Making up for lost decades
We met when we were eight years old. We then orbited in proximity for five years. I knew Colleen (back then), though we remained not much more than acquaintances. We lost track of one another for nearly five decades. And now? We’re trying to make up for a lot of time. Does accumulating stuff help? … a lot of stuff? I would not know. We just go with it. One Santa, two Santa… one leads to another and another. You would think we were an old married couple. Well, old yes; together, not nearly as long as we will be from now on. If I had one wish….
Detail
I shoot a lot (of images). Most are duds. Some images strike me when I edit. The good news is that there are many more good images. So, my edits have been more gestalt. I look through the images about 28 at a time. There are standouts that get another look. And then, another pass; maybe something will still catch me and I’ll pull the image. It’s nice to have a lot of choices. Who shoots grapefruit? Hey! It’s a Longaberger pie plate! …and stand. They go for big money these days. My artificial flowers are a mixed bag. You don’t put orchids with geranium. Fiber ready to be woven, the finished product is in Colleen’s imagination and skill.
Pottery
Still life. I think I don’t sit around long enough to really have interest in non-moving objects. My interest is more photojournalism. Or, sunset. So still life is an occasional subject. But I am always on the lookout for good light. And still life is more patient than humans – sometimes. When it works, it’s a good thing. Right!
Cacti
Well, I bought my love a cactus for Valentine’s. Actually two, and then I got an orchid…(later post). It was sort of a joke. She’s definitely not prickly. I am,… if I forget to shave. The red cactus is real. The green is dyed? It seems unnatural. I’m not sure. There was a purple one too. So, I think it’s like an Easter chick – dyed. I’m glad I don’t see Easter chicks for sale. For now, the brilliant green cactus seems happy enough. I water faithfully.
Thaddeus
It’s not a popular name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaddeus
Thaddeus (Greek Θαδδαῖος, Thaddaios, from Aramaic תדי, Taddai / Aday) is a male given name. It means a heart or courageous heart. As of the 1990 Census, ‘Thaddeus‘ was the 611th most popular male name in the United States, while ‘Thad’, its diminutive version, was the 846th most popular.
I recall the name. I recall Thaddeus Potgalki. I have misspelled it. He was a hippie in my high school class. Mid 1960’s – duh! He had a beard before I had arm hair. I recall my chemistry teacher Mr. Schindler slowly savor his name as he pronounced it. He next appears in my memory in my high school English class when he gave a thundering delivery of a poetic piece. He was destined for drama as I was for science and medicine. I hope he did well.
Santa
I got lost. Lost track of time. I had scheduled posts back in December until now and did not realize that I have not posted in several days. It’s been hectic. But not too bad… catching up. I know. I know. It’s long beyond Christmas. But I just came across this image. Origin: Antique Store – Ohio. We had one growing up. It’s not exact but a close facsimile. Enough to trigger a memory. We fought over it. I know this. I do not remember what the dispute was about. By default my brother Eric has the Santa. He’s the last one home. I’ve seen him light it at Xmas time. Nostalgia.
Speaking of tardiness: We did not return home from travel until December 20. Try and buy a Christmas tree in Rehoboth, Delaware then. Nope. We did Lowe’s and Home Depot. They carry fresh trees at reasonable price. Nope. There were a few “Charlie Brown” trees. Sadly. And for $60. Oh boy! Plan B. We drove 50 miles north to Dover. Ha! Double ha ha! We found a few trees at Home Depot – $60 – semi acceptable. And Lowes? As we walked in, the sales clerk said, “Half price, everything just went half price.” Clearance! We got a tree, a large poinsettia, and several other small live trees/bushes for the mere price of $39. Yes! A fortuitous bargain. The tree turned out to be perfect after we trimmed it. I’m too OCD to wait again. Next year I’ll remember to get a tree sooner.
Old
We were in an old one room schoolhouse. It had been built by a millionaire in tribute to his mom. That made it a bit fancier than your ordinary school. But it was old and finally moved and restored. It was fortunate. We don’t keep most things once they are abandoned. There was an old Seth Thomas clock on the wall. I’m a bit more conversant with old clocks now. It’s amazing what a year of experience brings. There’s a label behind the glass door. What’s goofy is that I have the same clock with the same label. My door has a mirror (the old one was probably replaced). But, it’s neat to see something old that I have reference with. Yawn! But to me it’s special to realize that my bargain purchase is legitimate. I paid so little I was afraid it was a complete fake.
