Something Old, Something New, & I’m Going Crazy Too

Posted by: Brenda Kula | April 7, 2009

I know what you’re thinking before I even begin. Why can that woman not take a photograph that a dog doesn’t end up in the picture? I don’t even see them until I upload to the computer. I suppose they think themselves photogenic.

Anyway, to the matter at hand. You see above one of my old sewing machine tables in the center of my small kitchen.

I had been mulling over the idea of how handy it would be to have a little kitchen island or cart for extra things that clutter up the countertops. I had been looking in consignment stores and online for them.

Then I thought, you know, we are all of us worried about money right now. How about I “shop the house?” So of course I went straight to my sewing machine tables. Part of the allure of these old relics is that they are typically on wheels. So I can roll it about the house without straining what is left of my back.

I will go ahead and be completely truthful here. I need to have my tile floor resealed. I can’t scrub, scratch with my fingernails, or spot clean those dirty strips of grout any longer. So to keep my sanity with this issue a little longer, I simply went outside and brought in one of my indoor/outdoor carpets. (After hosing it down, of course.) The dogs are wont to chew the edges when I’m gone and they are angry about being left. But, it’s been in the yard for a year or so…. And my sewing machine table keeps it in place. Double duty.

Here is another little gem of a lamp I bought at the antique mall the other day. It is small enough to go under the cabinet. And thank goodness I don’t have to run around straightening the shade!

I think more and more we are going to be attracted to what is already here in the world. What already exists and is timeless. This is a time when everyone is trying to cut back. And salvage parts of the past. This was a very good buy and in the budget. I finally had to put a 25 watt bulb in it because everything else was so bright.

I have all these pretty jars I’ve collected. And can’t decide what to put in them. I had candy in several. But, given my habit of grabbing a piece to eat in the middle of the night when the dogs go out the door right next to the table that holds them, I have banned candy from the room.

I can tell myself I have this stuff around because it looks so pretty all I want. But… The scales are telling me differently.

I’m sure you are also wondering why I am not out in the garden planting these seeds. Well, spring took off. Abandoned us in the dead of night. We had a low of 31 degrees last night. I have sheets dotting the yard, covering plants. I have yet to go out there and peek underneath. It is but 10 a.m. And I’m a tiny bit afraid of what I will find.

Another thing, and something I’m sure you could go without knowing. I am slowly but surely going crazy from a beeping noise in my refrigerator. Yes, we’ve consulted the dealer. It is the beep you get when your water filter needs to be replaced. Yes, it’s been replaced for months. And yes, we hit the reset button many, many times. Held it down. Everything but hit it with a hammer in futility.

Every day I tell myself I am going to call and have someone come out and look at it. But given their fee of merely walking in the door, I am reluctant. So here I sit, trying to mask the noise of it with my water fountain. The clothes dryer. (Oh, isn’t there something else that needs washing?) The aquarium. Air purifiers. I have endured this for months now.

Here is the beast. Ugly, too, isn’t it? You don’t have to tell me. I see once again that a dog has found its way into this photo.

No, the beeping is not loud. But it is continuous. One of those mind-numbing things, for instance, like a wild animal gnawing slowly at your arm instead of just jerking it off and getting the misery over with. I am now at war with this appliance. I have spent enough money having things fixed with this thing, that I am reluctant to keep throwing money at it. I feel certain it is a male ghostlike demon of some sort, and I want to emasculate it. Slowly.

I did not even buy this monster. We inherited it with the house. It was a “scratch and dent” buy, we understand. I think it needs to be scratched and dented a little more, don’t you?

Deb, do your monkeys want to come attack it with whatever weapon they are favoring at the moment? I will stand back and smile.

Posted in Current Affairs, Decorating | Tags: kitchen island, sewing machine table

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Responses

Now this may crive you even crazier, but let me tell you what I do with irritations. I use them to relax. My husband’s snoring drove me to distraction until I decided to put the sound to work for me. I would think each snort relaxes me. I feel so rested as each sound takes me deeper into a very relaxed state. See my drift here, it’s just a form of self-hypnosis. Now obviously I’m very suggestible. Perhaps the beeps of the refrigerator could give you a wonderful state of imagined peace and sernity. Well, there you go, an old lady’s advice. Take it for what it’s worth. My two cents.
By: Cloudhands on April 7, 2009

at 9:58 am

Brenda, I think we have the same fridge. Ours used to beep too. Now it doesn’t, but the ice in door feature doesn’t work either. I am sure the monkeys could get rid of the beep but there is no telling what else they might leave you with. Truth be told, I think we went in a twisted the filter a little and that stopped it. Gotta go outside and see if everything is okay:)
By: deb on April 7, 2009

at 11:13 am

HA Brenda, you are so funny. That beeping would drive me bananas too. Too bad there is not a way to discover the source of the noise and cut the wire or something. For your glass jars, how about sea shells? I had some like that for while with the shells, and a little sand in the bottom, they were light and bright and happy. The dogs are quite photogenic too.

Frances
By: fairegarden on April 7, 2009

at 11:33 am

Love your little kitchen so sweet looking,I really like that lamp ohhh I know just the spot I could useone like that, and those jars …I like them plain they look so elegant with their different shapes,but I am like you I like more visual.

The fridge story is halarious,for me the sound of the furnace coming on and then all that hot forced air just drives me up the wall,its not a big sound but its there and it makes me crasy going on so often.

