Hobby Suggestions

In the last issue of Old Stuff, I told you about our trip to West Virginia and the 24 pounds of glass shards I brought home from our digs at long-gone glass factories. The question continues to be raised as to what I’m going to do with all this broken glass (this is often followed by the question of ‘Why?’)

“Uncle” Bob Dannen-baum, who is the editor of the prestigious West Coast Peddler in Los Angeles, took time to write me a letter of advice on how to approach my new “hobby.”
Sez Bob:

“Before Donna makes you throw them away, I suggest one of the following projects:

“1. Mosaic map for mural on the side of VBM Printers building. Mosaic to include map of NE U.S., with a shard from each plant marking location of plant. Spell plant name with small pieces.

“2. Hawaiian Shirt Sculpture. For Randy
Coe’s next show, glue together a facsimile of his ugliest shirt to exhibit at I.D. booth."

“3. Watt’s Tower North. In your backyard, make a facsimile firing oven of concrete, cover it with artistic arrangements of the glass."

“4. Giant vase or two, or four. Pour them randomly into a clay mold, take them to a kiln, fire at high temp., break off mold, then sell as art glass by unknown glassblower of great sensitivity."

“5. Reconsider. Get a new hobby, and visit the town dump.”

As a postscript, Bob says that before I launch one of the projects, I better buy some band-aids.

I can see that I should give this considerably more thought.

It’s a new year, and, for now, my mind is clear, untroubled, and I have choices.

What more can I ask?

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Valentine Writer

The Victorians were romantics, and Valentine’s Day was a natural time for them to express themselves with flowery writings. There were those, however, who weren’t as adept at words as others. But to minimize that lack of talent, they could purchase a guide such as the Sixpenny Annual Universal Valentine Writer, published first in 1797.

These were little books containing poems and other catchy phrases that could be copied into a Valentine card. That way, a lover could customize the card that was being sent to a sweetheart.

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