Remember my sad old chair? The one I moved around when I was six months pregnant and supposedly not supposed to be lifting heavy things? The one I’ve covered with a fancy white sheet all these years because it is so old and ugly?

Well, guess what! It has a new cover! And I didn’t even pay a dime for it! I take that back. I bought the fabric but I did NOT sew it!!! Nor did I pay someone to sew it for me! I was planning on sewing it myself, now that I have a big couch cover under my belt and I am the reupholstery queen… but something better came up.

I was out in the sticks a few weeks ago discussing the project with my professional seamstress aunt. She was listening carefully, nodding and telling me that I could most certainly do it. But when I got to the part where I told her about the scallop-shaped back that was giving me some mental distress, she got a twinkle in her eye.

If you know my aunt, you know that twinkle. She’s like a mischievous leprechaun, right down to the bright orange hair, short stature and twinkling eyes. She had an idea. What if she and my grandma came to visit for two days and she showed me how to do the chair cover? Grandma could make her famous curry dinner with all the fixings and we’d all have a nice beach visit! I couldn’t say no to that. Toby’s out of town for two weeks again and I’ll take all the company I can get! Plans were made!

They arrived late last Friday night. Baby Bug was very excited to wake up and find Auntie Keren in the living room, sleeping on the couch. I’m not sure how excited Auntie Keren was to wake up to a little person at six in the morning but she put on a good face. Maybe the cat yowling at 5 a.m. broke her in. We took Keren on our usual walk to the beach and then started right in on the chair. Actually, I should clarify that. SHE started right in on the chair. I didn’t do squat.

I made coffee. That was my job.

Three pots of coffee later, she had the thing nearly done! With special princess scallop things at the top. I don’t remember exactly what they are called but this was not the way I was going to make the cover. This is a lot fancier! It’s handy having a seamstress in the family.

Speaking of handy relatives. Guess who is Baby Bug’s new best friend? Great Gramma! Grandmas make great babysitters! Especially ones who like to read stories out loud. They spent many hours reading books together and discussing Madeline while Keren sewed and I putzed around making coffee.

Great Gramma Reads from secretagentjo on Vimeo.

Here is a movie of them. It’s a little on the long side but the ending is worth the wait.

After working non-stop on the couch we let Keren stop and refuel on a delicious dinner of Chicken Curry!

I forgot how much I missed it. It’s sort of a family tradition that my mom’s side of the family picked up while they were living in Hawaii. It’s not Indian curry but Polynesian curry with all sorts of toppings: peanuts, green onions, coconut, pineapple, bacon crumbles and tomatoes. I remember as a kid hating the lamb part of the curry but loving to have curry because it was like building your own sundae with a thousand different toppings. We never really noticed the lamb buried under the mountain of other yummy things.

I haven’t outgrown my aversion to lamb but thankfully my family has grown more accommodating to my aversions. Funny how that worked. We had chicken curry and it was much better than lamb. It brought back all sorts of memories of family dinners at long tables. Yes, we thought of you Aunt Kathy and took these photos just for you!

After dinner it was back to the chair, snap snap! And of course Keren finished it!!! In one day!!! That’s power sewing, I tell you.

Then she died.

Just kidding. This was a cinch for Keren. She says she actually enjoyed doing it. I’m not sure I believe her but I do realize how valuable her labor is. I couldn’t afford to hire someone to do this for me. I could have done it myself but it wouldn’t have been as nice.

So to show my appreciation for it, I’m going to sit in it every chance I get! Thank you Keren! My old ugly sad chair isn’t old or ugly or sad anymore.