It's about 2-1/2' tall. Now what can I do with that? I'm thinking I'd like to make something with it instead of selling it. After I'm creative, I'll decide whether to keep it or not.
The paper in the back that says, "Eight Day Brass Clocks", will definitely stay. I'll add glass where glass is missing. That nasty middle panel is glass, too. Maybe add two shelves inside? How about a bunch of small, old clock faces propped up along the back? Do you think it will tell me what it wants? Any suggestions? I doubt I'll do anything with it until after the first of the year.
As with so many of the things I own, that clock case has a story behind it. Or around it. The clock really isn't much of a participant in this story, just a reminder.
My next door neighbor died a few years ago. I can remember snippets of detail about the funeral and the disposing of her "earthly goods", but overall, it's a big blur. I don't remember the sequence of events, but I'll try to tell it as best I remember.
Her daughter came down and took what she wanted from the house. She brought a friend who was helping her price things for an estate sale. The strange thing is, I don't remember the sale at all! I'm sure there was one because I went the day before and bought her vacuum cleaner. I just don't remember going through the house with a bunch of people, but I'm sure I did.
Now, at some point, they had cleaned out and piled junk next to the road in the empty lot across the street. I have the feeling that this was before the sale. Why? That doesn't make sense, but I just think it was.
Talk about junker's Heaven! They threw away great stuff! I got out there the morning I saw it and started digging and pulling. There are people, folks who either are, or pretend they are, wealthier than the rest of us, who have to go by our house - and the spot where that trash was dumped - all the time. That's the only way in and out for them. They know me. So, when a car passed, I'd look up sheepishly like, "Yeah, it's me. The trashiest lady on the block, going through the garbage again." After about half an hour, I'd stopped even looking up. Occasionally, a car would drive by and slow down looking at the pile, but I had staked my claim and wasn't about to give it up! Who knows how many trips I made from that trash pile back to my house? With the car loaded up! I do remember once when I was unloading, someone slowing down at the pile like they were going to stop which sent me into a panic. I had worked hard and had piles of stuff I'd set aside, but they moved on. Whew! That was a close one!
What did I get from the pile? I don't remember a single thing. No, wait. Some old Pez dispensers, lots of toys from the 1970s, but there was so much more than that. Why I happen to remember those things, I have no idea. I sold most of what I found. Made a good bit of money off the trash pile.
Later on, they had to get rid of the things in the outbuilding. Why didn't they do that with the sale? Or why didn't they put it on the road? The whole thing was handled oddly, but they were an odd family, so maybe it seemed normal to them. I got lucky and bought everything in the outbuilding for $125.00. I say "lucky". They threw away better stuff than what I bought, but that clock case was in the building along with a strange, concrete planter thing and some great, old, large picture frames. Those are the things I remember, probably because we kept them.
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Another neighbor died the other day. A sad part of living in a neighborhood populated with older people. But.....I hate to sound insensitive, but it's also good for first dibs after family on estate items or seeing stuff on the road before everyone else. I'll let y'all know if they start cleaning out his house. They may just call GoodWill to take what they don't want. I don't know his children and they don't live near here, so we'll see.
All the neighbors dying out has deeper meaning, too. For years, we were the young couple on the block, but we're quickly becoming the older couple. Ack! How'd that happen?? I don't think I like that.
