  i take in stray furniture.  i think that if i could,  i would also take in stray animals,  but there are things preventing that:  renting our house,  working full time,
 ongoing upkeep costs,  emotional attachment,  you get the idea.  stray furniture is much easier- it's free or low- cost,
 sometimes takes some money to fix up,  but after that it's only requirement is space.  which we do not have.  stray furniture we have at the moment:  - tall dresser (
acquired from my brother- in- law this weekend,  requires full refinishing- plus there's another in their garage that we couldn't fit)  -
table and four chairs ( 50s,  circular table,  painted all legs,  began upholstering chair pads)  -
two straight- back fully upholstered dining chairs ( pottery- barn style,  yet authentic,  acquired at a dumpster down the street,
 nearly completely reupholstered,  needing tacks down the sides)  - four orange and brown metal and vinyl chairs ( acquired from same dumpster,  scrubbed,
 frames repainted- complete)  - three aqua and white chrome framed chairs ( acquired for free from a listserve)  -
glass and metal oval two- tiered beverage cart ( acquired by j from a plumbing job for free,  metal repainted)  - two nice antique radio consoles (
acquired from j's grandparents)  - one crappy old radio console ( acquired in a trade by me- for painting designs in a friend's bathroom)  -
one glass dining room table ( acquired for $ 40 from a listserve)  - one large clawfoot dining room table with leaves ( acquired from j's family)
 - one antique sideboard ( acquired from j's family)  - one 50s couch ( 85 at a consignment shop)
 - one swivel rocker ( 35 at same consignment shop- at dump now,  since we bought a La- Z-
Boy)  - one bedroom set ( bed and dresser with mirror;  tall dresser is at j's brother's in Phoenix,  acquired from j's family)
 - one Hitchcock coffee table ( from j's family)  I'm pretty sure there's more,  but you get the idea.  our house is chock-
full.  and i have a new project for this weekend:
