cover seats to match and have a set for visitors as well as us for every day that would be nice. Plus, they were really a bargain! So, I didn't even wait to get the Mister's opinion. I just took off.

Let me just say, that finding eight chairs alike felt like quite a coupe. I was determined that I would not settle for fewer chairs than we already have. Plus, I wanted something that would blend well with the furniture we already have. Those chairs filled those criterion and were a bargain - costing me less than one of the chairs would new. The chairs were made by Crescent in 1998 and the seat covers were almost like new. I really felt like I had hit the mother lode. We gifted the ladder back chairs to Mike's son because they had inherited a drop leaf table from Mike's mother that would match them well. So, I hauled them up the hill. 

I thought my chair searching days were over but Facebook Marketplace didn't seem to agree. Every now and then a post for dining chairs would pop into my feed and I would give them a look. However, I was in no hurry to replace the chairs downstairs and decided that if something wonderful popped up, I would take a look but I was not searching at all. Then, in late August, a cane back Queen Anne style chair flashed across Facebook Marketplace. Again, the drive was less than an hour away and the price was down right cheap. So, off I went.

This time, the six chairs were so close to the ones Mike and I had been loving and using for a few years and at the bargain price they were offered at, I just could not let that pass. The young woman said that she still really loved the chairs but had inherited some from her husband's family and didn't have room to keep these. Even though the seat covers are not the neutral beige that the urn back chairs are, the navy would fit right into my house, I thought. Four of the side chairs were covered in a nice navy fabric. 

I am a firm believer that we don't always have to have something brand spanking new and expensive to update and refine our style and our household. Part of the fun of furnishing this house and updating it to be our style is in the hunt for just the right thing and in putting forth a little extra effort to customize it and make it personal to our tastes. I must share that rarely does Mike say anything about my home decorating and styling. He will object at times to something he doesn't like or complain if he doesn't think it is to his taste. This is one update, though, that he has been very complementary of from start to finish. 

So, part of my summer was spent searching for chairs. A small part of the summer was just perusing what happened to pop up in front of me suggesting that I need more chairs. Then, part of the summer found me picking up chairs and hauling them home. I'm so pleased with all of our dining chairs and find myself just plopping down in different ones from time to time because I like them so much. Of course, just because we are now well into fall according to the calendar, that doesn't mean that the chair project is done. Stay tuned for a chair update coming soon!

Just Three Things | #3

I don't know if it is old age creeping up on us or if it is retirement and how the days all seem to look a lot alike or if it is just forgetfulness but I've noticed that Mike and I both sometimes lose track of what day of the week we are in. Last week I mentioned something to our granddaughter, Lydia, about Friday. She looked at me with incredulity and said, "You mean tomorrow, Grand B? Tomorrow is Friday." All day long I had been thinking it was Wednesday when, in fact, it was Thursday! Then, yesterday, Mike and I were sitting at the table and he said, "Is this Wednesday?" I don't know if it is comforting that I am not the only one forgetful of which day it is or if it is a bit frightening! Anyway, I hope every day of your week has been a good one!

What I'm Reading

As I mentioned when I noticed how I really like a southern voice, I've been reading one of those southern voices - Mary Kay Andrews. Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of Kathy Hogan Trocheck. I finished up this one:

Every Crooked Nanny

Last night I started the next in the series, To Live and Die in Dixie. It has been a while since I dived into a series and I had forgotten how comfortable it is to start out a book already knowing characters and setting. The first of the series proved to be a fun read and I'm already enjoying the beginning of this second one. I think what I'm enjoying is that many of the characters could be people who live nearby and have quirks and personalities much like folks we all know and love in spite of those quirks. 

Of course, before I started this series, I finished up The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club. It was listed as a historical fiction novel that was set just after World War I. I haven't read as much about that time period as I have the time during and just after World War II. So, my interest was piqued at the thought of that time period. I also appreciated the author's take on the evolving role of women at that time. Maybe this is where my parents roots came from. They always told my sister and I that we should act like a lady but think like a man. This book helped me to appreciate that reference.

