crossrhodes

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a yard sale last weekend. Our development has a community yard sale every year. My neighbor and I were sitting out on our adjacent driveways waiting for customers when an eldery woman came to her table. She asked my neighbor if there was a public restroom in the development. My neighbor said, no. I heard them exchange some words but I couldn’t hear their conversation clearly. Finally, the neighbor asked me if I knew of any public restrooms in the area. Oh my goodness!!! She hadn’t offered her bathroom yet??? Gimme a break! We’re talking about an 80 year old woman using the powder room on the first floor, not a giant thug who would wander upstairs in the master bedroom. So I quickly ushered the sweet, little old lady into my home before she lost all bladder control. (Some people are just unbelievable!)

DSL is… like… faster than a speeding bullet! Ok, not quite….. but a heck of a lot faster than dial up! I had to move our website to the new host since we changed ISPs. While I was at it, I felt like making a whole new website altogether. (I’m bored with the current look.) But the new site won’t be up for another week or so. You can take a sneak peak here.

BTW, did anyone read my antique questions??? Someone answer me, please!

Does anyone know anything about antique furniture? My mom gave me this sideboard/buffet server, which was given to her 10 yrs ago by an elderly couple from church. We don’t know its history but, after some research online, I found similar pieces selling anywhere between $1,500 to $24,000. (Mom, are you reading this???) I almost sold it for $50 at our yard sale today just to get rid of it.

This is what I know of it so far:

1. The middle drawers are dovetailed and velvet-lined.
2. It has either a serpentine or bow front. Or part bow, part serpentine?
3. I believe the drawer beneath the middle drawer is called a “tambour”. Is that correct?
4. The style is Sheraton or Hepplewhite. The George III Hepplewhites from England (circa 1790-1800) are the ones selling for $24,000. There are less expensive Hepplewhites from the US (circa 1800-1950). How can I determine the style and country of origin?
5. The wood is either Mahogany or Walnut. Can anyone tell me which one?
6. The hardware looks original. The drop ring-style handles are definitely of the period.

It definitely needs refinishing. I’m afraid to take it to an antique dealer until I know for sure what I have. Can anyone help me?

Gasp! “What do you mean you don’t have cable TV?!?!” That’s the response I get 9 out of 10 times. Once in a while I hear positive feedback. The other day, the response I got was, “Good for you! When did you chose not to?”

It was more happenstance than a firm decision. When we moved from out of state, we just neglected to order cable in our new home and haven’t missed it since. Okay, once in a while, I do miss my Food TV Network and Trading Spaces. And yeah, I feel like a fish out of water in conversations on The Sopranos or Sex In The City. Ohhhh well!!!

Out of hundreds of channels, there are only a handful of decent shows I would welcome into my living room anyway. I’m raising a teenage boy who is bombarded enough with violence, promiscuity, and alternative lifestyles outside the home. Familiarity breeds acceptance. One of my greatest fears is that he (and myself) will become desensitized to a lifestyle that is unpleasing to God. I don’t mean to sound preachy… just reflecting on my own personal experience.

I was also hoping the lack of channels would encourage my family to unplug during meals. As it is, we only have 7 channels through a roof antenna yet it hasn’t kept us from dining with a side of remote control and couch potatoes.

Maybe a great flood will wash away our home and TV so we will be forced to dine together in a cozy, homeless shelter. (Careful what you wish for :)

James will kill me if he finds out I’m posting this but I’m so proud of him, I can’t help but show off his stuff. He had no help from me whatsoever in writing this letter.

Dear Dad,

You have always been my idol and mentor. In so many ways, you have inspired me and given me an example to follow. You have always been there pushing me harder, telling me to try harder and work harder. All of that paid off in the end, and now I know that I have to give everything I attempt the utmost effort. I have to take pride in what I have done and feel as if I did the best I could on the task. You have always told me that in life, the only way to succeed is to work hard.

Even though you have really helped me throughout my whole life, there are certain memories that I can never forget, even if I tried. Remember the time that you got that job in Virginia as an engineer? When I heard that you had secured that specific job, it taught me that if you work hard through life, it will pay off in the end. On that day, I learned that with perseverance, you can accomplish great things. In so many ways, determination has kept me going through school even when I have been so close to giving up.

Another moment I can never forget is the day that you really helped me with my fraction problems. I thought I would never understand, but you explained it step by step and I started to get it bit by bit. That day you showed me that with a little patience, and determination, we could complete the problems in less than an hour. You demonstrated to me, that with a little attention to detail, you can make any problem easier to fix. I used this invaluable characteristic throughout school, and it has helped me through all the reports, projects, and tests.

You have helped so much through life. You have taught me things about life that you can�t learn in school. No one could ever measure up to the same standards as you. Standards that show how only you could be an example for me to follow throughout my life. You told me to persevere through life, and you guided me through the whole way. Now that I�m even closer to the end of the road, I just want to say, �Thank you so much for what you�ve done. You helped me in such an invaluable way.

Love,
James

‘Nuff said! Happy Father’s Day to all dads! Remember, little eyes are watching you and they never forget what they see!