Miss Linda

I have a great new piece in the works, but it's not quite done yet. I know I need to share something with y'all or you might think I have abandoned you for good! Fear not! I am here. We have just been under siege by the stomach bug! It made its rounds, slowly, one-by-one, to everyone in my house last week! Needless to say, I am so glad that last week is over!

Enough with the apologies! I do have a make over to share with you, it's just not new (at least not to me)! When my husband and I were first married, I was just getting into painting furniture. And my in-laws had a fabulous buffet that I commented on, more than once.


My mother-in-law, Miss Linda (I live in the South and we call everybody Miss and Mr. it's a respect thing), was the kind of mom we all wish for. She made all four of her kids a hot breakfast every morning, she taught them everything a mother can. Mr. Rustic can cook, clean, sew, and decorate a cake with the best of them. He can also install an air conditioner, fix a car, lay tile, and just about anything else you could want done. He is a jack of all trades, but I digress! This post is not about him, it is about the woman who helped make him who he is. Miss Linda was a preacher's wife and she filled that role perfectly. She was a lover of family and was there to help any wayward soul that might need a helping hand. In short, she was the kind of woman we all strive to be. Sadly, I never got to see that side of her.

By the time Mr. Rustic and I got married in 1999, Miss Linda was well into an extended battle with Huntington's Disease. If you are like me, you have never heard of this disease, so let me give you a short definition from the Mayo Clinic:

"Huntington's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that causes certain nerve cells
in your brain to waste away. As a result, you may experience uncontrolled movements,
emotional disturbances, and mental deterioration."

It is not a pretty illness. It robs it's victims of years worth of living. It takes away their ability to function without around the clock help. Miss Linda fought this disease for more than 20 years and finally went home to Glory five years ago. I was so blessed to be there for her final moments in this world, to spend that precious time with all the people who loved her, to hear their stories of the woman she once was. I grew so much closer to my husband's family during that time and I am blessed to call them my own!


Not long after she passed, my sister-in-law offered me the buffet that I had loved from the start. Of course, I said yes! I am honored to have something that belonged to such a godly woman and phenomenal mother. I let it sit in our bedroom untouched for five years, afraid to touch her legacy. Then, this summer, I mentioned painting it Mr. Rustic. He jumped on board. It really did need an update. And I quickly realized that I could never take away how special she was and she would want me to enjoy this piece to the fullest.

I didn't take a "Before" picture because it was before I was blogging, but here is the "After"

I absolutely love the way it turned out!

Just look at the way the glazed finish jumps out and you!

And Hobby Lobby had the PERFECT knobs!

I hope you have a special piece of furniture in your home! Just remember you don't have to keep it just the way it is to honor the person who gave it to you! Thanks for stopping by!