table talk

I know the expression is "if these walls could talk" but I think the same could be said of tables... after all, so much happens around the dining table -- family meals, serious discussions, celebrations, game playing ... life!

Last year our cabin neighbours generously offered us a large old wooden pedestal table because they thought we might want to turn it into something else... they know us well! This week I finally started working on it, stripping off the old layers of stain.

And while this table would tell stories of another family's history and adventures, the process of restoring it reminds me of My Guy's mother (who introduced me to furniture restoration long ago) and my own dad (who instilled in me a great love and respect for anything made of wood). Rather than wiping away the dints, marks and history placed there by the table's previous owners, I kind of think I'm just adding to the story and preparing the surface for more layers of experiences.  

Meanwhile, the dog seems a little skeptical about the wisdom of me taking on yet another project right now, but she has been my trusty sidekick through the first stages of the project anyway.

What can I say? It's January! If ever there was a time when optimism for starting new things is high, this is it!