Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Chair

Gerry said I had to lay off the Florida Keys blogs for a while, so I came up with this.  Barbara asked if it was THE CHAIR in one of the recent blogs about the Keys.  I got to thinking about how old the chair was and went back and checked some pictures from the past.  As far as I can tell we bought a chair set circa 1965 and one of the chairs had redwood slats on an aluminum frame.  This chair keeps popping up in photos over the years.

The first photo I could find of the chair was taken in 1966 at the Ten-X campground outside of the Grand Canyon.  We had a popup camper and went west on a 6 week trip and Gerry's sister Darlene came with us.  Darlene, Gerry, Barbara and Cassie are in this photo with Gerry sitting in one of the original chairs.

1966

 It reappeared once again on an Easter camping trip to Sun-N-Fun campground in Sarasota, FL in 1969.  Gerry and I are enjoying some adult beverages while Barbara is taking the photo.

1969
 The chair appears in this grainy photo taken on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, WI in 1975.  By this time Larry Jr. had joined Cassie, Barbara, Gerry and me on a trip out to Illinois, Minnesota, Canada and back to Maryland.  


1975
 The chair is hiding behind the 2nd picnic table on our patio at the house in Maryland.  Barbara was a real tomboy and we had to put an end to her playing touch football with the boys in the neighborhood.


1976
 Gerry, Larry Jr. and I moved overseas for a number of years and we left the chair behind.  When we returned it came in handy with our camping down in the Florida Keys.  


1997  Long Key State Park, FL
Erin had the honor of sitting in the chair in this photo taken in our back yard.  Cassie & I joined her in celebrating some event.

1999  Maryland
 Once again the chair is hiding by the picnic table on our patio.  I do remember this event was a celebration for Gerry and my 65th birthday with all the family there.


2004  Happy Birthday

Barbara & Henry came up to the cabin and spent a week visiting us there.  Tom was the guest of honor who sat in the chair this year.  We enjoyed sitting around a campfire burning some of the huge amount of firewood we have up there.

2012  Where are the marshmellows?
 Just so you aren't worried about the chair, Grant was the guest of honor this year after we returned from his 1 month trip in the motorhome.   


2013 Cabin in South Mountain, PA
As far as I can tell, the chair is 48 years old this year.  No, it wasn't made in China.  It was a good old American Made chair built to last.  Do  you think the Chinese chairs will last that long?

If you have read the blog this far expecting something other than the story of the chair, then I am sorry if I disappointed you.  This story is like the Shaggy Dog story that is a favorite of Darlene.

Yes, Barbara it is THE CHAIR.  That is all for the night and I hope Gerry leaves the Florida pictures in for the final edit.  

Good night all and stay warm if you are back in the midwest or eastern part of the U.S.

4 comments:

  1. I bet no one has a chair that has lasted that long or visited so many places...as a matter of fact the chair has probably seen more of America then I have!! Good story and great time line.
    YFSILINC

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  2. That is incredible. I cannot imagine any chair that we have lasting for 10 years let alone 48. And you have pictures of it all throughout those years. That is wonderful.

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  3. I want to know why you never told us that your are Jack Nicholson's twin brother. The popup picture looks just like him. Gerry is still beautiful as ever.

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  4. And last October we used the chair for some marshmallows by the fire. I think I just might submit the story to Readers Digest, to show American it can be built to last! And kids if you take care of things it just might last also.

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