I come from a family
not afraid of a little paint stripper
or paint.
My grandmother would paint old furniture
bright colors, red, fuschia, robin egg blue,
then make slip covers out of drop cloths or
old tablecloths.
Us kids would come home to Mom in the carport
in her work shirt and shorts, rubber gloved,
scraping old varnish into a metal coffee can.
Her style more conservative, dark stain or
antiqued paint, to mimic walnut or pecan.
Then to the fabric store for a remnant of expensive
upholstery fabric marked down to pennies,
to cover the seats with matching pillows.
Restoring perfectly serviceable objects into
something brighter,
more colorful,
new.
Restore me, I pray,
into something more perfectly serviceable,
something brighter,
more colorful,
new.
First Week of Advent
thecourseofourseasons 
My mother did the same as your grandmother.
I was talking to friends about this – especially when newly married – making old things new, restoring hand me down furniture and making do – no one does those things anymore, it seems. I’m happy I know how and learned from the best!