Tapchan at the Ready

(Re)stained, sealed, delivered – it’s mine!

Counting down to the 2016 Summer crabfest…which means mom is freaking about about the backyard. Power washing, leveling the yard, cleaning out the gutters, do we need to paint the roof? How is that compost soil coming along? We’re going to need chairs. Lots and lots of chairs….

Well, it gives me a chance to put in some much needed house work.  I’ve been rather neglectful of that lately.

Restained and sealed the front porch rocking chairs as well.  Floor could use another coat, guess that’ll have to wait until my brother gets here in August.  Until then, we literally have:

2 rocking chairs, 1 church pew (seats 2), 2 directors chairs, 2 black ikea folding chairs, 2 rattan folding chairs, 4 new folding lawn chairs, 6 vintage metal folding chairs, 2 stools, 6 dining room chairs, 2 living room chairs, and a sofa that seats 3. In the basement – a vintage beast of a couch that seats 3, an horsehair sofa that seats 3 and a love seat that can seat 2.  In the backyard, I have 2 white plastic lawn chairs and 1 recliner.  Are you keeping count?  Because that’s 44 seats.  And then there’s the tapchan.  That seats 4 comfortably.  

Upstairs, I have two vintage molded wood chairs and a sewing chair.  Oh and a yoga ball.  I think we’ll be fine.

Going From House to Home

After returning from the Peace Corps, I’ve always thought the Central Asian tradition of lounging under mulberry trees while drinking green tea was something I’d like to one day do in my own house, in the USA. Well, thanks to my brother – it’s come true.

My brother built me an Uzbek inspired “tapchan” that was officially broken in this weekend at my housewarming/summer solstice crabfeast.

What amazed me is how perfectly natural it seemed for me to have one – not to mention how quickly my friends came to appreciate my having one as well!

44 adults, 6 children, 2 babies and 1 bunny rabbit later, it sits strong and beckons me daily to live a slower and happier life. It was a wonderful housewarming and I think I can officially say this house is now a home.