 

What I'm Loving

I'm loving the cooler days we have entered! When I went out for tacos for Taco Tuesday this week, the air was still so hot and humid that it was sort of hard to breathe. We welcomed the rain and the cooler temperatures that have blown in. I even decided that it was time to sprinkle a few pumpkins here and there throughout the house and change up the decor around here a bit. One of the things I've gravitated toward over the years is to just focus on fall and not go all out on Halloween or Thanksgiving. I'm a lazy decorator and when I just sprinkle a few pumpkins and fall leaves around, that can shoo away the summer feeling and escort in a bit of a fall feeling. That doesn't mean I don't have witches and black cats or pilgrims and turkeys. It just means I don't go all out one and follow with the other. 

Most of what I dig out of storage is just fall and pumpkins with a nod or two of a witch and a black cat. I'll share a bit of how fall looks around here on a later date. In the meantime, I've gone for a stroll to enjoy the cooler weather and I'm in the process of dragging my newly covered chairs out onto the porch to give them a spritz of Scotchguard to protect the fabric a little from our spills and drips. Maybe I can wrap the chair project up and share the beauty of all my dining-type chairs with checked seats.

What I'm Working On

I am wrapping up my chair seat covering project. I discovered that it is not the quick and easy task I anticipated. Wrestling with the chairs to get the screws loose and the seats removed and gripping and pulling and stapling the fabric did a number on my shoulders, arms, and hands. At first I couldn't figure out why I was having such soreness. Then, I realized I had wrestled and twisted and pulled and pushed in ways that I had not asked my body to do in quite some time. I did five chairs the first day and I was pretty achy the next. So, I skipped a day and then did four chairs. The following project sessions, I only did three per day. That was much more manageable. I probably should have only tackled a couple per day if I didn't want to be achy but I've recouped and I'm no worse for the wear. It was probably a good exercise session for me, if truth be told. I will get the seats sprayed and protected and then try to capture a photo or two showing where they are scattered throughout the house. 

I'm really pleased with the look of them and it truly has not been all that difficult to transform the chairs. I'm just taking this project on like I promised myself I would when I was looking forward to retirement - slow and steady! 

I've already begun gathering supplies, plotting and planning in my mind how I want it to look, and figuring out what might be the best method of creation for my next project. Like everything around here, it is a bit of trial and error and back to the drawing board. We shall get there, though!

Musical

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a theatrical music presentation at Luci's school. The theatre teacher for their small school district worked with the students to prep them for the show. There was also a student director who worked with the students. One of the high school classes created various pieces for the set. It was a simple production that really showcased the work by many students. The cast included a dozen or so fourth graders and a dozen or so fifth graders. The production was called Disney: The Movies and Music.  

Image from the Teacher Edition of the script.

Cast members had choreographed routines, speaking parts, and sang numbers from several Disney musicals.

Luci and her classmates did a wonderful job of engaging the audience and presenting an entertaining performance. I truly enjoyed the night out.

Costuming was pretty simple. The cast members all wore Mickey or Minnie Mouse ears, black shorts or skirts, and a white shirt with their name on it using a Disney-type font. It reminded me of The Mickey Mouse Club from the olden days. From time to time, one or two of the cast members might don a recognizable costume and come out looking like Donald Duck, Mary Poppins, or the Little Mermaid.

Members of the cast would add a hat to go with the theme while they danced and sang along.

Each cast member had a box of hats and props right there on stage where they could quickly update their look before a number. I was amazed at how quickly they all would jump into their costumes and dash into place all while singing along or while another cast member was reciting his or her lines.

Of course, Luci recited professionally when it was her turn at the microphone but, most importantly, she smiled and seemed to be having a really good time.

It seemed to be a fun night for all in attendance and who doesn't want to see a grandchild who is having a big time?!

Well done, Luci!

Today I noticed...I really like a southern voice.

The other day I was scrolling through social media on my phone and stumbled across a southern author's post. I had heard of this author and had even read several recommendations for books she has written. I never read any of those recommended options because I didn't really think it would be something that would hold my attention and be what I consider a good read. 

Yet, here was this southern author speaking my exact thoughts about something that had recently taken place in this great country of ours. She was using language, a southern dialect, and an experienced voice that spoke to me as well. I was so inspired by this one little post that I dove down into the rabbit hole of her social media account to check out another post that she referenced. Then, I kept hopping through her feed and finding myself shaking my head and patting my foot in agreement and enjoyment of several of her posts.

I think one of the things I loved most is that she is not some young upstart. She is, "a woman of a certain age." After enjoying quite a few minutes almost an hour of scouring through her Instagram feed, I clicked over to check out her book titles. I learned which was the first offering and ordered it on the spot. 

