Back Porch Musings: ~A Desk Story~

An old school desk, is my contribution for Metamorphosis Monday, hosted by Susan of Between Naps on the Porch. It also fits in well with Rhoda’s Monday event, Today’s Thrifty Treasures.

The desk was purchased around 1975, when the local school replaced desks like this, with newer modern furniture. When we acquired the desk, for oldest daughter, it had been “antiqued”.

Our three daughters used the desk for homework assignments, including the dissection of frogs, for high school Biology.

Youngest daughter’s best friend Lisa, pledged her undying love for a boy named Tommy, with a little note, written on the sliding writing surface. The girls have been friends since elementary school.

While J was sanding and preparing the desk for painting, he found a note under one of the drawers. The note, folded to resemble an envelope, was addressed to youngest daughter, in History. The return address showed the name of the above mentioned longtime friend, in Study Hall. The subject of the note had something to do with what someone was wearing and how it compared to what he had worn the day before, or some such. The note was written around 1988. We’ll pass it along to youngest daughter, when we see her, next time.

After the girls were out of school, the desk was given to oldest daughter, who kept it until 2 years ago, when she decided to put it in our garage sale. I thought the desk would look pretty painted; so we kept it.

As so often happens with our projects, the desk sat in the garage for almost 2 years. About a month ago, J began sanding it. We sent the desk to a local auto body shop, for painting, Monday, June 15th. The following Wednesday afternoon, we got the call; the desk was ready to bring home.

This is not the first time we’ve taken a piece of furniture to the body shop for painting. Last year, we had a headboard done for the front guest room. The cost is reasonable and the painter does a wonderful job, painting the pieces in a dust free environment. Well worth the money!

Today, almost 35 years after it was purchased, the old desk has found a new home, in our hearth room. It looks perfect, sitting in a corner, near the windows. It was meant for the desk, with sweet school days memories, to stay with our family.