Dad

Dad
in his backyard haven

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Four Poster Bed

I'll always remember the day I bought our four poster queen bed in Little Rock, AR.  The side rails measure 24 inches from floor to the top of the rail.  The mattress raised the bed height to over 32 inches.  We needed step stools to get into bed.  Joe came home and declared: HAVE A BED!
Over the years the bed has become a bit challenging but when it was time to replace the mattress we discovered new mattresses are 16 inches thick.  When the installers put the new mattress and box springs on the already high bed the top measured 40 inches from the floor.  On two occasions Den managed to tangle his feet in the sheets and fell while trying to get out - once hanging until I could release him.
With his recent illness I couldn't put Den into the "high bed" so he's been camping in the guest room with a standard 24 inch mattress height.  I decided to try to accommodate his return to OUR bed.  I ran to the nearest mattress shop and ordered a "bunkie-board".  This 1 1/2 in. padded board originated as a foundation for bunkbeds.  I guess with the advent of newer thick mattresses the bunkie-board is now made in all sizes.  
Yesterday two kind gentlemen arrived with our bunkie-board.  It IS a fete to get such things up the curved staircase so it was a celebration that nothing was destroyed on the journey.  
I explained our dilemma.  The height problem was still an issue because the side rails and slats are still so high that even replacing the box spring with a bunkie-board would lower the height sufficiently for anyone to just sit on the edge of the bed.   The older gent scratched his beard - then proclaimed "what you really need is a metal bed frame".   Dialogue about time, etc.  We had a medical appointment in 75 minutes.  They said we can do it and off they ran.  They were back in 20 minutes and assembled the bed with original box spring - but it still looked too high.  So, says I with tape measure in hand - no - we'll use the bunkie-board and that will bring the bed to exactly 24 inches.  They did it and I tipped them handsomely and off they went - off we went....
After the med visit I came home to make the bed.  The mattress was so snug inside the bed-frame that I couldn't get the fitted sheet in place @#%**!!.  Finally the battle was over - but - when I sat on the edge of the bed the side rails slapped me in the thighs and I tumbled back into the feathers with legs dangling over the rails!!!  Talk about a "hanging"...
What to do -  -  
By now dear Mariann had arrived to help me put the mess together.  We decided to high-tail it back to the mattress shop and retrieve the original box spring.   I'm sure the mattress dealer is thinkin' this lady needs a trip to Patton (State hospital).  Negotiations ensued and tomorrow we get the rescued box spring back.  I get to return the bunkie-board for store credit - hurray, new pillows!
If that doesn't work - does anyone want a four poster bed?





2 comments:

  1. Time to sell the bed Mom. Can I recommend a lovely sleigh bed instead?

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  2. I loved that bed!! As a kid it was our 'stage'. Since the four posts were so tall they came a part in pieces. The top piece was the perfect microphone. We'd climb on top of that thing and grab our finial microphones and bounce and sing.

    I also remember what a great place it was to hide under that thing. Plenty of head room for a 4 year old. Until i decided I'd straighten out the horizontal pieces of wood and they started falling out. Like a victim in a collapsed building, I called out for a rescue. Mom, you came. I had feared the entire bed was going to fall in on me.

    I also remember falling asleep in your bed as a kid. One night I woke up to a kitten walking across my face. I think is was Inky or Binky. Dad had rescued it from the river in Arkansas and brought it home. He woke me up with it. It was a dream come true to wake to tiny black kitten paws across my face. A nightmare for mom.

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