Chest of Drawers.

     I rarely buy anything new for myself, but I did do so when I purchased my car back in 2018. It is a 2018 model, and I've kept it in good shape. It has just over 50,000 miles, so in 7 years, which means I drive about 7000 miles a year. This isn't true. My son borrowed the car for five or six months and put about 1/2 of those miles on it.  I laugh because I know for a fact that my own parents would never have done that for me; they'd either give me the car or help me buy another one.  But this blog isn't about my car -- it's about my "new" chest of drawers.

    I say "new" because it is new to me, but it is not new. The back of it says it was made in China, but that must be when they were making good pieces of furniture, because this thing clocks in at over 200 pounds. It's a rock-solid piece of office furniture that was once a part of a three-piece set. I think it was a credenza. I did see the middle part, but the other end was purchased by someone else.  I paid $40, and then my good friend Steve (owner of S&S Bargains in El Reno) delivered it for an additional $10. He's such a nice guy, and his wife, Shelley, is amazing!! I love their shop. 

    Today, I went to S&S to get a few LPs. I go through their collections whenever I drop in, pick up one or two, and then look around for something I may need. I found a really cool-looking homemade Teddy bear that I'll pick up next time. They always have them, and they are made locally. I will always shop locally when I can. If I can give back, I will. I am not a picky person, so my home may look eclectic to some, but I love it.  This piece will serve us well. It is no longer an attorney's credenza; it is an overflow dresser for all of my winter clothes. 

    Tomorrow is March. In just three weeks, it will be Spring, and with today's temperatures topping out at 82 degrees, I need a winter and a summer chest of drawers to keep things separated. We have, on average, 4 to 6 days of really cold weather in Oklahoma, and the rest is a battle of wits between the Arctic air rolling over the Rockies and the scorching heat pushing north from Mexico. Any day, any given day, one or the other will win - and we're often caught off guard. You can't fully put away your "off-season" clothes, but I can separate them.

    I was going to put the chest of drawers in my bedroom, but I can't do that until I move the bed and the other dresser out of the way — it's in the living room, and it may end up staying right there. I'm OK walking the length of the hall to grab this or that T-shirt. I think I'm supposed to spell it Tee-shirt, or tee-shirt, but I can't be bothered. I'll stick with the lakes and the rivers I've been swimming in for years - it's a T-shirt. I've decided.

    Yes, the chest of drawers has a story, and Steve knew enough of it to let me know that it once belonged to an attorney in the area who was a criminal attorney. Oh, I like that. That means the ghosts of all those old files will start talking to my shirts and pants, keeping them busy and filling their fibers with all sorts of lore. I can't wait to hear what they say. Maybe you don't listen to or talk to your clothes, but I do. Why not? It's better than talking to the ghosts of old, dead files of past criminals, right? This is a good piece. I'm glad I found it.

    Oh, you caught that? You saw where I said I went into S&S to look at vinyl? Well, yes, I did. Today I picked up a few good ones. I bought four LPs:  Herman's Hermits, Cat Stevens, Waylon and Willie, and Bob Seger! Oh, yes, the "Live Bullet" concert album. I paid $6 for three of them and $8 for Seger.  I've been cranking up the little Victrola and just lovin' what's coming out of it.  I don't go crazy when I go LP shopping, but I could. S&S has 4 or 5 big bins full -- and I don't buy them all at once; I am a sparing sort of LP shopper.  There will always be something I love - or fall in love with.

    Did you know that Poco put out 19 studio albums? I think all of them are at S&S, and I will have to get one or two when I go back. I think I know 2 of their songs. I need to hear more. OK, back to the chest of drawers. There was an actual chest of drawers there, and it was from the mid-20th century, maybe 1940-1950. I wanted it, but someone had purchased it only five minutes before I arrived. Wow...talk about bad luck, but it's OK. I bet this one has better stories anyway.  I bet it does.

Photo Credit: Me