Rest assured, dear reader, I am not going there. Not in this blog. Maybe tomorrow's blog, because I'm seeing the dermatologist in one hour and 15 minutes. For the first time in many moons. Please, those of you who are righteously and dermatologically enabled, who seek out the dermatologist at every full moon, please please resist scolding.
The stripping I am referring to at this moment is stripping a table top, or should I say the leaf of a table, which Louise and I bought while we were living in Minnesota. It is a family heirloom of sorts, which be bought at the odds and ends room of Gabbert's Furniture. We had bought a new home, which had a large dining room, and knowing full well that we could not afford a dining table, we went shopping. That's just our foolish way. Gabberts has a room of slightly damaged furniture, and Louise headed in there while I headed for the bathroom. I came out to see Louise with her upper body and arms literally spread over the surface of this Henredon table, a table that would retail for as much as we made in two or three months. The price on this table, however, was $99. I looked underneath to find that one of the blocks holding a leg in place had split, and that a couple of bolts would put it right. The men who delivered the table offered us $300, which we declined, knowing that the universe had bestowed grace on two energetic if foolish people.
But now the surface of the talbe has worn a bit. Louise undertook to strip the main surface but needed additional work on a leaf before the advent of Thanksgiving, sometimes now mistaken for pre-Christmas. Last night I got more stripper (you know what I mean, so stop it), a brush, and other paraphernalia used for stripping. And strip I did for the last two hours. Is it perfect? Probably not quite. But it's almost perfect, and so it sits in the garage awaiting its invitation to the table.
It will be covered with Louise's finery while General Custer, my small contribution, greets the guests at the door. He, of course, will be a dead duck with no real prospects for a turkey dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. Tell us about your plans. Please. Enquiring minds want to know.
Bob and I stripped a dresser, head board and bed frame before we were married. I have stripped bookshelves and chairs since. It's a good feeling to repurpose isn't it? You probably know this by now how sanding makes the difference. I look forward to seeing a picture of your table. I love Custer too.
ReplyDeleteCanadians celebrate Thanksgiving in early October after the harvest. With the influx of American retailers, we are noticing more Black Friday sales.
My parents have come to Houston this Thanksgiving... last time was 5, 6 or more years ago. I have three sisters living here as well now. We will all (40 something of us) cram into my sister's new house in Conroe and attempt a traditional Thanksgiving dinner interrupted by many untraditional Armenian dishes and the irreverence of my boisterous family. I am looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteI am going to my parents' house with my family. After Thanksgiving dinner is over, my parents want help moving the old pedestal table - one of two tables the group will eat at on Thanksgiving Day - to the garage, where it will soon be painted, then given to me.
ReplyDeleteWe will eat traditional turkey dinner and probably ask my mom if she put sugar in this year's pumpkin pie. She has forgotten to do that a couple of times, but is actually a really great pie maker.
Well as it is not a holiday in Sweden it is just a normal Thursday for us having sauerkraut stew for dinner but on Saturday we are going to do a little two person Thanksgiving having chicken breast instead of turkey but either way it will be fun!
ReplyDeleteThe close proximity of 'stripper,' 'brush,' 'paraphernalia,' and 'stripping' is maddeningly funny. Aside from the General Custer painting, it's my favorite part. And your story of the talents.
ReplyDeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you, Tom. And to all the rest at your table.