Holding in the luck

It was a quiet weekend. Good for doing some chores around the house. One of those chores, one that I don’t much care for, is the annual putting-away of the glorious Christmas decorations. I have so much fun getting them out and adding as much sparkle and glam to the house as possible, that their absence leaves me mildly depressed. I usually wait as long as possible for the putting-away task, but decided to get an early start, because there is just so much.

In exchange for putting away, I gave myself a little fun. I added some new things to admire in the house. Nothing quite so festive as the glittery holiday delights now resting in their boxes, but sweet, nonetheless.

First, was a horseshoe for luck. I gave it to Cristy as a housewarming gift. A used, antique horseshoe. It has a marvelous rusty patina and I hung it with an ordinary string over the back door. I’ve heard that you can either hang the horseshoe with the opening pointing up, to hold in the luck, or pointing down, to shower the luck down on those passing through the doorway. So, I left the choice up to Cristy. She said definitely up.

Next, I hung an antique key in the dining room. It is a large, ceremonial key, the kind that might be used in official “key-to-the-city” type presentations. I hung it suspended from a simple white ribbon over an antique print.

Third, I placed a clock over the kitchen pantry door. It is a simple clock, but easy to see from the kitchen table. Cristy likes clocks. As in, really likes clocks. She wants to know what time it is and have that information readily available with a mere glance in any direction. We have more than a few clocks in the house, but trust me, there is always room for more.

Last, I placed a decorative saucer on a easel in the living room next to some books. It was a gift from Cristy. She found it via Craigslist (I love CL!) and bought it from a couple who appeared to be in their seventies. They said the dish originally belonged to the woman’s grandmother. Cristy said the experience was a little surreal. They met in a parking lot of a Target, where the exchange went down. She handed over the cash and scored the dish. A true Miami Vice moment.

Hmmm. I wonder how many people actually even remember Miami Vice?