So tell me,
do you think every kitchen in the 1950s had one of these?
I really like these stools. So practical, they seemed to occupy every vintage kitchen in America. This one, too, is about 50 years old, or so my neighbor professed as he chucked it into his trash pile. Being a skip (read ‘dumpster’) rat by nature, I clamped onto it, bartering a few homemade cookies in exchange. Okay, I’m sure I could have had it for free but the cookie offering seemed a neighborly thing to do, right?
A bit of steel wool, water and elbow grease, with a future splash of paint—cream and black as originally intended—and my kitchen soon will be sporting a new step stool. That would be a ‘nice-and-isn’t-it-lovely’ story if it ended there. But as irony would have it, let’s back up a few hours that same day…
Coffee morning with Bt takes me to a breakfast shop at a crossroads somewhere in Maryland. The front porch, decorated with the essential-warm-and-inviting-autumn-harvest-décor sports a sage green vintage kitchen stool.
‘How cool,’ I say, ‘I love these things!’ And we proceed to reminisce about our grandmothers’ kitchens and the like. ‘I haven’t seen one of these in donkey’s years! One of these days I’m going to have to hunt one down, because I’d really like to have one in my kitchen.’ And so I ramble on and on.
A few hours later find me walking the children home from school and as we pass the neighbor’s rubbish pile, voila…a vintage kitchen stool like I haven’t seen in yonks staring back at me. (Anthropomorphically, I realize that stools don’t have eyes and therefore can’t ‘stare,’ but still…)
And there you have it, another little serendipity in this season of thankfulness.
Incidences like this can really build your “Magical Mom” cred with your kids. Act real nonchalant like this happens for you every day. You can get a lot of mileage out of a single event.
I once manifested a Rita’s Italian Ice in the middle of nowhere on a family vacation. The sense of awe in the vehicle was priceless. I just sighed like it was all in a day’s work. When they asked me to do it again I tell them my powers must not be squandered on frivolous things. Only for the greater good…or pineapple gelati.
20 Nov 2008 at 9:35 am
“serendipity”, eh?
Gotta love that serendipity. . . .
20 Nov 2008 at 10:16 am
Things like that have been happening to me lately too. Maybe there has been a shift in the energy of the universe (since the election perhaps?).
20 Nov 2008 at 10:30 am
My grandma had a stool like that in her kitchen, all battered with paint drips, even. We spent hours playing on it as kids, making up games, or helping my grandma make cookies. Definitely a treasure worth keeping.
20 Nov 2008 at 11:35 am
My mom had one of these. I think she finally got rid of it in the 80s, but I’m wishing now that she hadn’t. Oh well…
It’s a neat find. I can hardly wait to see it when you get finished with it – I know it will be beautiful! And so utilitarian too!
20 Nov 2008 at 12:47 pm
I believe my grandmother’s was kind of a seafoam green shade. I loved that thing!
20 Nov 2008 at 2:09 pm
Both my mum and grandma had stools like that! I’d love to have one too, but sadly have a teeny tiny kitchen without even a corner to spare. It will look so lovely all painted up. K x
20 Nov 2008 at 2:36 pm
Aw, I have fond memories of these stools, one in each of my grandmother’s kitchens! What a great find!
20 Nov 2008 at 4:01 pm
Absolutely!! they did!
20 Nov 2008 at 5:16 pm
Wow! What a wonderful story and a wonderful save from the landfill. !!
20 Nov 2008 at 8:20 pm
AAAAH!! I love it. Next time you’re with me you should wish for a pony.
20 Nov 2008 at 11:33 pm
I think it was my Aunty, Nanna or Grandma had one of these two, slightly different look for the Australian crowd but same concept.
Great find!!!!!
As your a knitting admirer (or addict due to fibre fumes) are you on Ravelry?
Debs
21 Nov 2008 at 5:42 am
My Mom had one of those stools.
21 Nov 2008 at 12:17 pm
You’re right – my step-grandmother had one, and we all fought over who got to sit on it. Not that it was comfortable, it wasn’t, but there was only one of it, and about 8 of us!
21 Nov 2008 at 12:51 pm
I don’t see a stepstool, I see the horse I rode when I was 2 or 3! It was red and her name was Silver!
21 Nov 2008 at 3:09 pm
That is exactly like the one I grew up with in Maryland. I sat on it every night at dinner until I outgrew it and then my nieces used it. I didn’t get it from the farm, but I got my grandmother’s which is red and has a square upholstered seat. Love it, especially at the loom.
21 Nov 2008 at 11:49 pm
My Mom has one of these stools. It is was metal and blue and white. I haven’t seen it for awhile I should ask her what she has done with it.
23 Nov 2008 at 5:35 pm
When we had company and there was insufficient room to seat all at the table, one of the kids sat at the counter, on a chrome version of this stool (with a salt & pepper seat cover) and used the pull out cutting board for a table!
24 Nov 2008 at 11:57 pm