Racks
Built them. Me. It was another simple (learning) project. Ha ha, you can’t even see the wood (mistakes). We have a lot of cones of yarn. Projects line up. You can never have enough “stash.” Just ask any weaver. I’ve been to a few estate sales. There were tons of cones on sale for pennies on the dollar. I would have to say that the cones move from home to home circulating from weaver to weaver. Sometimes things are made… Anyway, there is a lot of stuff and an excellent color palette. And I hope some product is forthcoming. Meanwhile it’s nice to see color in the room. Oh! The cords are all up out of the reach of the cats.
Spindle
Made it. Me. I made it. Them. I recall the words of Barry Schact of Schact Spindle Company. The company started by making spindles from door knobs. It’s pretty simple really. You need a dowel and a round (knob) object. The funny thing is that we visited The Woolery. They had spindles from $12 to $100. And I am sure they are even more expensive as the intricate artwork is embellished. See: “Golding” (like the Ferrari of weaving gear). Duh! So I got an old spinning wheel part (broken and discarded) and a round disc (Michael’s). The dowels are from Lowe’s. We don’t go to Home Depot anymore. They are bad politically. Hooks too. A little stain and finish, done. I guess the price was about $10 – the pair. Oh! Sorry! I got dowels in Michael’s; these were made from wood knitting needles (Michael’s). Dead simple and eminently more economical. Thank you Barry. (We actually met him in Boulder about this time a year ago.)
Barber Pole
Many years ago, one of the NYC daily papers did an article on barber poles and how they were gone (extinct). A few existed and were kept locked at night lest they be stolen. My barber at the time was featured in the article. His shop was called the Three Aces. A picture on the wall showed three deer hunters with fresh kills hanging. …except in one of the pictures they had cut out the hunter – presumably, the third ace who no longer seemed to work there or who had fallen out of favor somehow. The barbershop was up the block from where we lived and David was the guinea pig to try getting a haircut there first. He was maybe six or seven. He was cooperative and compliant so the barber took him on as a customer. At the end of each cut he got a lolly pop. His sister got one too since she sat patiently while he was trimmed. Then one day I took Dave alone. Afterward, the barber gave him two lolly pops – one for his sister… He promptly tore off the wrappers and stuck one pop in each side of his mouth. My quizzical look prompted the reply, “Jules will never know.” So, I started going too. And Dave would ask me if which “old guy” I used. It was pretty random. But there were new old guys that came and went which led to some strange comments like, “No, this time I got the new old guy.” To which Dave would ask, “The new old guy or the new new old guy, or the old new guy.” Needless to say, it would have been easier if we knew some names. But that is something neither of us ever became privy to.
Graphic
Someone decided to collect wheels. And then they restored them. There’s fresh paint and no rust. I got to be the end user. I got to take the picture. I like the graphic. To be sure these are old wheels.
Baby
Oakland, Maryland. Junior was tucked in a corner and had been marked down three times. “Lightbulb!” Look up the brand to find it’s provenance and worth. Ah! The price is less than you can get on eBay. It’s not pretty. It runs. The key!? No key! I need to get one. Surprisingly, most clocks and keys are separated from one another. It’s not a universal key. But one can be had on Amazon. Is there anything they don’t stock? Yes, parts for my Kieninger movement clock! Yes, the grandfather now has a grand baby. It’s a New England Clock Company steeple clock… just like the picture on the internet. ….needs work…right, twice a day.
Repair Job – Yes! Did it phewf!
It’s sad. My grandfather clock was an hour fast per day. When it broke down, it was correct twice a day (old joke). I suddenly had a very expensive paperweight in my living room (true life). That would never do. I had turned a working clock into trash. eBay! The replacement part retailed for $649. No!! I did not pay a fraction for the used works. Auction, bidding, success! (Long story short) $10.50 and postage was paid by the seller!
It did not fit. “Shit!” Oh, well, despair again! (Hey! I’m trying to fit a long story into a paragraph or two.) Old adage – in brain surgery – “if it doesn’t fit, …force it.” At the end an extra screw is not what you want to be seeing. I bet that makes you happy you asked? Nope, I finally used the auction part to tell me where all the gears went and in what order. Voila! Yes!! Really!!! I fit all those pieces and gears back in and I got it to work. It needs fine tuning. And in the course of things I found out why the clock doesn’t work right in the first place. Unfortunately, there was a piece broken before I ever messed with it. But now I’m ok to take a Kieninger clockwork apart. I can reassemble it with a little help. It’s mechanical. No jewels. No quartz. No springs. Hey, it’s not brain surgery!
Switch
The things I see; the things people collect’ the things that show up as “rescued;” the things someone will try to sell…oh my!
It’s an old telephone switchboard. Don’t ask. I don’t know how to work it. I know what it’s for. I grew up with a phone that you picked up the receiver and spoke to the operator who then put you through to your party. Yeah, they called it a “party.” Don’t ask. Back then I had a phone number with four digits. They added the three number exchange later. In West Virginia, we got 636-xxxx. It was quite a surprise to see that exchange is the most common even now. This all happened in the ‘60’s when I was a kid. Yes, ancient times.
