Got reaquainted with an old friend (hint...a piece of furniture)

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The other day my brother stopped by and wanted to borrow the truck. Asked him what for and he said he had a couch in his garage he was getting rid of, "you know, the one you used to have". I was amazed, surely it couldn't be the couch I bought 24 years ago? Yep, same one. Told him to bring it by, if it was still in good shape, I might be able to use it. Well, he came by and the old gal was still in great shape. Had him set it on the porch and then I proceeded to give her a good cleaning. As I was cleaning her up, a flood of memories came back. Bought the couch when I worked as an operator for the railroad. Had to go to a real small town to work and happened to see it in the front window of a small furniture store. Love at first site. I was so excited as this would be my first big purchase! I was only 20 at the time. As I was cleaning her up, I thought of how young and nieve I was then, how I would sleep on that couch when my daughter was first born and was sick, how many different moves the old couch made with us from place to place, just like a part of the family. No matter where we moved, it always seemed like home with some of my most loved pieces of furniture. Alas, as the years went by, I was the one who got fickle and wanted a "new and improved" version, though nothing was wrong with the old girl. Remembered feeling sad when I gave the couch to one of my other brothers, but hey, I had a new couch. Been through 2 or three since then, seems like the "new friends" were more fickle than me. Lost track of it over the years and almost forgot about it till the other day. The old girl cleaned up real well, not a blemish on her, although she sags in her seat here and there, (know the feeling)! We've both aged, although I think she has more gracefully! We've both come full circle, as I am back in the state I bought her and she is back home again. The dogs have taken a great liking to her and my now 21 year old daughter and I sit with an old friend once again.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 14, 2001

Answers

Annie:

Thank you! I no longer feel weird for having sentimental feelings towards a couch. Bought it in 1974 with a matching chair, coffee table and two end tables (they threw in two lamps) for something like $150 for a starter apartment. Kept it until 1999. It was getting a bit threadworn, and I listened to friends who said it was old and didn't match the current decor. Found a like-new hid-a-bed and chair at an estate auction and swapped them out. Well, it doesn't look like my old couch, it doesn't sit like my old couch and it really isn't anywhere as comfortable for those afternoon naps as my old couch. Plus, as a life-long bachelor, I had some very good times on that old couch. Yes, I do miss it.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), July 14, 2001.


Oh come on now, "Annie", we all know your heartwarming story is a hoax! You never had any such couch! In fact, you probably never had a piece of furniture in your life! Or a truck neither! Or even a brother! We are no fools here on this here homesteadin forum; cant put one over on us, by crackie!

Hey Sharon! Is that you again tryin to tweak our heartstrings and then throw em on the ground and stomp all over em? Shame shame on you girl...

Sorry, couldnt resist.........I think I'll leave now.....very possibly for good :)

Good cheer and stuff

-- Earthmama (earthmama48@yahoo.com), July 14, 2001.


Yeah, I had a couch and chair that I gave to my brother because they were out of style, and I needed to get a hideabed. Now he won't give them back! :-(

Hey, the sagging seat -- I have fixed a number of those in various ways. Depends on how the seat is supported. Flip the old girl over and check. One, with really saggy springs, my husband (long gone ex now) put boards under the bottom of the springs so that they didn't go so far down. Then you could at least get up off the couch.

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), July 14, 2001.


Yes, I'm real alright. Funny, when I was doin the dishes and thinking about the couch and this forum, it dawned on me that I was pretty nieve when I found this old friend too. This forum has helped me immensely and this time I don't think I'll throw it away for any "new friend".

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 14, 2001.

Yep, I too, have a dilapidated sofa from the 70's but the spouse won't let me get rid of it. He says that he's spent a lot of time getting it to fit his shape just right and loves napping sitting up with the wing holding his head up. Takes a nap after supper every night. But because it's an ugly plaid, he at least let me put a nice natural throw on it so that it's clean looking and presentable. A woven bedspread for one buck at a garage sale that's easy to wash. Can't believe that I bought the dang thing at full price in my spendthrift days. We grow too soon old and too late schmart.

-- Sandy Davis (smd@netzero.net), July 14, 2001.


Yes, I'm sentimental about furniture too, I have an avocado Naugahyde, wooden armed rocker that was my dear Grandfather's favorite chair to relax in after a busy day as a dairy farmer and father of seven active children. When he died, no one else in the family wanted it, but there was nothing else that could have brought such powerfull visions of "Pap" as that chair, Naugahyde or not, I HAD to have it, and will till I die.

The sad thing is, that when I'm gone, it will most likely go to the trash heap, hope someone "rescues" it, and at least, gets some use out of it, even if it holds no sentimentality for them.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), July 14, 2001.


Annie: You can't ever tell - somebody might find it who used to "know" a chair just like it and take it right home with them!

-- Cynthia Speer (farmsteader@gvtel.com), July 14, 2001.

Annie, that's so neat you "saved" your paps chair. Hope it always will get a good home. My father-in-law always had a chair he sat in, too. My mother-in-law still has it, but said I could have it if I wanted. The chair makes me smile everytime I see it, because I can still picture him sitting in that old thing.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), July 15, 2001.

Joy -- you can have that sofa back now. (the pink one, I mean! ) I've got mom's old hide-a-bed!

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), July 15, 2001.

Wow, neat..........I have both the old couch and the new couch and love them both dearly.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), July 15, 2001.


Annie, I enjoyed your story very much; earthmama, I don't remember when I've had such a good laugh:o) I hope you don't leave.

-- Elizabeth in E TX (kimprice@peoplescom.net), July 15, 2001.

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