Today is all about keeping it real.

The realest of the real.

The kind of real where you don’t want to talk about real and you want to act like real doesn’t exist and you want to hide your head under the covers and talk about anything else besides real.

See this table?

This incredible, amazing, wonderful first-time table that my husband built.

See how great it looks from this angle?

And this angle?

I know, right?  I am so all about it too.

But here’s the thing.  I’ve edited and cropped and strategically placed the camera and the dough bowl to make it look tablicious.

Except.

{gulp}

Except the end of the table really looks like this.

I  have to be completely fair.

It didn’t look anything like this when my husband built it at home.

The boards weren’t warped.  Everything was straight and perfect and farmhouse with a side of industrial.

He built the table at home with 10 foot long boards.  And then?  We realized that we couldn’t get the table up the stairs because it was so big, so he took it all apart and put it on the porch to get ready to load it up in the truck and drive the two hours to Nashville later.

And then?

It stormed.

And poured rain.

And the boards got soaked and we didn’t realize they were warped until we drove two hours and unpacked all the pieces and carried them up the stairs with the table legs and built the table in the room….

….and then saw this.

He was devastated.

I told him not to worry.  I told him it was okay.  I told him that farmhouse tables are a little rustic.  I told him I’d add a throw over the end so no one could see the warping.  I told him no one would even notice a tiny thing like that in a giant ballroom.

But still he worried.

We tried to fix the table that day, but there wasn’t enough time.  They were closing the house and we had to get back for one of the kid’s events and we couldn’t fix it and we had to leave all that warping behind.

I saw it on his face as we drove away.  All that hard work.  All that lugging the boards up the stairs.  All that time and effort and hours in his workshop and he worried that all people would see was the warped table top.

And then?

I had an idea.

Just in case you were wondering….I have connections.

I know superman.

And sometimes when he’s not wearing a cape and hiding out in phone booths and leaping over buildings in a single bound…

…he fixes tables.

Last Friday, twenty minutes before the House for Hope opened for tours, superman showed up with a bag full of tools and his incredible wife who just happens to one of my dearest friends and the host of Talk of the Town in Nashville on Channel 5.

He calmly surveyed the project, found a piece of scrap wood, screwed it underneath the table, sanded it down, sawed off the end to make it all match perfectly, swept everything up, cleaned up the sawdust…

…and saved the day.

Then he wiped off his hands, waved to the crowd, wrapped himself in his cape, picked up his tool bag….

….and flew away.

Off towards lands unknown.

Off on other missions.

Off to fight crime, meet up with Batman and Robin and keep our cities safe…

….leaving behind a table top that looks like this.

My hero. 🙂

PS  I cannot thank Dan and Meryll enough for being such amazing friends.

PPS And a giant shout out for the cutest, kindest, hardest working, incredible twinkly-eyed carpenter who made the entire table possible.

He’s the original superhero. 🙂

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Comments

  1. Image for Charley Charley

    WOW. Good for your making sure you are always connected. That's being nice and making friends & family before you even know how much you'll need them.

  2. Image for Rowena Philbeck Rowena Philbeck

    WOW awesome and to have such a great friend as superman to save the day and his sidekick wife!!! Great story and love the table!!

  3. Image for Kathy Holbrook Kathy Holbrook

    Your husband did a great job. That would of been devestating. Thats so awesome you had someone who could fix it. It's a very cool table. Wonderful job to everyone involved.

  4. Image for Cecilia Cecilia

    Awwww. Poor husband. All that hard work then having to leave it must have been hard on him. Thank goodness for superman #2! All's well that ends well. Here's to all the supermen in our lives (thanks for rescuing us)! ?

  5. Image for sandi sandi

    Love it! My 4 yr. old grandson would like to meet this superhero! Well, probably both of them---and I would like to meet you---maybe one day when I come to America. You rock!

  6. Image for Nancy @ Slightly Coastal Nancy @ Slightly Coastal

    Love the table. Love the story. Love that you have friends in handy places. I love a square legged modern but yet farmhouse table any day of the week. In fact, my new table has similar lines but less of a story. :) Have a great day friend! Nancy

  7. Image for Barbara Moore Barbara Moore

    Don't you just LOVE a good friend?? You have a bajillion. And deserve every single one. Beautiful table. Beautiful room. Another job well done, good friend.

