The Dining Table

We replaced our original table with a new one. I suppose this makes me a conservationist instead of a preservationist. The old one was covered with a vintage formica: white with gold flecks. But it was pretty beat up...people had used it as a cutting board so there were some knife marks marring it.
I had envisioned a table cut to the same size and pattern as the original table only in ash, with a strip of cherry wood in the middle. The ash matches the honey colored wood panelling. The cherry strip matches the baseboards and the mahogany ceiling. We went to OP Hardwood and not only did they have the wood we were looking for, they said they would be happy to cut the wood to the size and shape of the original and glue it all together for us. In just a few days they had the job done. We brought the table top home and after switching the hardware from the old table to the new, including the single collapsible aluminum table leg, we were all set.

Before we had the table made, I liked having the camper floor open so I rarely put the table up, Now, though I miss the roomy feel I get from having the table down and tucked away in the broom closet, I find it a little hard to take the table down. We sanded the wood to a smooth hard surface, stained it a light natural honey color, added a protective finish and it shines. In my world, it doesn't take long for books to find their way to any open table surface and the table in the HC is no exception. If you were to visit the HC when it is in its stationary mode and used primiarily as an office and reading nook, then you would find two or three piles of books, a clipboard and writing tablet with several pages of scribbled notes, and my trusty pencil case with assorted but useful odds and ends. A Tivoli Pal radio, generally tuned either to a Cardinals baseball game or NPR, anchors the space.
I can also report that it works very well for its original purpose as a dining table. On a recent trip to Withrow Springs in the Boston mountains. I cooked a late breakfast of mexican omelets with soft chicken tacos on the side...the first of many meals shared on this sturdy little table.