revive
refresh
My parents were farmers from Europe where everything was repurposed, recycled, or refurbished. When my parents came to this country, they began humbly. In a home of six children, everything you can imagine was multipurpose: clothes, rooms, furniture. My mother was a seamstress and made much of our clothing. One year, she made our sundresses out of mismatched sheets. Today, I am the nostalgic owner of a beach blanket made out of my childhood sheets and old draperies.
Rejuvinate
Giving new life to a dollhouse someone built for a beloved child brings me great joy. The second dollhouse I restored was special. It was built by a man, who returned from World War II, for his wife. It was passed down through enough relatives that their story was forgotten, but under one of the living room wooden tiles I found a tiny note scripted, "I will love you forever". I gently returned the note to its proper place and proceeded to restore the floor rather than replace it.
