Pieced

Smile

Our vintage-camera collection is growing. It’s become thisclose to a fetish with G.

I love the cameras too, though I’m not quite as avid as my spousal unit.

The little Kodak Brownie in the extreme lower right is my first camera. It’s not the device I used as a  kid, but my first camera was the same type of little box. It was the 1970s, it was old when I used it, and I took a lot of gleefully awful photos with it.

---

List of Thanks

Everybody deals with challenges. I deleted a lot of woe-was-me stuff in the previous paragraph. Whining about crap that happened decades ago serves no purpose. I’m intensely and always grateful for the wonderful parts of my life, of which there are many.

A legitimate advantage to growing up in low-income is learning how to make do with you have, and how to look for what you don’t have.

1. From the time I was 4-5 years old, I mostly fended for myself. Believe it or not, I consider this a positive. Since I was too young to know I couldn’t do stuff for myself, and my parents didn’t pay attention, I did whatever needed doing and went on with my life. I grew up figuring if somebody else did anything, I probably could too. (Brain surgery? Eh, there’s gotta be a book or a YouTube video.)
2. Despite a thumb more brown than green, I have a basic knowledge of gardening. I know how to do home canning if it ever comes down to it, too.
3. Give me a few odd (the odder the better) ingredients and I’ll whip up an edible meal, and usually a tasty one.
4. If there’s a bargain, I’ll sniff it out. If I can get it used for cheap, great. If it can only be purchased new, I find a deal – coupon, discount code, whatever. I’m not ashamed to pick up stuff from the curb. If somebody else doesn’t want it and it’s something usable, it’s mine. If I can’t use it, I’ll clean it up and pass it to the kids or sell it.
5. It’s been a while, but I’ve gone dumpster diving. When I was a teenager we found a bunch of 45s. Wish I’d kept them! There were some original Beatles and other 60s-era pieces. Some had sleeves, some didn’t, but all were in good condition. I believe we ultimately gave the collection to an audiophile friend.
6. I prefer reusable to throwaway, as much as possible. G does kitchen cleanup duty, so I grit my teeth and deal with his need to use paper towels.

And the beat goes on. ♫

---

All the above listy-stuff about saving and reusing aside, my design preferences lean spartan.

No matter what home-design gurus say, I prefer my furniture to be more matchy than mismatched.

We’ve brought home some amazing pieces over the years. The vintage/walnut drop-leaf table and the primitive chest that houses our camera collection — love them. I’m also crazy about the tiger-oak barrister bookcase in the corner, and the collection of vintage radio sitting on top of it. (Though the radios are probably going to be going away in the near future, due to space constraints.)

I like the dresser serving as our TV stand in the living room, but would prefer to locate it in a different part of the house and find something primitive and walnut to replace it.

Unfortunately primitive walnut dressers and TV stands aren’t easy to find, at least not in our fiscal zip code.

G said he wants to refinish our cabinetry (kitchen and bathroom) to match the base he used for our industrial-style towel rack (shown above). I love the idea. I smile and nod because much as I love him, I know it won’t happen any time soon.

For the record, this a semi-closeup-of my kitchen now. The counter tops are cheap, ugly beige laminate. What’s more, the laminate is in sad shape. What doesn’t show in the snap at right is how there are burn holes in spots, and the corner seam is about half an inch higher on one side. I don’t hate the cabinet design overall, but would definitely love to kill that mid-90s-orange finish.

Oh well. If all goes to plan, we’ll be outta here within another couple of years. If G can make those changes (and we swap out the countertop with a better alternative, even if it’s an Ikea special) it will knock the value of the home up a few more notches. Otherwise, it’s up to the next owner to do whatever floats their boat.