Old
The really old one does not have a “QWERTY” keyboard. And it’s missing a key? I never would have looked…but (OCD) – “H” – it’s replaced by ‘tel.’ Oh well, go figure. They must have lost one. If I had to drop a letter it would be “Q.” Oh no! Not “Q.” I’m not saying I would. But if you had to lose a letter… I’m not implying that I have lost it…
Smudge Pot
You know I would never remember its name unless someone I know (equal age) uttered the words. Of course! Yup! That’s’ what it is. What? It was left beside roadside construction to warn drivers of hazard. They don’t have them anymore. Imagine what people save and restore to display in antique stores. No! I do not want one. Today the blinking yellow warning lights are battery operated and they set off my radar detector too. Yes, the things i will take a picture of…
Elvis is in the house
When I moved, I got the record collection by default. I simply could not bring myself to discard them. I kept the turntable. No one has played records in years. Yeah, yeah, there are you aficionados out there somewhere. I do not buy old records in antique stores. Do they still play? But recently several people have had a blast playing my old collection when they visited. Really?! Half the vinyl – I don’t remember or know where I got them. Well, at least they are not collecting dust any more. Dust jacket? Actually, they play pretty well. Maybe I’ll start shooting film again….not.
Cigarette?
Vending machines. No, those are not real (stale) packs of cigarettes. Classic brands! You don’t see these machines around any longer. We regulate and ban just about everything. But you can still legally buy cancer. Then, we have health care to take care of it. There’s one catch. You can’t buy health. And vending machines don’t sell cigarettes any more. Ah! Two…
Signs
Here are some recent signs I’ve run across. Old brands are fun. You may remember some. Or not. If you are certain age, then this is silly stuff. Someday you will have your own history to recall. Hey! These are such old signs that some of them are meaningless to me too.
Flags
I shoot images of the American flag when I come across them. Recently there were a series of patriotic shots in a row. Nice. Yay team! Lately, I’ve wondered which team and whether I support the coach. Sorry, no. Boo, coach!
Typewriter
I go to antique stores. It’s loosely defined as something older than 100 years. Cars don’t often live to one hundred and printed materials are frequently centuries old. I did a typewriter series a little bit ago. Typewriters date back to last century. How quaint! My connection to typewriters is with term papers I typed in the middle of the night. Mistakes were not tolerated (OCD me). Correct tape and erasers were frowned upon. Ah, well, it was an old Underwood for me. You may have used another. There’s a really old one pictured. The label said, “Don’t touch. This is a $500 typewriter.” Ha! Well, I moved the tag. What’s the point? No one uses film cameras any more either. I saw an Argus C3 “brick” for $45 and it’s junk on eBay for $6. You can dream. A treasure is worth what someone else is willing to pay. Anyone want a $500 typewriter?
Silk
New! We took apart silk worm cocoons. Yeah! That’s an actual worm inside. Don’t ask. PETA will be all over me. I eat meat too. Steak! Ham! Chicken! I’m not against them. (Ambiguous?)
Okay, soak the cocoons and then wind the silk off. I watched the YouTube. And then we screwed it all up. What I know? Wet warm water. A single fiber has great pull apart strength. We started with a couple – three strands and got it up to six or so. It worked pretty well. It looks a mess but in a beautiful way. Now too wash and then process. It’s not over. More to come…
How’d They Do That?
It beats me? This cloth was crafted with the little mountains. Oddly mesmerizing, I was amazed at the ingenuity. How’d they think of that? Brilliant!
Grandfather Clock
“My Grandfather’s clock was too tall for the shelf, so it stood ninety years on the floor…” The origin of the term grandfather clock was derived from this song. I bet you didn’t know that. And the Kieninger clock works company has been around for more than 100 years and is still going. It has made the inner workings of many clocks. That’s about what I know now. It’s worth something. It “wirks.” That is to say it ticks. Yes! It tells time. It does not chime…yet. I haven’t trouble shot the issue. The kitties are curious and climbed right in. So far, it’s worth a whole lot more than we paid. But we bought it ‘cause I have been eyeing clocks for a year. Yay! Just luck.
The weights are heavy. Seriously heavy. We saw another clock the very next day. You remember the sewing machine story? Well, the second clock was plastic and the weights were nothing. So, this clock here, was a good bargain indeed. And it has real Kieninger works and it runs great. This kind of clock was very accurate and only supplanted when quartz movements came in the 1980’s. So, it’s not that long since progress changed things. You know, like everyone has a cellphone now….
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