Our kitchen table was so worn out. Years ago I made the mistake of spray painting it white- long before I understood the proper way to do that. Along with the chairs. As it chipped away, I rolled white paint over that. Again, not doing any sanding or prep work before hand. It seemed screws and bolts were dropping constantly under the table, leaving one chair more wobbly than the next. As the pieces would chip and get scratched and so dirty, I'd scrub as best I could. A few chairs made their way to the dumpster. The kids continued to pound, scratch and do all sorts of staining crafts at this table. Which is exactly what they are supposed to do!
I remember buying the set when we were engaged and it was perfect for the two of us in our little nook in our apartment. All nice things eventually come to an end in the Geertsen house, however. I started looking for tables and chairs, to no luck! I did not want to have a painted table again. The problem I found in my hunting is that it has to be on the smaller side so it fits with the chairs in our tiny nook. A nook we bumped out a bit when building, but I've learned you really can't have enough room around a dining table. I'd find a table I liked, but it was usually too wide or too long. I started looking at D.I. and on KSL, frustrated I can't seem to ever find exactly what I need, I always have to alter, and it gets tiring! I found one on the latter, barely listed and the exact measurements of mine. It was just the table for sale (no chairs) and in the too-dark picture it looked like a nice dark stain I could work with. And it was in Provo! I texted the gal and she got right back to me. I asked her if she'd take $50 less (no hurt in asking, I thought- Mainly because I happened to have exactly that amount of cash on hand, and I didn't want to have to run to the bank) It worked, she texted back, "Sure!" It made me wish I'd gone lower.
I grabbed Adren and partly because of me and my dumbbell lack of direction skills and partly because this girls lack of instructions, we drove all over a newly developed neighborhood, finally finding the house. It was a newly built, darling white house. As we approached the door I realized I looked pretty frumpy from painting earlier in the day and cleaning the garage. A very young looking tiny blonde gal in an exercise outfit holding the worlds even tiniest dog answered the door. She was very chipper with her glowing white teeth and crazy long eyelash extensions. I could see wedding photos sitting around unpacked boxes. She said they were just moving in and she realized this table would not work in her new space. I could see it definitely did not fit in the all-white-and-brushed gold-everywhere glam look that was going on. I looked the table over, and it seemed fine, so I gave her the wad of bills and Adren and I each took a side and clumsily started making our way out. It was all very awkward. It was seriously the heaviest thing, and I was trying not to ding up her spic and span walls while shimmying past a spanking new, very mod emerald green velvet couch.
Somehow we made it out on the porch and she quickly shut the door and I heard the dead bolt click. Ha! Adren and I then spent the next thirty minutes- not even joking- trying to get that thing in the van. We tried laying the seats down and going through the trunk. We tried it upside down going through the side doors. It was so heavy. Finally I told Adren we'd just have to call Dad to come rescue us with his truck, but Adren was so insistent that we could do this! I pictured little blondie inside, rolling her eyes and filming the whole thing to show at her next dinner party on her brand new glam table. We finally got it wedged in and the doors to shut somehow, I don't even know.
By the way- when Jon and I dropped our old table and chairs to DI the guy had to go ask if they could even take it. I wondered at that moment, Why are we even bothering taking it here??? DUH.
When Adren and I got the table placed in the nook, the color of that dark wood was so off. Way too red. I knew I'd be sanding it down and re-staining. And the new chairs I'd bought wouldn't tuck in all the way on the ends because of the legs. So I knew I'd be replacing those. Sigh. Why does everything have to be so complicated? And the whole time I couldn't shake that darling, perfect, new, white house and mine just seemed as dingy as could be. I tried to comfort myself: "She's going to regret decorating so trendy"...... "In sixteen years and so many kids later, she's going to be in my same boat, wanting new everything"..... I know, so dumb and petty.
