We've all heard about the biological clock of women (I have been frightened by its alarm a time or two, but 'snooze' button prevailed), but I think my sinuses have one of their own. When late-December rolls around, I get sick. It doesn't seem to matter what life's circumstances are either. This past December offered no exception, but I am finally feeling alive again. It's a terrible time to feel ill, and it's a terrible way to start a new year.
I didn't do too much thinking while sick, but a random thought did occur to me one day in between naps (I hope I haven't written about it before now). I typically don't care what other people think, but when it comes to the furniture I renew, I care a lot. Perhaps too much. When someone buys a piece from me, I feel connected to that person. To them, they are just buying a piece of furniture they like. To me, they are buying something that was a part of me for a brief time. Sure it's a tangible piece that means nothing in the grand scheme of life, but there is a ton of thought and effort that is put forth before and during the process.
My imagination and naivete kept running, and I blamed it on the cold medicine. I started thinking about how all those pieces are being used. I wondered about a desk bought for a child. Maybe that little kid doing homework on it grows up to make some sort of monumental discovery. Maybe a china cabinet that holds the dinnerware on which a generation of Thanksgiving meals are served. A coffee table that, at the time seemed more mistake than art, provides a resting place for cold beers after a day on a Florida beach. A symbol of my work will live in these houses for a long time, and I love that feeling.
I typically request photos from the people who buy my pieces because I like to see how the furniture looks in their homes. Here are a few, though some more recent than others:
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| Little Dining Table (and I was worried about my own cat's hair) |
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| Painted Cedar Chest at Vacation Home |
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| Desk Bought for Granddaughter |
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| Coffee Table at Vacation Home |
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| Nighstands and....... |
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| .......chest of drawers at Vacation Home |
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| Love-letter dresser in Bedroom |
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| China Hutch in Dining Area |
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| Mirror, but the back story is funny... |
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....Target parking lot was full, so met her in front
of Asian massage parlor next door |
Satisfaction and fulfillment comes in many forms within many circumstances, though I can't imagine myself feeling it any more strongly than when someone else loves and appreciates something that I produced.
