chair

A friend of Dale's wanted to do something for us for a housewarming gift... and Dale mentioned this old rocking chair that has been in my family for four or five generations.    It's one of few I've ever seen with a flat back - most have rungs - and it's got short rockers and a small frame.  Fits us very well.  But over the years, the varnish started coming off and sticking to everything, so Mom decided to sand it.  She never finished the job.  Then it sat in storage when she moved and she worried something would happen to it.  So she gave it to me to store in our garage a few years ago.  I went out one day and discovered that there was water all around it!  I brought it inside and placed it in our storage room, thinking THERE it should be safe.  It wasn't.  Unbeknownst to us, the roof leaked - right over the chair.  I discovered this shortly after a huge rain storm.  By then it had deteriorated even more and one of the seat's seams had split, so it was not only wobbly, but completely unsafe to sit on.  (If not for humans, then for the chair's sake.)  As we moved it to our new house, I realized it might juts be its last move.

Dale's friend said, "Bring it over, I'll take a look.  I might be able to fix it."  I was skeptical, but Dale assured me that the dude does nice stuff and would be careful with the chair if nothing else.  So, I handed it over with a wistful sigh, hoping with low hopes that it could be restored.  I told the guy that it's antique, but not worth any money because of its condition.  My primary focus was, therefore, to get it restored to a functional condition, even if he had to add extra support.  He could sand it down, too, if he wanted, but I'd be happy to refinish it.  I didn't expect to see it before winter.

A month ago, the guy sent us pictures of the chair, completely disassembled and stripped of its original varnish as best as I recall.  I thought, "Zheezh, this guy means business!!"

Then last night, Dale says, "Want to go look at your chair?"  I'm like, "What?  Sure!!"  We walk in, and Dale sits on their couch.  I go to sit next to him and the guy says, "Why don't you sit over there in that chair."  I glance over and see a beautiful rocking chair with a nice reddish knitted blankie draped over its back.  I thought, "Wow, that's a nice rocker.  Wait.  Wow, they have one a lot like mine!!"  I looked a bit closer and saw this flat back.  "A LOT like mine."  Then I got suspicious so I peered around the side to discover the old crack in the post.  "Hey!!" I exclaimed.  "This... this is it!!"  Him and his wife laughed and seemed pleased at my reaction as I looked it over, amazed by the transformation.  I told them that it's amazing, but the stain he'd chosen actually threw me, too, because I could swear it was the same colour as the original varnish, but it had been so long since I'd really seen it... he said, "Oh, take a look at the bottom.  I left the original varnish there because it was in such good shape."  So I did.  He'd used that to match the rest of the chair.  It WAS the same colour!!

The wife explained to us, too, that the blanket was ours.  She'd gotten into a knitting mood and made it for us, and tried to use a colour that complemented the chair.  I couldn't believe their generosity.  They wouldn't take any money for any of it, either.  I don't understand why we're so blessed when so much of the world is in such a state of disarray.  I mean, I'm happy, but it still seems so unfair.

Nonetheless, it was so nice to sit in that chair again.  We've since brought it home and put it in our kitchen.  There was a corner that needed something, and it fits nicely.  I left my camera at work, but plan to take a picture of it and send it to Mom.  She won't believe it!!