Just when I was feeling in a little funk, Daddy posted the most eloquently written post on TAYLOR TIMES that brought me back to where I needed to be. It was regarding this beautiful water color Shafer had painted for Mommy and Daddy for Christmas. It's a picture of 1858- how we all remember it in our hearts. Home. I look at that painting, and suddenly I am running inside from playing with friends, I'm walking up the street from the bus stop, I'm riding my bike around it or roller skating the day away. I'm running inside to ask Mommy something- who was always around, or grab a bite to eat so I can keep on playing. Christmases, birthdays, family home evenings, Shafer and Cade being brought home from the hospital, first kiss from Jon on the front porch, sleepovers with friends in the back yard, water fights, driving up the street in the blue station wagon, visits from Grandma Taylor or Granny and Grandpa Woolf, laying on the lawn on summer nights, pulling weeds in the walkway, carving my initials on the sidewalk with rocks over and over so it would stay, jumping off the railroad ties into the pool on the driveway, four-square in the street, sledding for hours, getting my kite wrapped around the chimney, watering the lawn by hand~ memory after memory of my life. This house was perfect! And I know it drove Mommy and Daddy crazy and they wished they could do more with it. But, to me it was my whole world. It was full of love and everything good and important in the world. I imagine I'll be able to walk through it one day, exactly how it was. I was reminded, of course the experiences my children have in my home has nothing to do with my dingy floors or counter tops that need replacing. They could care less what the table looks like that we sit around as a family for meals and puzzles and games. None of this is affecting their happiness and contentment in their lives, just as that was not an important factor in my life at 1858.
It's so interesting to me how this realization affected me in this way at this time, and was exactly what I needed to pull me back to my place of joy and priorities. And you know what? I did sand and re-stain, and ordered new legs for that table- and while it looks a lot better, it's still not ideal. It's still an awkward space to move around and not my first choice. But it really doesn't matter. It's fiiiiiine.
Shafer's watercolor of 1858:
Ray Taylor Well done son, and very appropriate. I of course would have wanted a mansion for my family, but if there is a geographical location or other type of residence that could have produced the same six fabulous, wonderful, good looking, spiritual, kind, loving, genuine, authentic, fun loving, accomplished, and overall outstanding men and women that are and will make a huge difference in this world I am at a total loss to find it. Wow, I may have just written one of the longest sentences of my life but I get very emotional and giddy with excitement and love whenever I think of any of you or anything like the house I built for us at Westcom so many years ago.
Building or purchasing a house for your family is such a big deal at the time for you and your spouse, but it is so insignificant compared to what happens inside and what the physical space produces after that short time passes that sometimes feels like 5 minutes now.
God bless you all for the happiness and fulfillment you bring to your mother and I and continue to do so every day with your wonderful spouses. Thank you and love to all. Pops
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| I really don't have a decent picture of it. Why would I? If you look close though, you can see how loved on it's been. |
I grabbed Adren and partly because of me and my dumbbell lack of direction skills and partly because this girls lack of instructions, we drove all over a newly developed neighborhood, finally finding the house. It was a newly built, darling white house. As we approached the door I realized I looked pretty frumpy from painting earlier in the day and cleaning the garage. A very young looking tiny blonde gal in an exercise outfit holding the worlds even tiniest dog answered the door. She was very chipper with her glowing white teeth and crazy long eyelash extensions. I could see wedding photos sitting around unpacked boxes. She said they were just moving in and she realized this table would not work in her new space. I could see it definitely did not fit in the all-white-and-brushed gold-everywhere glam look that was going on. I looked the table over, and it seemed fine, so I gave her the wad of bills and Adren and I each took a side and clumsily started making our way out. It was all very awkward. It was seriously the heaviest thing, and I was trying not to ding up her spic and span walls while shimmying past a spanking new, very mod emerald green velvet couch.
Somehow we made it out on the porch and she quickly shut the door and I heard the dead bolt click. Ha! Adren and I then spent the next thirty minutes- not even joking- trying to get that thing in the van. We tried laying the seats down and going through the trunk. We tried it upside down going through the side doors. It was so heavy. Finally I told Adren we'd just have to call Dad to come rescue us with his truck, but Adren was so insistent that we could do this! I pictured little blondie inside, rolling her eyes and filming the whole thing to show at her next dinner party on her brand new glam table. We finally got it wedged in and the doors to shut somehow, I don't even know.
By the way- when Jon and I dropped our old table and chairs to DI the guy had to go ask if they could even take it. I wondered at that moment, Why are we even bothering taking it here??? DUH.
When Adren and I got the table placed in the nook, the color of that dark wood was so off. Way too red. I knew I'd be sanding it down and re-staining. And the new chairs I'd bought wouldn't tuck in all the way on the ends because of the legs. So I knew I'd be replacing those. Sigh. Why does everything have to be so complicated? And the whole time I couldn't shake that darling, perfect, new, white house and mine just seemed as dingy as could be. I tried to comfort myself: "She's going to regret decorating so trendy"...... "In sixteen years and so many kids later, she's going to be in my same boat, wanting new everything"..... I know, so dumb and petty.
Just when I was feeling in a little funk, Daddy posted the most eloquently written post on TAYLOR TIMES that brought me back to where I needed to be. It was regarding this beautiful water color Shafer had painted for Mommy and Daddy for Christmas. It's a picture of 1858- how we all remember it in our hearts. Home. I look at that painting, and suddenly I am running inside from playing with friends, I'm walking up the street from the bus stop, I'm riding my bike around it or roller skating the day away. I'm running inside to ask Mommy something- who was always around, or grab a bite to eat so I can keep on playing. Christmases, birthdays, family home evenings, Shafer and Cade being brought home from the hospital, first kiss from Jon on the front porch, sleepovers with friends in the back yard, water fights, driving up the street in the blue station wagon, visits from Grandma Taylor or Granny and Grandpa Woolf, laying on the lawn on summer nights, pulling weeds in the walkway, carving my initials on the sidewalk with rocks over and over so it would stay, jumping off the railroad ties into the pool on the driveway, four-square in the street, sledding for hours, getting my kite wrapped around the chimney, watering the lawn by hand~ memory after memory of my life. This house was perfect! And I know it drove Mommy and Daddy crazy and they wished they could do more with it. But, to me it was my whole world. It was full of love and everything good and important in the world. I imagine I'll be able to walk through it one day, exactly how it was. I was reminded, of course the experiences my children have in my home has nothing to do with my dingy floors or counter tops that need replacing. They could care less what the table looks like that we sit around as a family for meals and puzzles and games. None of this is affecting their happiness and contentment in their lives, just as that was not an important factor in my life at 1858.
It's so interesting to me how this realization affected me in this way at this time, and was exactly what I needed to pull me back to my place of joy and priorities. And you know what? I did sand and re-stain, and ordered new legs for that table- and while it looks a lot better, it's still not ideal. It's still an awkward space to move around and not my first choice. But it really doesn't matter. It's fiiiiiine.
Ray Taylor Well done son, and very appropriate. I of course would have wanted a mansion for my family, but if there is a geographical location or other type of residence that could have produced the same six fabulous, wonderful, good looking, spiritual, kind, loving, genuine, authentic, fun loving, accomplished, and overall outstanding men and women that are and will make a huge difference in this world I am at a total loss to find it. Wow, I may have just written one of the longest sentences of my life but I get very emotional and giddy with excitement and love whenever I think of any of you or anything like the house I built for us at Westcom so many years ago.
Building or purchasing a house for your family is such a big deal at the time for you and your spouse, but it is so insignificant compared to what happens inside and what the physical space produces after that short time passes that sometimes feels like 5 minutes now.
God bless you all for the happiness and fulfillment you bring to your mother and I and continue to do so every day with your wonderful spouses. Thank you and love to all. Pops