Putting Together the New Patio Furniture This Week
We had been putting off the patio furniture for a couple months now. The old chairs were starting to wobble and the table had a crack across one side that we kept ignoring. Ren found a basic set online that looked sturdy enough, so we ordered it and picked it up from the store in Westbridge on Saturday morning. The drive took longer than usual because of the summer dust that kicks up along the highway this time of year, turning the windshield into a hazy film that the wipers only smeared around. I remember the radio playing some old country song with the windows cracked, the warm air smelling like dry grass and asphalt.
Assembly took most of the afternoon. The instructions were clear enough but one of the leg pieces had a small dent that made it sit uneven. We ended up propping it with a folded piece of cardboard until we could grab the right tool later. Ren handled the bigger bolts while I sorted the smaller hardware into little piles on the deck, the metal clinking softly against the wood whenever a breeze came through. The sun had shifted enough that we had to keep scooting the parts into shade, and at one point a screw rolled under the railing and I had to fish it out with a broom handle. By the time we finished, the chairs actually felt solid. We sat out there for a while afterward with cold drinks and watched the neighbor’s dog run laps around their yard, its tags jingling every time it cut a sharp turn past the tomato plants. The ice in my glass had already started to melt, leaving a ring on the new armrest.
Later I tried a new recipe I had saved from last month. It was a simple chicken and rice dish with some vegetables thrown in. I picked up a small tin of preserved fireplums at the store to see how they would work as a topping. They added a bit of sweetness but the texture was thicker than I expected, so I stirred them in at the end instead of cooking them down. The kitchen still smelled like the cumin and garlic from earlier, and I had to open the window because the steam kept fogging up the glass. The whole thing turned out fine, nothing special but easy enough for a weeknight, though I did end up rinsing the cutting board twice because the onion smell lingered on my hands.
Lissa texted in the evening asking if we wanted to meet for coffee next week. She mentioned her work schedule has been all over the place lately. We caught up for a few minutes about the usual things, nothing major. I still need to reply to her about the exact time. Ren was already half-asleep on the couch by then, one arm draped over the remote.
Sunday was mostly errands and laundry. I put away the last of the groceries and reorganized the spice shelf because a few jars had gotten pushed to the back. Ren watched part of a documentary about Lincoln’s second term while folding towels. It was interesting enough but I only caught bits of it between loads. The rest of the day went by without much happening. The patio set already feels like it has been there longer than it has. We might add a small rug or some cushions later if we can find ones that match. For now it is nice to have a place to sit outside again without worrying about the old chairs giving out.
