18 Comments

I have become obsessed with the yellow chair. Time to buy it

Expand full comment
author

TELL ME ABOUT IT.

Expand full comment
Oct 18Liked by Sandra Stephens

I still don’t know why you haven’t bought the yellow chair yet. Pretty sure you can buy without your husband’s permission, or I hope so anyway. After reading about the nubby, yellow chair you loved reading in as a child (in your parent’s living room), of course this new yellow chair would evoke memories - but pleasant ones! A part of me screams every time I read about it, lol, as I would have purchased that yellow chair from

Day 1. Like a Nike commercial, JUST DO IT ❤️

Expand full comment
author
Oct 19·edited Oct 19Author

of course permission isn't needed - he even likes it. the main barrier has been 1) soon five containers full of our furniture will arrive - we're not really in NEED of furniture in the meta sense, but we could use some in the short term..it's a bit of a conundrum, not wanting to buy until we see what we really need.

but we agreed we like it and it's well made enough to be worth it and with 4 houses to furnish it won't go to waste...which leaves us the challenge of getting it home. We're usually walking, or taking care of other issues (laundry, vet), or we have a car but the chair isn't in the window

however, indications are that the chair IS still "in the back" out of sight - I'm going to ask them if they'll deliver it

Expand full comment
Oct 18Liked by Sandra Stephens

Clothes-wreckers! So many shrunken clothes… so many replacements.

Expand full comment
author

I am down to 3 outfits.

Expand full comment

Shrunken clothes are the worst. I've given some very nice sweaters to friends with young children after they got mixed up and put in the dryer. You can, sometimes, soak in hair conditioner to relax the fibers and then stretch onto a towel and roll. Sometimes.

Expand full comment

Oh my, the story of your family home...We sold our family home of 63 years to come to Portugal. My dad was the last surviving parent and he had a favorite place in the family room. After he died, he stuck around to "protect" me when my h was away on a business trip. Sweet, poignant memories you shared that took me to a place I think about still. This was lovely.

Expand full comment

My grandmother used to make chicken and dumplings out of roosters. She said they were too tough for frying and baking.

Expand full comment
author

I have an Italian recipe that requires a rooster - it cooks for hours in red wine.

Expand full comment
Oct 21Liked by Sandra Stephens

I drive past the house I grew up in frequently. It's on a cul-de-sac (one of the early ones, mid-50s) and I pulled in one day and stopped opposite its driveway. The owner gave me the hairy eyeball and I told him that I was just answering a text and he seemed OK with that. When I was done with the text, I told him that I grew up in his house and that we were the first family to live in it. He became quite friendly and asked me all kinds of questions (most of which I could answer) about its history. Turns out that he was doing a serious rehab and was trying to get the feel of the mid-century modern house it was back.

Expand full comment
Oct 19·edited Oct 19Liked by Sandra Stephens

The yellow chair --- the magic 8 ball says that soon it will be yours.

Expand full comment
author

I BELIEVE THIS.

Expand full comment
Oct 19Liked by Sandra Stephens

So sorry for your loss, Sandra. I wish your Dad could see what you’re doing with your new home and adventure. Someone mentioned cooking with roosters. It reminds me of a recipe for carp (bottom feeding fish). Boil carp for four hours with pine cones, throw away everything but the pine cones,and eat the cones with rice. I’m putting my vote in: the H owes you a chair——yellow of course.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you Dan. I wish he could see it too. The pine cone joke is funny but I've had rooster and it was good, better apparently than carp.

I shall tell the h forthwith!

Expand full comment
Oct 19Liked by Sandra Stephens

Yes to the yellow chair- I’m also somewhat obsessed with it.

Sandra, this essay left me feeling a bit broken…and sad that your wardrobe is being sabotaged by the powers of bleach and ignorance of how laundry machines work- if you put a bleach ridden towels into the washing machine- notify the family! Or just run the machine?!?

I’m a fan your writing but not a fan of your circumstances- the h should buy your yellow chair and replace your ruined clothing 🤬

I’m literally steaming over this…

Expand full comment
author
Oct 19·edited Oct 19Author

oh I heartily agree, there is villainy afoot - I am due an orange sweater, a purple long sleeve tee, and a yellow chair STAT

Expand full comment

I totally get your grieving after loved items of clothing get spoiled or lost!! I am fantasising about members of your substack searching high and low in American for a replacement heather purple waffle top and it arriving in the post and it actually being a 'Present for You'!!!

Expand full comment