Friday's Report....

Bubble lights bring back a lot of memories for me.  My first memory of them was at a Christmas party at my three brother's country school.  I was not in school yet but the families of the students attended  a Christmas presentation and my parents took me. The sound of the old fashion bubble light on the small Christmas tree at the school, made a tingling sound as the bubbles bounce in the tube. It was so magical for a four year old kid to see.

The nutcracker stands guard on the stairs watching all that goes on between the two floors of this house.

The larger one is at the very top of the stairs. He was needing a dusting, as a coat of dust came with him form the old house. The stairs has a ledge on one side that gives us more room for displaying items. Our roll-out of decorations is slow for us this year.

I guess the working on the old place has cut into some of my time.  Today I went to check on the house to see how the furnace is working in our cold weather. It was all fine. While there I loaded up my potter's wheel to bring home.

It took me more time figuring out how me, one person, was going to get it into the truck, than the actual time it took to swing it up onto the truck.  I can move it  around on my own by swinging it on one leg and then another  but it is very heavy.  The bottom wheel is a large circle of metal which helps to keep the momentum of the wheel going when you work on it, That makes it heavy but only at the bottom. I figure out how to get it on its side, set it up on concrete bricks and then hook the front set of legs on the back of the truck. Once I had them hooked onto the tailgate of the truck, I could lift it and level it, lever technology.  then slide it onto the truck. My wife watched me unload the wheel even though she wanted to help. It was better that I have control of it. When another person also lifting might knock it off balance. I would never expect her to lift with me but she really wanted to help.

She did get to help me to roll it down the back hill to the basement patio area. It looks so bulky but it really could be turned from one side to the other. As long as I kept the wheel vertical and balance we proceed to take it down the hill. It was a slow process but it did get down to its new location. There was one touch and go situation which made me visualize two adults being taken to the hospital, but I do exaggerate sometimes.

Steel wool polishing of the rusty areas and a new coat of paint will bring it back to life. I ordered this wheel back in 1976 when I first started at the Woodward school. Thirty one years later, the art teacher that replaced me wanted it out of the room. She deemed it too big and not modern enough for her needs.  Now that I think of it, that art teacher didn't end up teaching pottery. One day, two janitors asked me if I wanted it, and I couldn't believe what they were asking.  Of course I would take it. I have had it for 9 years now and never ever really have had time to set it up and use it.

The wheel sits right below the second story deck. I will eventually create a roof of some kind on the bottom of the deck to help shed the water off away from the area it is sitting.  It is a relief to have it finally moved to the new place.

I appreciate you stopping by today and reading about my crazy adventures.