Monday, October 14, 2013

Death, Dying, and Dining Room Buffets

When Joe's dad passed away back in 2005, all 7 children worked together brilliantly to sort out the stuff that comes along with a parent dying. Part of the usual process includes claiming various pieces of furniture, jewelry, or special mementos. While some families squabble or hold decades-long grudges over this situation, that just wasn't the case with the Walsh family. When both Joe and his older brother Matt expressed mutual interest in an antique buffet handed down through the generations, they solved it in typical Walsh family style.

They flipped for it.

The buffet
Joe's brother dug deep into his pockets for a quarter, Joe called it in the air, and the whole matter was resolved in under a minute.

Joe, being the ridiculously lucky sort of man that he is, naturally won.  In our thirteen years together, I have never seen Joe lose a coin toss.  A horseshoe most certainly was planted up his arse at birth and has thus remained there ever since.

Although I was thrilled with the beautiful cherry wood buffet, it proved a tad problematic in my shabby chic home.  First up, it didn't match the casual dining table handed down from my grandmother. 

The not-so-dining-room dining room table.
And in case you're wondering, no, I rarely buy new furniture.  My whole house has been furnished by people who know that I would probably use lawn furniture if they didn't gift me with used couches, tables, and lamps.

But after 8 years, even I was starting to wonder if maybe I shouldn't try a little harder to find a cherry wood dining table to go with the cherry wood buffet that suited our Queen Anne dining room.

In a moment of delusional thought, I priced a few new tables.  $2000 was the starting buy-in.

Next.

I turned to Craigslist.  Sure, I knew I was taking my life into my own hands and possibly facing murder and dismemberment, but by God, I would find us a table.

Before you could say "Last seen driving off in her powder blue minivan," I located a listing that seemed perfect.  A cherry wood table!  In "great condition!"  Listed in the Chicagoland area!  It felt as though the fates were finally working with me instead of conspiring against me.

What could possibly go wrong?

Stay tuned.....

18 comments:

  1. How can you leave us hanging like this Marianne?? I hope we get to hear the rest of the story soon! Neat that Joe's family didn't squabble over things; its awful when that happens in a family. Looking forward to the next part.

    betty

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    1. Ooooh, Betty....you're gonna LOVE this one! The finale is coming Wednesday!

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  2. Love that buffet! And love craigslist. I found our dining room table and chairs off there a few years ago and talked them down to $100. Later, me and a friend recovered the seat cushions. I will stay tuned to hear what happened with you...somehow I think it's going to be a crazy/funny adventure. :)

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    1. $100! You go girl!! I need your negotiating skills!

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  3. Why are you leaving me hanging this way?

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    1. Because I'm MEAN, Kirb! But you knew that. ;)

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    2. I did. Either that, or I knew that you think your Charles Dickens, all cliffhanger-y and everything.

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  4. You are such a tease.

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  5. Craigslist scares me.
    Text me before you go ANYWHERE to buy ANYTHING.
    So I know what to tell the cops.....

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  6. I am with you on old cheap stuff. Our living room couch was $35 from The Salvation Army, but $600 years ago to reupholster. Sometimes I like to give the bargain tour of our home, bragging about how cheap everything was.

    Waiting here on Wednesday to see your table.

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  7. Thank goodness I am behind on my reading, as I can get skip hanging on the cliff and get to the next part!!!! (Still grateful that I got the whole set from my great-grandparents)

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  8. I love the buffet! I have a mish-mash of furniture too, but I love it. I can't bring myself to spend huge amounts of money on new stuff when what I have works fine. I'll ever be in Home and Gardens, but I can live with that.

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