oh dear, what have I done

When I am in town, I spend Saturday morning's at the Ramstein flea market, an old brick building that has maybe 10-15 vendors. It has cement floors and regardless the weather it is chilly but it is enclosed (a plus for rainy days) and there is an air of community, friendship, familiarity and a really outstanding cafe. I go with my friend Z, and we always stay long enough so we can enjoy an early lunch of rot-wurst, pomme frittes and cola. We have our favorite "room" where we eat, furnished with a traditional German wrap-around wood boothe and colorful table cloth. There is a wood stove, old dolls, wash boards, bright tins from the early 1900's, ashtrays. The woman who runs the cafe ( I need to learn her name ) thinks I understand German, and looks to me for translation whenever Z says anything. I frankly don't know what either one of them are saying half of the time (Z slips into ebonics) but it always works out. We order, go to our room, and the food appears. A beautiful Saturday morning.

Today was no different. Except that I made an impulsive purchase. Keep in mind, I have not even unpacked my recently purchase Cuckoo Clock in case I need to ship it to the states, should I not have a job in 6 weeks. But, I saw this table and I absolutely loved it. It is 150 years old, 44x34 inches, one drawer on the end, and it has leaves that pull out for additional space. There are no nails, just a beautifully constructed piece of furniture.

I have a table and I have chairs...from Denmark, which I bought on the virtual flea market, Ramstein Yard Sales. It is fine. A little modern but it works. I don't need a table!

Somehow, we got the new table home. Z may have broken a finger in the process and I most certainly had cardiac issues carrying this beautiful table up 2 flights of stairs but here it is.

 

I immediately took picture of my existing table so I could post it on Ramstien Yard Sales before carrying it down to the my storage room in the basement.

 

A friend dropped by after Z left and we were admiring the "new" table. I pulled up the chairs and discovered that this is not a table at all. Legs do not fit under the table while sitting in chairs. One would have to sit 12-18 inches from the table in order to reach the plate. I bought an old "preparation" table, one that would be used for kneading bread dough, building pies, cutting corn from husk, I don't know. All I know is that it is not intended for "dining."

Still, it is a beautiful table altho' it sits in my LIVING room and it cannot stay. I can either move it into the third bedroom and use it as a utilitarian desk for "projects" such as mosaics etc., or I can list it on ramstein yard sales. What a total bummer! AND, I still don't know how long I am "enlisted."

Oh dear. What have I done? Impulse shopping is never a good idea :-(