Life's full of Patina and Memories

Being from the south I often have the hard headed assumption that many great inventions MUST have started here. I'd love to give this same assumption to the hanging swing. However, since evidence of swings have often been found on Grecian pottery and in british paintings, I just can't give the south credit for this one. But if the south didn't invent to swing, we truly perfected it. We've made it a part of daily life by using swings to relax, entertain, and even date. Homes just don't seem welcoming enough without this wonderful seating option.

My childhood had a lot of moments built around my nannies swing and her sweet ice tea. Though I've tried I just can't seem to recreate that tea! But nothing's stopping me from owning a swing.

The other day, while thumbing through Craig's list posts, I stumbled across a hanging swing. At $25 and 10 years old, it was beautiful. I quickly called the postings contact number and informed my husband I was headed to the next county to meet a man in the middle of no where where I could pick up my gem. He rolled his eyes, picked up his keys, and explained to me he was not up for identifying my body at the morgue later after my possible backwoods craigslist assault.
He lovingly drove me.

The gentlemen selling the swing was in his early 60s, very nice and from out of town. He explained that he had returned to town to sell off his late parents estate. There, stacked among boxes of books, furniture, and lamps, was my swing. It was more beautiful then I could possibly imagine. The once fresh coat of seafoam green paint now had an aged patina appearance. But the beauty was more then wood deep. This swing had a history. I'd like to assume this couple was happy. I can imagine them sitting on it for hours, enjoying each others company and probably a glass of ice tea. Because of this I decided to try to save as much of this swing as I can.

The mission is simple.
-Replace all the screws/bolts that keep me from falling in the ground.
-Scrub the swing clean but save the beautiful patina.
-Do my best to polyurethane and protect the wood.
-Work on padding or cushioning the swing so it doesn't sit forgotten in the tree.

The chair might fall apart before the project it done.
I might require a tetanus shot at some point.

I'm gonna fight to make this swing a part of my new home and I hope to add to it a lot of wonderful memories in these next years of its life.

Update 7-24: We have finally made it into our new home and I am proud to say my "little swing that could" has found a new life in our beautiful magnolia tree. My dear hubby tried to surprise me one evening by hanging it before I came home. Though the gesture was sweet, the outcome was not to be. After hanging our little gem he sat back and relaxed a bit. Roughly a minute later the swing chains decided they had enough and deposited my husband on the ground with a SNAP! Worry not, what he thought was a broken finger was really just a good jammed one. After the swelling went down, we purchased new hanging chains and replaced the swing lovingly in its proper place. Now Burlap outdoor pillows and hanging lanterns to follow.

Final update: Swing and lanterns are done! She just needed some cushion for the pushin!