I had this idea. I’d had it for a while. I have this tendency to get an idea for a project and then proceed to obsess about it until I complete it. Sometimes this works in my favor. Other times, no so much.

You’ve seen this chair.

This wicker rocker is vintage. I paid about $60 for it, due to a slight bit of damage to the wicker in the back. At the time, it was no big deal. Over time, more and more of the wicker has broken.

Much of the left side had detached, and the top of the back had pulled away from the frame.

I wouldn’t let Don sit in it anymore.

So I thought if I could buy something like this jute that is often used in upholstery, I might be able to attach it in horizontal strips and the strips would become the support for the cushion. The colors are much the same as the colors used in the cushions. It would be Funky but Functional.

Maybe I’ve coined a new DIY phrase? I’d be happy to sell it to anybody who might be interested…

I got home from buying the jute at Joanne’s and asked Don to help me figure out the best way to use it. At first we were going to work with the back as is. But then it became clear that we would have to cut away the wicker and fashion something new. (In the midst of all of this, Don was getting ready for a gig that he had that evening.) I kept insisting that he come help me. I had a bee in my bonnet.

The job got so messy that we had to move it out on the porch. The problem? Those pieces of wicker that form the diagonal criss-cross design were wrapped around wire. We had to clip the wires. And they were rusty. Swearing and cussing ensued.

Then I cut my finger on one of the rusty wires. It was a very small cut and I washed it out and put on Neosporin, but we kept wondering about tetanus. We were sort of sure that it would be okay, but a little doubt lingered. We googled tetanus. When we read that it could happen with a ‘pinprick’ we decided I should get a shot. It was now 6 or so in the evening. The porch was a mess, Don had to play that night and I was going to have to drive him to his gig, go to Urgent Care and get the shot and then go back to pick him up. Frankly, I had been hoping not to see another doctor for a long while.

I got the shot, went to the restaurant where Don was performing, had some pizza while listening to him sing (he was great,) packed everything up and got home around 9:00.

In the midst of unloading the car, somehow Riley got out of the enclosed part of the yard. That never happens. I kept thinking he must be inside somewhere. He wasn’t.

We couldn’t find him. It was very dark. We ran to get flashlights, frantically calling for him. No Riley. We couldn’t figure out how he could get very far. Remember, he moves very slowly. I ran up to the woods, shining my flashlight, calling his name. Don was all over the front yard, doing the same. I ran across the street, looking for him on our neighbors’ property. This went on for what seemed like forever but was probably less than 10 minutes. My heart was pounding. No Riley. Don decided to get in the car and see if he was down the road. While he was getting ready to pull out, I tried the front yard again. This time, as I scanned the front of my yard with a flashlight, I caught a glimpse of his face, down by the willow tree. Thank goodness! He’d fallen into the culvert and he couldn’t get out. He was scared. I got him out. He emerged, dirty and frightened, but with no injuries.

Once my pulse rate returned to normal, I sat with him on the floor and told him he was safe and that we would never let that happen again. In retrospect, I am oh so grateful for the culvert. It stopped him from going into the road. And because he is so weakened in his rear legs, he didn’t have the strength to get out. So he remained ‘safe’ until I could get to him.

I woke up at 5 am this morning (an annoying habit of late.) Definitely not enough sleep.

The chair remains a big problem.

But Riley is safe.