One Thing at a Time

I’ve been ruminating for awhile about some repairs to my home as I think more and more about retiring from my day job in a few years.  So I wrote a list – a wish list mixed with a practical list to see if I can start working through some daunting projects.  But I immediately became overwhelmed.  But as I looked at all the items on the list I suddenly remembered something my mother used to tell me when I had a big and scary school project:  do just one thing at a time and finish it completely.   So as I considered that massive list, I thought about my favorite chair and how I’ve been longing to see it fixed to perfection again.

My sister inherited a pretty ladies chair from our grandparents, kept it a few years, and then generously passed it on to me whereupon I’ve been using it for my desk chair.  Although it came to me with a few deep chips in its forest-green paint, its rush seat was all but disintegrated helped along by our old family cat.  With my mother’s advice in mind, I decided I wanted this lovely antique chair brought back to its original glory and realized that if I pulled it off, it might actually motivate  me to tackle some of the more difficult tasks on the list.  And I would have one true and perfect thing in the house to enjoy.

First I looked for a rush-seat maker but there were none in my state.  So I thought I would have it caned instead.  There are artisans nearby who cane but they have waiting lists of 3 years or more.  Not wanting to get on a list like that, I decided to have an upholstered seat made instead and found a woman with a charming shop right in my town.  With her unerring eye, we quickly selected a colonial style crewelwork pattern with real fringe trim in the design.  After the seat was completed a few weeks later, I cleaned the chair and then matched its green stain at the hardware store.  I spent a happy afternoon touching up all the chips and when I was finished, polished it all with a soft cloth.  Lastly, I bought small matching casters for the legs so the chair would glide easily over the carpet under my desk.  It’s lovely and has given me a lot of joy when I glance over at it or actually sit on to write out a bill or a note.  It’s funny how just one pluperfect thing in the house can make such a refined difference in everything.  I don’t know why I waited so long…

But even better, I’m now looking at my home repair list with renewed eyes – it just doesn’t seem as daunting anymore.  My mother was absolutely right when she told me to break my old school projects down into small parts and do just one thing at a time.  Somehow, it makes one feel stronger and more capable.  Small victories add up and I now have my feminine and beautiful green chair to remind me to carry on.  And carry on I will – I just called the replacement window man.  He’s coming out today…

PS:  Blog news – I am still tweaking my space here so thank you for bearing with me.  Some things are very different and some are practically the same.  The important thing to me is that my posts are now safe.  I worked with a warm and very competent web designer name Rene McDaniel.  She was terrific so let me know if you need help with your site.  Rena is responsive, understanding, and well, just very nice.  And I have to give credit to Elizabeth of The Vintage Contessa fame who introduced me to Rena.  I’ve been reading the Contessa for years and not too long ago when she traveled to my state, I helped her find one of her very own descendants.  She thanked me in person with a refreshing glass of wine at her hotel that night.  She is a true Contessa who shares her life, her stories and the secrets from her black book.  Thank you Rena and Elizabeth!

https://thevintagecontessa.net/

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