The old pine table

     We discovered a wonderful pine harvest table, perfect for our 1900's style kitchen. It was 6 ft long with wonderful pits and dents, perfect patina and a drawer in which to tuck napkins and flatware.  Oh, and it had great legs too. But it was pretty pricey. So, we left the antiques shop to mull it over for a few days. For 3 days I went over the pros and cons of that table, measured the kitchen floor and imagined how utterly perfect it would be in our house... with a Yellow ware bowl atop.. a woven table runner, a neat little spice tin, a pitcher full of daisies, and a loaf of freshly baked bread sitting atop the gorgeously golden aged table. 

I was convinced... we must go back and purchase that table.  We drove back to the antiques town and went back inside the shop, where I ran my hand across the smooth surface and tenderly pulled the drawer in and out. I thought of the generations who shared  meals , sitting at this  simple old beauty, how many steaming pots of soup sat upon trivets in the center of this table, and how many loafs of bread were kneaded upon it's smooth pine surface. Yep, this is the table for me!

 But we decided to take one more quick walk through the other antique shops, just to be sure that no one else had a comparable table of lesser price.

  10 shops later and nothing  compares to THE table... so we head back to the shop, walking briskly, I might add. I was ready to reach deep into my pockets the minute I walked through the door. When, what do I see?? SOMEONE is sitting at MY table! SOMEONE is telling her husband what a WONDERFUL table this is and wouldn't it just be PERFECT in OUR dining nook??!  The sales woman is looking quite pleased.  "It isn't as long as we wanted, but just look at this PATINA, honey !" Honey is shaking his head in agreement. I nonchalantly walk as close as possible and pretend to be looking at  a green ware bowl.  "OH Honey, I just LOVE it.!" says she.The sales woman is pulling out her little pointed pencil and pad.

    In my selfish little mind I am thinking," How dare you try to buy MY table!!! no, no no! You don't really want that table... go find a different one.. Honey. tell your wife it is too expensive.. you hate it,, it is the wrong size, it is too beat up, it is...."    "Sure sweetie, if you want it, it's yours", says Honey,

"ARRGGGHHHHH!!!, thinks I.

SOLD! to the lady and Honey.

      I grumbled and growled a bit to my husband James, ( the lord of the manor) but ever the philosopher, he calmed me down. "It was way too expensive, it just wasn't meant to be, we'll find something better, you will see"

 He has a way of making me see how silly I am.. after all, it is just a table. I guess it WASN'T meant to be, as many things aren't. 

   We walked out the back door of the shop and found another table...not as old, not as charming, but.... It was 6 feet long, it had a lovely old finish and RED legs..AND it was 1/3 the price. We bought it. I guess it was meant to be.

It will seat six...

It has nice little aged dings, and  scratches... just what I love.

;

and it Does look good with an old Yellow ware bowl atop.

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It adds  a beautiful mellow golden Autumn warmth to the kitchen.

 And all the colors OUTSIDE that kitchen window reflect that Autumn glow, like Our neighbors 200 year old barn,

And the copper-colored leaves that engulf  our old red pump house, only to flutter into the breeze and disperse.

Rusty red rooster buddies,

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 And a brilliantly yellow squash, still on the vine,

the last of the black eyed Susans and the coneflowers,

and the last of the  yellow faced daisies and ornamental gourds with orange and mustard stripes, brought inside to sit upon the table that was meant to be.

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 We don't always get exactly what we want, and that is probably a very good thing. 

     Besides, when you experience the stunning month of October, in all its  glory,

                       you HAVE exactly what you NEED.

PS. Don't you just  love October? It's my favorite month of the year.  I want to tell you young gals right now, I turned 58 this month, and you know what? It's not bad at all!