“Was
the house what you expected when you drove up?” Hallie asked me.
“Yes,”
I said, “except for the proximity of the houses.” She nodded in agreement. The lots are small and the
houses set close to one another.
It’s
an old house, and I suppose I like it so well because it's the kind of house and neighborhood in which I grew up. The front
door opens into the living room, the bathroom serves everyone, the kitchen is
small but workable, and the yard offers possibilities. We had different values
when those houses were built.
Friday
it rained. Imagine that – it rained in Seattle! Mike gave me a card in
remembrance of our 39th wedding anniversary, noting that we were
celebrating with a road trip. Calculating that her brother Milo is already 36, Hallie
wondered how it would feel to have a child turn 40. “It won’t happen before we
celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary,” I replied.
Rain
couldn’t keep us from shopping, we agreed, so we enclosed the dogs in the
bathroom downstairs with their brand new dog rug and headed out. Hallie wanted
us to see her favorite store, Rejuvenation, which was indeed a treat,
especially if you like vintage accoutrements for the home.
Our
next stop was Pacific Fabrics, where I was proud of Hallie and Nick for immediately
agreeing upon upholstery fabric at $8.99/yd. on the sale table. An associate
told them that if they would bring in a pattern for the chair bottoms, staff would cut the foam to size with their special knife/saw. That would be
the next step.
Back
at the house, we let the dogs out of the bathroom, only to discover that Bess –
at least we think it’s Bess -- chewed holes in the brand new pet rug. I’m sure
it was retaliation. It’s a great rug, though, and I intend to mend it and then
maybe even make one, which I can do at a fraction of the price, I assure you. I just don't know what they used for the batting.
So,
after lunch, Mike left for an extensive hike with the dogs and Hallie started
on the chairs. The set of six consists of five armless chairs of the same size and
one slightly larger captain’s chair. She removed the old upholstery from the
captain’s chair and one of the regular chairs so that they would have patterns
for the foam. Meanwhile, I talked non-stop, updating her on family happenings.
When
we could see the old plywood chair bottoms, Nick decided that new ones were in
order. That would make the project more involved, but I agree that anything
worth doing is worth doing well. The old plywood was thin and bowed.
Mike
and the dogs were still out when we left for Pacific Fabrics, but through the
miracle of cell phone technology – and the miracle that he had his phone with
him – I was able to communicate our plans to him. He was just as happy to be hiking
instead of shopping.
Back
at Pacific Fabrics we found a knowledgeable associate who cut the foam and
imparted helpful tips for the reupholstering process. We also picked up plywood
to make the new chair bottoms.
After
supper, we measured the fabric into squares and cut it. Then we played a round
of “American Trivia,” the game that survived the winter in the ditch at the
farm. “I’m gonna suck at this,” muttered Nick, and indeed, he and I were the
losers. Mike won, which is sort of amazing. Of course, Mike enjoys sports, politics, and current
events. The wonder is that he remembers that stuff.
To
be continued . . .
[Photos: 1) Hallie and Nick's house is on the left. 2) Hallie and Nick's house is on the right. Many houses in this neighborhood are of similar construction, giving H+N the benefit of considering how others have remodeled. Both of these pictures show how close the houses are. 3) Bess and Nellie on their brand new dog rug. 4) Bess and Nellie in the back yard. 5) Bess sitting on Mike.]
1 comment:
Actually, Hallie won the game. I was ahead until the very last when she streaked by for the finish.
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