  8. Image for kim domingue kim domingue

    Lol! Superman comes in all shapes, sizes..... and genders! We take turns with the cape around here. Everybody gets to wear it occasionally! Not too long back, it was the hub's cousin's husband who fixed our 30 year old waterheater with a $10 part. This is after overhearing me telling his wife that it was going to run me over a thousand dollars to replace it between the cost of the unit and the installation charges! He insisted on taking a look at it and figured out that something with the element was wrong. Ten dollars and two hours later, hot water again! Glad you had a Superman come to the rescue in the nick of time! P.S. Tell your hubs that I think his table is da bomb!

  9. Image for Ellen Ellen

    This reminds me of something that happened a long time ago, when my youngest daughter was 5 yrs. old. Just before Christmas that year she wanted a doll by Fisher-Price called My Friend, which was a group of dolls. While we were looking them over ( before writing the Santa letter) she couldn't chose just one. I asked her to choose just one and she sweetly looked at me and said, "Mommy, you can NEVER have too many friends"! She was right because a friend will always be there when you need them. I must repeat that the table is gorgeous and crafted by a real Superman, then assisted by another Superman to save the day. Thank-you for always keeping it real. P.S. She got three of the Friends for Christmas!!

  10. Image for Leslie Watkins Leslie Watkins

    And to persevere when there's a bump in the road and see the rainbow at the end of that road...that's you, friend. Always encouraging and handing out capes to all of us...I think I have one you gave me that needs to be pulled out and worn.. thanks for reminding me again! That's what you do best.

  11. Image for Helen Helen

    I'm going to tour the house on Friday. Looking forward to seeing the fantastic job that you did on the room and the table.

  12. Image for Michelle Michelle

    Super heroes come in all shapes and sizes, don't they? And sometimes super heroes wear red lipstick and have connections ;-) I can just imagine the look on your husband's face and how you hurt for him, but thank goodness for super heroes who save the day! I think all of you who worked so hard on this wonderful project to make it perfect are super heroes.

  13. Image for Nan, Odessa, DE Nan, Odessa, DE

    Tell your husband it DID NOT stop your crowd. We all want to order one and he can charge XTRA for the warp. You two are a pair. Keep on tell'n it!

  14. Image for Terri Terri

    WOWOWOWOW.... amazing .... Seriously... ONLY YOU would have TWO Supermen !!!!! The table is beyond beautiful !!! I just want to run my hands over the top !!! .. Just to feel that "Wood" ...... :).. Nice Save !!!!!!

  15. Image for NormaJean NormaJean

    Karieanne, "THE" table and those awesome game boards were were my favorite things in a house full of awesome things!! I may be a little biased, but YOURS was my favorite room.

  16. Image for Teresa Gonzales Teresa Gonzales

    Love the table and the fact that Superman came through makes the table even more special! I'm sure you had a few nail biting moments to get there....

  17. Image for Angie M Angie M

    Sweet sweet story! I felt horrible for your husband and so happy that you had a second superman on speed dial!

  18. Image for Elisabeth Elisabeth

    The table looks great. That would be a major disappointment for anyone if their project was damaged after spending so much time on it. I'm glad it could be fixed so handily. Great job to both your superman's. :)

  19. Image for Heather C Heather C

    How wonderful, we all need a superman from time to time to help with those things that go awry. I'm glad he came along.

  20. Image for Judy H Cranford Judy H Cranford

    A friend & I made a road trip to Franklin on Sunday to visit friends, tour the House of Hope, & do a little antiquing. We toured the house on Monday. Our favorite room by far was yours, then the bunk room. My style varies, but I have never been a modern, mid century modern or contemporary. I am aware that everyone has different tastes & am so glad. What a dull, boring world this would be if everyone liked the same thing. Hope the house makes lots of money for the charity.

  21. Image for Robin Wood Robin Wood

    YaY Superman, that is "Mr. Twinkle Eye" to us regular folk. Thanks for being their Hero. This world sure could use more men like you. Hugs & Blessings Robin

  22. Image for Robin Wood Robin Wood

    Great job Mr. Thistlewood. Your table is gorgeous and now extra special because Superman put his touch on your work. Hugs & Blessings

  23. Image for Peg Peg

    "To infinity and beyond!!!" Oh, wait, different superhero but I'm sure you get me!! #thankheavenforfriends : )

  24. Image for Judy Judy

    The table looks great but what did "Superman" do to repair the warped board? It would be helpful to know how to repair a warped board because it has happened to me.

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