I didn't allow myself to start the book until I had completed one of the three books I had going. It served as sort of an incentive to stay up late and wake up early to get some extra reading in! As I was crunching on my cereal and slurping my tea this morning, I began this author's first published book. 

That first page was absolutely delightful! It was one that definitely would have been included in an old book notes from when I was teaching in a middle school classroom. At the beginning of the school year, I asked students to make a collection of first lines of the books they read. Periodically throughout the year, we took some time to look back at these first lines and compare them to the first lines of works we were writing. Those first lines served as inspiration for a lot of my young writers - and for them as readers as well. Below is the first page of the book that I read this morning in all it's southern glory:

First page of Every Crooked Nanny by Mary Kay Andrews

Since breakfast, I am already about one-fourth the way through this book and am enjoying every single bit of this light read. It is refreshing and, oh so enjoyable! Yet, at the same time I can hear the post by the author expressing her own opinion about what is happening in our world today. 

I've been wondering what I can do. What can one little old retired school teacher do to help make changes in the things that are happening today? I think Mary Kay Andrews is doing just what all of us should be doing. Expressing her opinions and explaining the basis of those ideas. Letting people know what she sees happening and how she feels about it.

I know that years ago my father stressed to me the importance of voting and how my voice counts. So, that is something that I definitely will be doing as well - and I will be campaigning for candidates who seem to support the way I think. I don't know what else I might do to help make changes in the things that are going on in the world around me today, but I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities. I'm going to keep noticing.

I'm also pondering whether I should begin to follow this wonderful voice's lead and record some Kitchen Karaoke sessions to post for my family to enjoy...

Just Three Things | #2

One of the things I told myself I would do when I retired is to take on some of these projects that I've had in mind. It has been several months into my retirement, but I have tackled a few of those items on my project list this week.

What I'm Working On

I have a thing for chairs I think. When I'm out thrifting, I seem to find so many odd chairs that I really like. Or when I am surfing the internet or reading decorating books, I seem to notice chairs and odd tables and save those ideas for later. I guess this has sort of been the summer of good finds for me because I have picked up chairs that I really like - more on that at another time. I have tackled our new-to-us chairs lately and am changing the seat covers so that all of them will match. 

A before between a couple of afters...

These are all dining chairs with a padded seat. So, it seemed like a quick and easy project. My hands and forearms beg to differ about that summary, though! At any rate, we have a total of 18 dining chairs with padded seats - some are upstairs and some downstairs. I have eleven of the fourteen upstairs done!

What I'm Loving

When we visited a couple of our grands this past week, they were working on their pear trees. They have a handful of trees near their chicken coop and their Dad had decided the trees needed trimming up some. So, they were gathering the pears off the branches and picking them up off the ground. Abby Lee handed me one an I just bit into it right there. It was firm and so juicy and delicious! She and Easton were going to give us more to take home but they had set a goal to fill up one of their bins on wheels. So, I suggested that they fill their bin first, then deliver a bag or bucket of them to us. 

Abby Lee and Stephen and a load of pear tree limbs.

We came home but my mind began wandering to what I might do with those pears when they are delivered. So, I found several recipes and saved them to give a try.

     

Gingerbread Pear Loaf

Autumn Pear Bread

Butterscotch Pears

Caramel and Pear Pudding

I suppose I could use some of my apple recipes and substitute pears as well. At any rate, searching through the recipe offerings has really made me start to think about fall even though the weather around here is still summer-like.

What I'm Watching

I didn't get a lot of reading time this week because I was working on projects a lot. So, I'm still working on the same books from last week. We did do some evening television watching, though. We got hooked on the Amazon Prime series, Bosch. 

Image from Amazon

It is definitely an adult show with lots of violence and strong language. There were times when I even jumped and gasped while sitting on the couch and there were times when I had to look away because it was pretty graphic. We did get into the crime solving and had some lively discussions about the corruptness that the show brought out. Mike and I tend to try to find something that we can watch together besides sports and this one captured our brains a little bit. We've finished all the seasons and even the reframing, Bosch: Legacy.

Image from Amazon

If you are a police show buff, it is a good one but be ready for the adult nature of the subject matter.

Well, that's just three things that have been a part of our world lately. I hope you have had at least three meaningful things in your world as well!