Our sofa has seen better days. Remember when those large plaids were all the rage? Ours is burgundy, hunter green and cream plaid. A really very nice Pennsylvania House sofa. Old enough that it was a piece of PH furniture made in the USA and worth the price, compared to now, when it is made in China. But, after 15 years, the fabric has worn through on the corners of the seat cushions, and since I am embarrassed to have people see it in such sad state, we went shopping for a new sofa.
I think we've hit every store in town, and one in Olympia, but haven't had a whole lot of success. I'm not a fan of big, overstuffed sofas and chairs, and that is what we're seeing. And the fabrics are cheap and shabby. Of course, this is not a town of high-end stores, so we will probably have to change where we're looking. Still, it is depressing to see the kind of stuff that is on the market today. I suppose they are relatively cheap in price for what you get....some were as low as $700. We got our present sofa for $2,200.....half price....and have enjoyed it a long time.
We've thought about leather, but it's never really been on our radar. It's cold....and don't you stick to it when you're bare legged? I spent a night on a leather couch once, and never got warm because it just didn't "warm up." So I've not considered it in the past, tho we might now. (Maybe it would be just the thing to sleep on on those hot summer nights......)
Hubby suggested we get the old sofa reupholstered. That might be a plan. It's sooooo comfortable, and the perfect size. I just can't imagine how long it would take to get it back, and we'd have very limited seating while we waited. Still....it might be an idea. I wonder if they have loaner sofas while you wait?
Friday, March 6, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
STILL ALICE
I've been doing a lot of reading the last couple of months...Timberland Library's annual read-a-thon with gifts and prizes if you are lucky enough to be drawn (you must read at least 5 books and submit a brief description of each to be considered for the drawing). I consider that I have already won a prize, for I have read, "Still Alice" and am still reeling from the experience.
I hesitated about reading this work of fiction. The subject matter deals with a fifty-one year old woman with early onset Alzheimers. Since my father died with some form of dementia... Mom says it was Alzheimers....and his niece has suffered many years with it, I'm afraid it's in my gene pool, and so reading about someone with this condition was not going to help my outlook any.
But the book blew me away. It's told from Alice's perspective. She is a professor of languages at Harvard....bright, intelligent, active, exercises faithfully, eats well, good family life and an adoring husband...all the things we would hope would stave off this dreaded disease. But it just ain't so. Alice's life falls apart fast, even with the meds she takes, even with planning so carefully for what she knows is going to happen to her...and then forgetting her plans.
Alice's three children are given the option of testing to see if they carry the gene. One declines, two are tested. Of course that had me wondering what I would do. I didn't have to hesitate long. I would not do it. Have not done it. I don't think I'd want to live with the knowledge that my life and memories were going to be taken away from me in such a horrific way. But even without the testing, I know the possibility is real, and I have to stop myself from worrying about it.
This brilliantly written book, by author Lisa Genova, was beautiful, heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time. It contained no hope. I couldn't put it down. And I cried through most of it. It gives such insight into what it must be like to have Alzheimers, that I consider this a "must-read" for everyone.
I hesitated about reading this work of fiction. The subject matter deals with a fifty-one year old woman with early onset Alzheimers. Since my father died with some form of dementia... Mom says it was Alzheimers....and his niece has suffered many years with it, I'm afraid it's in my gene pool, and so reading about someone with this condition was not going to help my outlook any.
But the book blew me away. It's told from Alice's perspective. She is a professor of languages at Harvard....bright, intelligent, active, exercises faithfully, eats well, good family life and an adoring husband...all the things we would hope would stave off this dreaded disease. But it just ain't so. Alice's life falls apart fast, even with the meds she takes, even with planning so carefully for what she knows is going to happen to her...and then forgetting her plans.
Alice's three children are given the option of testing to see if they carry the gene. One declines, two are tested. Of course that had me wondering what I would do. I didn't have to hesitate long. I would not do it. Have not done it. I don't think I'd want to live with the knowledge that my life and memories were going to be taken away from me in such a horrific way. But even without the testing, I know the possibility is real, and I have to stop myself from worrying about it.
This brilliantly written book, by author Lisa Genova, was beautiful, heartbreaking and terrifying at the same time. It contained no hope. I couldn't put it down. And I cried through most of it. It gives such insight into what it must be like to have Alzheimers, that I consider this a "must-read" for everyone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)