Because our anniversary falls so close to my birthday, we decided a few years ago that the only way we would remember to celebrate it annually is to buy something we both like for the home.  We’ve never gone big, but at least there is a little story behind those few pieces we picked up.  This year came and went without celebrating or shopping.  But I kept thinking, I really should have picked up something—even if he wasn’t around to help me choose.

Well, my chance came when I started looking for a kitchen table on Craigslist the other night.  We will be moving soon and will need a table and chairs. Somehow these things were supplied in all of the last four places we’ve rented.  Come to think of it, we have NEVER owned a proper table.  I remember shortly before leaving England, I had a dream about a beautiful French Farmhouse table and later telling Vernon that it seemed like a symbol of wanting to settle down somewhere finally.  You can’t easily send tables back and forth across the ocean.  Ever since then, we’ve kept our eyes out for tables and enjoyed pointing them out to each other, but we never bought one. We haven’t needed one.

We will be downsizing this time so I thought a round table would fit the space best.  I couldn’t believe my luck when I found this amazing 1960’s table with five chairs! Its the coolest set I’ve ever seen and matches our other furniture perfectly! Definitely something to settle down with.  After the other good things coming to pass this month, I could barely believe I’d ALSO get to have this special dining set for such a great price.  Merry Christmas, indeed! And Happy Anniversary, while we are at it!

I was advised beforehand that there were a lot of scratches and wear, the chairs need to be reupholstered, and one doesn’t even have a seat. But I’m sure they can be fixed up. Vernon was in the furniture restoration business for awhile, after all. I mentioned all this to him today and he offered to restore them.  Hmmm…its awfully tempting to let him try.  But we may need to sit on the chairs before he is able to do it.

I was kind of nervous we wouldn’t actually get the furniture (because others were apparently interested too) so I got over there at the seller’s earliest convenience.  It turned out she was only 10 minutes away, and everything JUST fit into the  granny-wagon (Vernon and Maki’s name for my car.) In fact, we couldn’t have squeezed another thing in.  I’m always looking for signs, and this just seemed meant to be.

So Happy Anniversary to us.  A little late, but what perfect timing!

“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” —Albert Einstein

Well, I’d say three out of four ain’t bad.

(not our house…these are photos from the ad)

One more thing I want to mention so I don’t forget.  Today, as Vernon was sitting at the lunchtime table, trying his three nibbles of chicken and rice, he kept calling it “Dogfood” and the nurse helping him, the “Director of Dogfood,”  I knew he still doesn’t have much appetite or interest in eating, but that did seem a little harsh. It was funny though.