Projects

I have always had a lot of projects in process and imagined projects. Chairs to be refinished, sewing projects, crafts, paper making. I love both making things and imagining making things. On bad days, the beloved will say that I do not finish projects; on horrible days, I will agree with her. When we moved, I abandoned some projects, leaving the raw materials at the side of the road: an antique mirror that I thought could be reframed beautifully, a stool that I wanted to paint. In June and August of last year, I could not imagine making things for a home.

At precisely that moment, the beloved stepped up and did a beautiful project. In the basement of my parents home was an outdoor loveseat that had sat in the laundry room ever since I was a child. Usually it was covered with dirty clothes or boxes of stuff. The cushions were plastic and from the 1970s. It was originally cream. It is sturdy. Solid. I have always liked it. In June, when we cleaned out the basement, the beloved brought it out to the back patio in Saginaw. She knew it could be a fun place to sit on summer evenings in Michigan. She knew it could be  patio piece for our new home. She loved it into being. She painted it green, bought new cushions. It is beautiful. I have sat on it many mornings drinking coffee, watching the sun rise, watching the dogs romp in our yard.

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Today, for the first time in a long time, I did my own project. When we first set up the lanai, we needed side tables for morning coffee and afternoon ice teas. We had an old white wicker stool and a small metal table from the beloved’s childhood home. They were both worn. I knew fresh pain would make them beautiful and tie the room together. Today I spray painted them both. We are pleased with the results.

Doing the project was great. I remember what our life was like before. I am thinking about what new projects I might cook up. What projects are you doing?

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The white wicker stool is now green.

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The black side table has been freshened up with a coat of shiny black paint.

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