Before the guests arrive, I roll soft white napkins around the silver
and then the November sun deigns to warm them.

love people, not things

After the guest room was furnished with an antique brass bed, a night stand, a bedside lamp, an area rug, and little else, The Quest for a suitable wardrobe began. This was over a year ago.

We scoured local auctions, flea markets, roadside sales,and antique shops all over the North country & even beyond. Unless we were willing to part with a large amount of moolah, the wardrobe-thing didn't look promising.
The LOTM was in on this hunt too, and even resolved to build one from scratch -even tho' he generally takes on bigger projects. Like whole back wings or large sections of sidewalk.

But as you can see, our determination prevailed.


We scored this beautiful find at our local auction house for a very fair price. It is large, regal, and deep. (Can someone say, "Narnia"?)
The carved top had to be shaved a few inches to fit, but my guys took care of that, easy-peasy!

Now we -(when I say "WE", everyone knows I really mean "William Edwin", the fortuitous name of the LOTM) need only to customize the interior ( which is as large as the Louisiana Purchase) with shelving & closet racks, and we are ready for a small family to move into it.

We (again, that "WE"-thing) will leave just enough squeezing room to slip through the back panel into a lovely, snowy place where reside Victorian lampposts & talking beavers & such.

Now, I don't mean to make this little ole' blog into a list of things we have acquired. Oh no. But I really must share one more addition to our old stone home with you.

-namely, an old oxen yoke- turned- architectural curlicue.

.

A man named Blieux Coyote dragged it all the way from Mexico to Hudson, New York, just to sell it to me.
In the process of the sale (read: dickering & bargaining), he told me his story while #1 Son & myself stood transfixed.
Everyone has a story, and I am learning to just listen.

So thankful am I for this old painted hunk of wood, and not just because it adds a splash of exclamation to our kitchen wall. It reminds me to watch, look & listen for the tales that people need to tell.

I am richer for them.