before picture
It's finally time to pull down my vintage desks from the attic. I've checked different sources--it's hard to tell exactly how old these are--everthing says 1900-1950. My parents bought three of these desks from someone else when I was four or five. One of my favorites pastimes was to play school. These were set up in the basement, and my dad mounted a little chalkboard on the wall, even. When they moved from their big house, I grabbed these. My sis has the other one. They're interesting to look at--one has an inkwell hole, the other does not, but they're exactly the same in all other ways, so I think they're the same age.
I took them over to Grandpa, after washing them down. I agonized over whether to take the old finish off, and you can see from the "before" pictures that they're pretty hacked. I went to an antique dealer, who told me that
sometimes the value of an item can be diminished when you refinish it, but on the other hand, no one will buy it when it's in such rough shape. So in the end, knowing I'll never sell these beauties, Grandpa took off just the old finish, leaving a gouge or two, so everything else pretty much as they were. The desks are absolutely solid, so no repair had to be made that way, other than to find two old bolts for one of the seats, which Grandpa just happened to have on hand. The "after" desks are absolutely beautiful. Originally, the back "striped" desk was my favorite, just because of the colors of the wood. But underneath the cracked, yellowed laquer of the plain desk--
was an incredibly beautiful grain. And it, too, has a bit of a striped effect, where the pieces of wood were joined together.
The desktops also have an awesome grain on them, although I would have never known had I not refinished them.
Here's a little chair I found at a yard sale this past summer. J & L had found an amazing mid-century modern dresser for $22 (see my earlier post (Mid Century Madness), and this little chair was marked $5. We offered $20 for the both, and our offer was immediately accepted with no hesitation. I pretty much know the age of the chair--I sat in one
exactly like this in first grade in 1964. Only my first grade chair wasn't as cool. I elected to refinish this, as well. First, Grandpa again worked his magic, taking off just the cracked, yellowed finish. He hit a few places on the frame, where the paint was chipped, and smoothed them. I spray painted the frame, from chipped gray to dazzling red.
I stained and polyurethaned (it that a verb?) the seat and back, again, revealing a gorgeous grain. I love the little silver feet, too. Though they don't match up in age, I'll use this chair behind the second desk.
And the result of all those years of playing school? I love to read, and was (and hopefully still am) very good at it. When Mrs. Anderson (my beloved first grade teacher who wore the fluffiest skirts EVER) needed to leave the classroom for whatever reason (it didn't happen often), she would call me up, and I would sit at her round table, in her chair, and listen to other kids read in reading circle. If only math would have been an easy!
before picture
I took them over to Grandpa, after washing them down. I agonized over whether to take the old finish off, and you can see from the "before" pictures that they're pretty hacked. I went to an antique dealer, who told me that sometimes the value of an item can be diminished when you refinish it, but on the other hand, no one will buy it when it's in such rough shape. So in the end, knowing I'll never sell these beauties, Grandpa took off just the old finish, leaving a gouge or two, so everything else pretty much as they were. The desks are absolutely solid, so no repair had to be made that way, other than to find two old bolts for one of the seats, which Grandpa just happened to have on hand. The "after" desks are absolutely beautiful. Originally, the back "striped" desk was my favorite, just because of the colors of the wood. But underneath the cracked, yellowed laquer of the plain desk--
was an incredibly beautiful grain. And it, too, has a bit of a striped effect, where the pieces of wood were joined together. 
The desktops also have an awesome grain on them, although I would have never known had I not refinished them. 
Here's a little chair I found at a yard sale this past summer. J & L had found an amazing mid-century modern dresser for $22 (see my earlier post (Mid Century Madness), and this little chair was marked $5. We offered $20 for the both, and our offer was immediately accepted with no hesitation. I pretty much know the age of the chair--I sat in one exactly like this in first grade in 1964. Only my first grade chair wasn't as cool. I elected to refinish this, as well. First, Grandpa again worked his magic, taking off just the cracked, yellowed finish. He hit a few places on the frame, where the paint was chipped, and smoothed them. I spray painted the frame, from chipped gray to dazzling red. 
I stained and polyurethaned (it that a verb?) the seat and back, again, revealing a gorgeous grain. I love the little silver feet, too. Though they don't match up in age, I'll use this chair behind the second desk. 
Sigh...gardening season is over for this year. It's a mixed sigh of happiness that I'm done, and sadness--no more fresh tomatoes, except for the few I've got in my kitchen, ripening. My main garden has been cleared out, had compost and manure added to it, and has been raked and tilled. I planted the garlic for next year last Saturday!
Here's K, Sunday afternoon, about 2pm on October 17. It's so nice out we're eating outside. The night before, we also dined outdoors in the dark at 7pm. It's about 70 degrees.
One little green strawberry, hoping it will be warm enough to turn red, and wishing little R could pick it!
There are still a few raspberries in the bramble!
We spent a fair amount of Saturday, unloading and wheelbarrowing 2 truckloads of horse manure onto the gardens. Actually, that's pretty unfair of me to say "we". It was K and Grandpa N that did all the dirty work. I just raked, once it was had been dumped into the gardens. After it was dumped and raked, K tilled it in. This is the side garden, where the tomatoes were, and where they'll probably be for one more year. The strawberries and the raspberries are also here.
Here is a gorgeous view of the pin oak, just turning yellow, in front of the burning bush, just turning red!
I've cut back the peony and the daylily, and dumped a load of you know what onto the flower gardens as well.
Here's a close up Jake the Tree, our white pine. The needles in the middle turn yellow and drop off, just leaving the green ones on the end for the winter. It's quite striking in all kinds of weather.
The roses and zinna are toast, but the mums are in full bloom!
Here's another view of the pin oak against the burning bush.
There trees are not in my garden, but I can see them from my porch. I like the green, red and orange all together in a line.
After a few weeks off, the roses are back!
The basil has been fabulous in spaghetti sauce and salad!
If only my gardening pal were here to eat the new berry-berries!
Red celebrity tomatoes, with plenty of green still to ripen!
Raspberries! There were more, but I confess, I ate them! 
Jalepeno peppers--awesome in salsa!
Butternut squash--not quite ready, but close!
Victoria grape tomatoes--perfect for popping in your mouth!
Grapes are close, too. They look great on one side, but the other is still green. A few more weeks ought to do it!
The zinnia are as tall, or taller than I am!
The new white peach tree had a single peach on it. We picked it tonight and ate it--it was delicious!
a little reesie hug is always worth it!
I love warm water in pools! This pool in McCall is easily (but rarely) 90 degrees. I love it! I love it! It's a rarity to see me with my head in the water, so I had a photo taken for posterity. Today, the outside temp was 64 degrees, but the water was toasty. I spent 2 1/2 hours in the pool!
Here's little R talking to "pa" (Grandpa) on the phone...she's finally graduated from just smiling and breathing hard, and actually saying something! Here's the conversation..."Ha (hi) Pa! (grandpa!) Ah uh u! (I love you!) Bah! (bye)"
This picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with phone calls, but those little feet are so adorable!