We have retired the sectional couch that has been a "resting place" for nearly 2 decades! During it's sojourn it was reupholstered once and cleaned regularly but the couch has gone well beyond it's prime! Bidding farewell to a couch brings nostalgia; in my mind's eye I picture memories from past (and dearly departed) couches!
The 1st couch we bought reminds me of teaching Seminary in our home in Boston. The Stake President's son would arrive at 6 am and go directly to sleep on that couch! Years later he told me that he actually did like Seminary but feigning sleep kept him looking cool!
Our playroom couch in La Jolla brings memories of Webb and Willie Armstrong making forts and surfboards from the cushions. Kids universally love to build forts from couch cushions but the surfboard construction might be indigenous to SoCal kids! The boys looked so cute riding the waves in their overalls atop stacks of couch cushions! They'd surf, tip over, and rebuild, over and over and over!
The couch we are currently "putting down" will always remind me of Katie Larson breaking her leg at our home in Seattle. Julie, Kerry, Brent and I returned from the movies to find the kids stacking all the cushions in a huge heap and jumping from our playroom loft overhang onto the TV room floor (the drop was probably 10 feet). It looked high risk but it also looked fun! On Katie's turn, her left foot landed in between pillows hitting the hard wood floor and her screams of pain were instant and unrelenting!
Poor Katie ended up with a broken leg! The four parents, well, we were all a little embarrassed that we watched it happen right before our eyes and didn't foresee the danger! Luckily, Katie took it in stride (no pun intended) and the Larsons didn't sue us (of course they/we were all complicit - 4 idiot parent bystanders).
So, another Knudsen Couch bites the dust! As for the leather replacement/upgrade: I wonder what sorts of memories this new sofa set has in store? We've had sleeping students, little "surfer" boys, and broken legs from previous purchases! Given a little time I'm sure this new sectional will develop some memorable moments and a personality all it's own!