Today another snow storm if you can believe that!!

Its going to snow till Friday and that’s the day were leaving for Ottawa,I suppose I will have to wear winter gear to get out of town…sigh…but then for one week I will be free of combersome clothing yipeeeeeee.

Love the pics Brenda and I love to see the pups in them too!

Diane
By: Diane ( Crafty Passions) on April 7, 2009

at 11:37 am

I was just thinking about getting my own island for my kitchen this morning!! The sewing table looks great!! It is my mission to find something at garage sales this season that will work for me just as you used your sewing table. I love your blog and have added it to my favorites on my blog. Thanks for sharing!!

-Rachel
By: Rachel on April 7, 2009

at 1:12 pm

I love that sewing machine table! What a cool reuse for it! It looks very good in the kitchen. We also have that same refrigerator. The exact same one. Ours does not beep when the water filter needs to be replaced. It has a light inside that turns red though. I hope it stops soon.
By: tina on April 7, 2009

at 3:44 pm

Brenda, have you tried briefly unplugging the fridge? That’s the computer repair person in me suggesting a reboot.

If that doesn’t work… do you have a gun?

We finally replaced a microwave that used to hummmmmm all night. It drove us up the wall.

The sewing table island is great. That was very clever of you to use what you already had.

Cute lamp too.

All the glass jars at my house are filled with doggie treats. Yeah, they aren’t spoiled, are they?

I love the pet photos. Even cute little doggie butts.

You have a great day and I hope you can get out in your yard again soon. I about froze last night here in Oklahoma.
By: Okie Sister on April 7, 2009

at 3:46 pm

Great taste!
By: Yoli on April 7, 2009

at 3:55 pm

I love the newest little lamp! And the sewing machine table fits perfectly, doesn’t it? Yes, you are right, we are all going to have to learn to recycle and leave a smaller carbon footprint.
By: nola on April 7, 2009

at 3:58 pm

Hi Brenda,

Yep,those darn appliances. We can’t live without them, yet sometimes living with them is no picnic. I agree with the unplugging and then plugging back in re-boot idea. If that didn’t work, I would also try removing and putting the filter back in.

I love your sewing machine table. That is a great idea. Your jars are lovely too. I’ve always admired them in stores, but my still gets a bit wild in the house with his friends! You could put old wooden thread/spools in one if you are lucky enough to have them. Or tear strips of fabric and roll it into small balls, or fill with scraps of old lace and rickrack or buttons. All of your beautiful quilts and sewing machine table make think “sewing notions or scraps”!

Blessings,

Lorilee
By: Lorilee on April 7, 2009

at 4:07 pm

OOps, it is supposed to read “, but my SON still gets a bit wild in the house with his friends.”

Lorilee
By: Lorilee on April 7, 2009

at 4:08 pm

I haven’t heard my fridge beep when the filter was needing to be changed. I can’t hear to well so Maybe it is beeping and I don’t hear it(-: That would be irritating! Did you look on the net for info maybe you can fix it yourself?

I like the sewing table as a island in the kitchen! That looks great there! Your kitchen is beautiful! I would love to stop over for a cup of coffee!
By: cindee on April 7, 2009

at 4:34 pm

I love the island you created! It looks great. And I love seeing your dogs…
By: Penny @ Lavender Hill Studio & The Comforts of Home on April 7, 2009

at 5:40 pm

Your sewing machine stand makes a charming island Brenda! Maybe you could try putting buttons in those pretty jars?
By: Racquel on April 7, 2009

at 6:26 pm

Oh I forgot to add that my dog Spaz seems to find her way into most of the photos I take too. lol Funny thing is when I’m trying to take her picture she runs away.
By: Racquel on April 7, 2009

at 6:27 pm

I love the idea of using the sewing maching stand for an island. I’m all about reusing what we already have right now and find it to be a challenge. Also love the jars- I’m a sucker for arrangements like that!
By: Cynthia on April 7, 2009

at 7:49 pm

hmmm I don’t have any ideas other than what has already been suggested, I know that would drive me absolutely batty for sure!

love your kitchen, it looks so homey and welcoming, I wish I could fit a table in mine…

those jars are gorgeous, I have them on my Most Wanted List, never seen one yet and certainly won’t be buying a new one at the moment *smile

…oh and I just had to chuckle at cloudhands solution to the snoring, I don’t think that would work for Mr BC, I started off with ear plugs and now he’s in the study!!! lol

S

x

x
By: sarah abeachcottage on April 8, 2009

at 5:06 am

Brenda, we have the same sewing table base. We put a top on it and use it as the porch table where we eat all summer long. We love it! It’s perfect in your kitchen as an island!

Diane
By: Diane Knott on April 8, 2009

at 6:44 am

That’s too bad about your refridgerator! It would drive me bonkers, for sure.

I love your glass jars… how about filling them with seasonal things? Some nests and eggs now (even candy eggs – if they were part of a display you wouldn’t want to ruin it by eating them, right? Right?) And in the summer – seashells. And in the Autumn – twigs and berries…

Oh, and I love the idea of the sewing table in the kitchen! Fabulous!
By: Jill on April 8, 2009

at 8:54 am

You poor girl. A freeze & a dreadful, repetitive beeping noise. It would drive any woman insane, especially a middle-aged one like me. I’m so sorry. Hope your temps are back to normal today. Ours are.~~Dee
By: Dee/reddirtramblings on April 9, 2009

at 6:33 am