modern marriage

When I was, maybe 15 or 16, I found these pillars that my grampa had carved. They were painted teal green, and they were so old that the paint was chipping and breaking off.

My mom told me that there was this really stuffy Army wife she knew, who was married to someone in my dad's company. She said, "She would look at something like that and say oh how... oh, what's that word, it's not 'rustic', and it's not 'antique', oh it starts with a P."

For YEARS, my mom has not been able to remember the P adjective that this little Officer's Wife used to make fun of antique furniture. And every time we see a piece of furniture that has seriously chipped paint, she tells the story. And every time, she hasn't been able to remember the word. NOTHING has been able to jog her memory. No matter how many thesaurus' we consult, no matter how many times she re-thinks the story.

Until this morning.

Mom and I were sitting in the living room, and I mentioned how her china closet would look better if it were painted white. Once again, she starts the flashback.

Mom: There was this really snotty Officer's wife who--

Me: Yeah, she made fun of antique furniture and she called it something that you can't remember?

Mom: Yes!

Me: haha, you tell that story every time I mention something rustic.

Mom: And I still can't remember that damn word!

We're going through an online thesaurus when my dad comes upstairs. My dad has been out running errands all day. This is literally how the conversation went:

Mom: Larry, do you remember that snotty officer's wife who--

Dad: Yeah, she used to call the furniture primitive.

Mom: THAT'S THE WORD!


True love.


Also, the worst description for rustic furniture, ever.


Interesting post script: My dad remembers this story from almost 20 years ago with no coaching, and ten minutes later, my mom asked him to remember the name of a soldier who he worked with three years ago, and my dad couldn't remember. True dad.