When folks visit our home, there is one thing that they do not have to worry about. The lack of worry applies to knowing what time it is. The Blonde in the house is a clock-a-holic. There are big clocks, little clocks, in between clocks, and if there are any other size, we most likely have them too. They are in every room including the bathrooms and the laundry room. The laundry room has one of the bird chirping clocks. That one scared the heck out of a repair man who was working on the dryer one day. He was certain that a bird was about to attack him!
One of The Blonde’s biggest disappointments in the clock area happened recently, when a friend offered her a rather large clock that played the Westminster chimes very nicely (and rather loudly). The problem was the terrible fact that she had no place to put it. She wanted to put it in the computer room, but there was no way that I could work as diligently as I do with that clock jarring my sensibilities every fifteen minutes. Besides, we already have a Norman Rockwell clock on top of the computer desk. It does not make any noise though. It just keeps time. She then tried a bedroom, but no one could sleep there without muzzling it somehow. Thus, it went back to the giver – whose husband was (ecstatic?).
She does have a couple that are her favorites. One is a grandfather clock that I bought her in 1975 when we lived in Huntington, WV. Actually, it may be a grandmother’s clock as it is only 6 ft. tall, but it serves the purpose as The Blonde is only 5’ 2”. I bought it from a jeweler who delivered it for her birthday. It was a surprise. He told me later that he had never seen anyone as excited in his life as she was when they delivered it. The clock is a New England brand. I am not certain how it found its way to West Virginia, but I am glad that it did as it made buying a gift easy that year,
The Blonde’s other favorite is a wall clock that was made in Germany. This one we purchased around 1972 when we lived in Lawrence, NJ. We bought it from a neighbor who was in the antique business. He thought it was about 75 years old then, so that being the case it is over 100 years old now. That makes it an antique, I think. I am glad that we have it as it is the only thing in the house that is older than I am. Once you get over 60 as I have told a couple of the neighbors (who just turned that advanced age) it is good to have something older than you around. We did have another older clock which The Blonde always said reminded her of me. It was a Black Forest coo-coo clock. Unfortunately it gave out one day.
Now, if I were to turn writing this over to The Blonde, she would give you a history on each of the clocks, including the miniature grandfather clock that is located in the foyer by the front door. However, it would exceed the word limit that I have established for my musings.
I could end by telling you about my smart watch that tells me when I need to exercise, but I won’t!
Barry Evans writes about Life in The Villages for Villages-News.com
