In 1975, we built a large addition onto the kitchen in the Calhoun Street house. I ordered an unfinished pine trestle table from Penney’s catalog. I think it was about $100. I stained it dark to match the woodwork in the kitchen. That table hosted thousands of family meals, hundreds of homework assignments and craft projects, papers to grade, birthday cakes, coffee with Butch and neighbors, and planning discussions.
The photo shows a makeup party Katy had for her birthday when she was about in third grade. Many of the discussions at our family meals dissolved into what the boys named and numbered Pointless Arguments. For example, one that stands out, and was maybe designated Pointless Argument #37: Would you rather freeze to death or boil to death?
The photo shows a makeup party Katy had for her birthday when she was about in third grade. Many of the discussions at our family meals dissolved into what the boys named and numbered Pointless Arguments. For example, one that stands out, and was maybe designated Pointless Argument #37: Would you rather freeze to death or boil to death?
In 1997, we built a new house in the country with an eating bar as part of the kitchen so we relegated the trestle table to the screen porch. I painted the base green and refinished the top natural. The porch had lovely views of the pond, creek, and woods beyond and was a delightful place for morning coffee and evening meals.
Then twenty years ago, we moved to this house and the enclosed front porch was a natural place for that table. We enjoyed eating supper out there so Butch could keep tabs on the occasional traffic on Highway 6. It became the Kid's Table for holiday gatherings--it easily holds all eight of the grandchildren.
Last year about this time, I sold the dining room set we had bought for the house in the country, because it was so large with heavy chairs. I brought the old trestle table in to the dining room. It needed refinishing but I procrastinated until now. This last week, I stripped and sanded the top and painted the base and chairs a rusty red. We will christen it this evening when my sister Gretchen and her husband arrive from Georgia. Andy will join us and there could very well be some pointless arguments.
I was finally motivated to rehab the table because of plans for new life for some other old stuff--namely me. I plan to put the house on the market this spring and move to an apartment in the Quad Cities. There are several reasons; I should have done this a couple of years ago. The care and maintenance of this house is more than I want to deal with at 81. And I certainly don't need the room. It will be closer to Andy; he actually works in the Quad Cities and lives forty minutes away. It will be close enough to easily come back here for visits. I'm also eager to more actively participate in the Midwest Writing Center in Rock island. I have been a member for several years but not taken advantage of their many programs, including regular critique groups. It will be a new life.
I was finally motivated to rehab the table because of plans for new life for some other old stuff--namely me. I plan to put the house on the market this spring and move to an apartment in the Quad Cities. There are several reasons; I should have done this a couple of years ago. The care and maintenance of this house is more than I want to deal with at 81. And I certainly don't need the room. It will be closer to Andy; he actually works in the Quad Cities and lives forty minutes away. It will be close enough to easily come back here for visits. I'm also eager to more actively participate in the Midwest Writing Center in Rock island. I have been a member for several years but not taken advantage of their many programs, including regular critique groups. It will be a new life.
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