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!
Here is a peaceful picture of Lorrie with Tyler and Kenzie's dog, Gigi from Christmas. Notice how this dog is not only a lap dog (which Lorrie has always wanted), but there is an eerie familiarity with they way they are sleeping the same. (Check out head position, ear position, and nose direction.)
McCall Winter Carnival in Idaho is a wonderful event. We were lucky to have our friends with us to check out the snow sculptures (see the owl?) . . .
And we celebrated Peggy's birthday as she started a new year of going backward in time calculations.
And the fireworks! They shot them off from the beach, and we were about 100 yards away, looking straight up in the air. We saw the rockets go off as they ignited the fireworks, and then they exploded right over us. We were showered with the fireworks debris, including what looked like baseball skins or exploded tennis balls. It was a long and spectacular fireworks show. . .
The parade was attended by millions (maybe thousands) and was a fun spectator sport as they tossed candy, t-shirts, Frisbees, mardi gras beeds, (and more) to the crowd. Christina was a magnet for all things airborne, so we're glad she came.
With the Governor's budget cuts, the BSU Marching Band replaced their trip to Disneyland with the Winter Carnival.
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.