A Chair for Me

So after thinking about this idea many times over the years, I'm actually doing it.

What started as a reoccurrence of an old idea bouncing around in my head...took root and started to grow.

Let me tell you a little more...

I've been interested in upholstering old furniture to make it usable again, new again.  But the details always got in the way.  I had inherited an old antique rocker of my grandfathers several years ago that was in crazy bad shape when you considered the fabric and cushion, but was in crazy good shape when you looked at the beautiful wooden frame.  I wanted to refurbish this and checked out some books at the library...and reflectively considered the chair.  Read through a few of the books....reflectively considered the chair, again.  And thought about tearing that chair apart and building it up from scratch...and started looking up upholsterers in the phone book.

It was too much responsibility.  I mean this was my grandfather's chair!!  If it was to be ruined, I didn't want to be the one to ruin it!  I wanted it to be a piece of furniture I could sit in and enjoy once more.  So I paid for it to be done and it turned out beautifully.  I don't regret that choice.

I've had other moments when I've wanted to try my hand at this, but that takes space and time...lots of time, if I read the books correctly.

So as this idea surfaced once more, a few things had changed.

Primarily, I have gobs of time.  That reason just got knocked out of the excuse ballpark!  I officially received my visitors status last week since my total stay is extending over the generic 6 month time frame.  So I'm here as a visitor until we hear something back from the permanent resident application.  But being a visitor doesn't really change anything.  It doesn't permit me to obtain employment, or travel back and forth across the border.

And as I considered the future, I realized I wanted to have more of a purpose over the next months.  The winter was fine,  I got in a lot of reading, housecleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking but I wanted to think about the upcoming months in a different way.  And as this idea of refinishing furniture came up, there was something else different:  My own personal cheerleader.

As Nate heard me thinking out loud, his response was: "I think that's a great idea!"  And got behind me all the way.

So after looking at a few Kijiji ads (Canada's version of Craigslist)  in the area, I found this:

and I thought, "Perfect."

This chair has become my learning project.  It's now been stripped down to the frame, and upon finding loose joints, disassembled completely.  My next step is to re-glue and strengthen the structure before embarking on the rest of the journey of putting it back together.

Will this pilot project be a success?

I don't know.

But I believe it will satisfy my need to pursue an untapped interest.
And if it becomes a completed piece I'll show you how it turns out.

Walking more, Grumbling less

I've detected some subtle changes in myself.  It has a bit to do with what I do, but more importantly in what I don't do.  For example, I don't think about how crazy it seems to walk places now.  (Unless it is far.  Then I still very much think about it and groan about it.  What can I say?  I'm lazy at heart.)

I think part of that shift has come from only having one car.  

Our car behind us: Jenna the Jetta was with us for the first 2 years of marriage

Ever since we have been married we had one car.  But in those first two years, it was basically my car.  It was the car I had when I was single and stayed with us once we married.  Nate's car before we were married was older and we decided to consolidate to just mine to save on expenses/insurance etc.  And actually as I remember it, Nate mostly decided and mentioned it to me, and while it surprised me at first, it did make good sense to me and I was on board.  But in all fairness, I don't think I would have ever come up with that idea on my own.   As it was I needed my car for work and had complete priority in usage and we lived on the campus where Nate was doing his schooling.  So he really didn't need the car for 90% of his activities.  He walked to class and to meetings on campus.  If he had meetings off campus, we still had the motorcycle, which was available to Nate a good portion of the year or he could often find a ride.  This arrangement worked quite well for us.

Our backup and favorite past time together: Myrtle the Motorcycle

After we sold the Jetta (and motorcycle for that matter) we were carless for a number of months before we realized we were staying in North America and needed to acquire another set of wheels since we had sold the last set!  In that time without a car we had access to borrowing Nate's parents car when they weren't using it, or walk.

Our newest addition: Alex the Accord

Now that we are back to having a car...the tables have reversed on our original arrangement.  Now Nate is working full time and needs the car to get to the shop, and we live close enough to the center of town that I walk to get to places I need to go.  Dentist appointment, hair appointment, coffee with a friend, shopping for a gift...it's all accessible by foot.  Fifteen minutes to just under and hour on foot to get somewhere doesn't faze me anymore.  

I think there are a two main reasons for that.

Cultural norms...  

Way more people walk to get around.  You see people walking with dogs, kids, and on their own.  People also have to pay to park most anywhere during the Monday through Friday work week in the center of town, whether on the street or in a parking lot.  It's not too expensive, but still, you have to pay.  That was strange to me coming here.  I also thought it puzzling there were no bank drive-thru's in town.  To do any banking you have to park and go into the bank...even for the ATM.  This seems to be the norm most places.  And at least here...there are limited drive thru's for food as well.  But never fear! McDonalds does.  But it's the new norm, and I don't think about it any more.

Time...

I think time has been the other big component in transitioning to walking more.  Since I am unable to freely work for the time being.  I have a lot more time in my day.  I don't have to constantly calculate how much time I think it will take to get somewhere (unless it is a scheduled appointment, but even then I don't have to worry about getting back at a certain time), how much time I might take at each stop, and then how much time it will take to get back.  Because I did home visiting for work for about 6 years, that became so ingrained in my processing.  All I did was schedule appointments and calculate drive times to try to fit everything into my day without loosing valuable time.  

I've enjoyed the perks of being on foot (most of the time).  Being able to really see store front windows and pop into shops to see what it's like.  Last summer you could also stumble upon a veggie vender selling some produce.  These are the things you can't really absorb through a car window.

We will see what the next chapter might bring, but I'll let you in on a little secret:  My hope is we can remain a one car family.

Mini-move

We have moved again.  Or moved back in...again.  Whatever you want to call it or consider it, we are back in my in-laws basement.  They've received us back gracefully and with welcome (thankfully!).

The total of our winter house-sitting stint was almost 5 months.  If you want to be exact: 4 months and 3 weeks.  It really was so great to kind of reach a sense of equilibrium over those months.  While it wasn't ours per say, it did give us a sense of "home" and stability in this very uncertain time.  When we had some friends visiting us recently, they asked,

"Is it strange to be cooking in someone else's kitchen and living in someone else's home?"

We had been living there for about 4 months at the time and I knew the layout of the kitchen and home so well by then, I didn't have to think about where to find things etc.

So I imagine I had a bit of a blank look on my face and it took a few seconds for me to respond,

"Not really, it does just feel like our home.  But when I think about when we first moved in, I guess it did take some adjustment."


We moved back in with the in-laws on Sunday afternoon and on Monday late morning, the in-laws left for a 5 day vacation with another couple.  So it worked out well that I'm around to take care of the dog, mail and plants.  And it gives us a bit of a chance to get our bearings again.  And it doesn't hurt that the vacation crew took the other couples vehicle so we have an extra car at my disposal.  I've taken advantage of that a few times this week.

Sadly for the dog and myself, the weather has been crummy.  Rain, rain, and more rain.  Every day this week.  So we've only gotten in short walks and lots of throwing doggy toys around the house to work off some of the dog's energy!

But for the time being I hear the dog snoring in the dining room and I'm thinking to myself, is there anything better to do on a cold, rainy afternoon?  Perhaps I will cozy up on the couch and have a bit of a nap myself...or better yet, a warm cup of hot chocolate and book.  Or best yet...both!

Just not at the same time.  That could get messy.

Here's hoping the sun is shining wherever you are.