Well since I have been busy working on another project that isn't ready to take pictures of yet. I thought that I'd share a story with you about my grandfather and this old lamp. Now what got me to thinking of this is that I've seen several lamps like this one being posted by fellow bloggers and I just had to show you mine as well. I absolutely cherish this lamp. No it's not a family heirloom....or at least it wasn't until now. See my grandfather was the type of man that loved to trade things and he would trade with a man no matter what they had to offer as long as he felt like he was getting the better end of the deal in the long run. He used to trade guns, pistols, knives and well.....even things like lamps too. When I was around 10 yr old, I just happened to be visiting my grandfather one evening when a man comes over and is holding this beautiful lamp. It was the puuurtiest thing I had ever saw before and it had the most gorgeous pink roses on it. I could hear my grandfather and this man talking about something in the background but I was so focused on that lamp I couldn't hear to save my soul, I was just mesmerized. When finally my grandfather said my name and told me to scoot over on the couch and let this man sit down. (I did EXACTLY what my grandfather told me to do and NEVER EVER did I say anything back to him or hateful cause there would have been a terrible price the top of my head would have taken) so I immediately jumped back to reality and scooted over for the man to sit down. He was still holding the lamp. So I got to thinking..........please oh please papaw trade for this lamp...trade something just get this beautiful lamp. Well what my grandfather had apparently been talking to this man about while my mind was being filled with the lamps mesmerizing powers was, that he didn't think that he could trade for that lamp cause he knew that it belong to this mans wife and she wasn't going to be none to happy when she realized that it was gone! See the man was known to have a drinking habit and he would come see my papaw with something to trade all the time to where he could get some money to boot so he could get him something to drink. Oh the stories I could tell of the things that poor man brought my granddaddy to trade. But lets get back to this one first, my papaw just didn't want to trade the man cause it belonged to Myrtle the mans wife and he was persistant on that. Well the man went on and on and said that Myrtle had more than she knew what to do with as it was and she wouldn't ever miss the blame thing. So my grandfather looked the light over a couple more times and said ok......I'll give you $10 for it and that's it! My heart sunk when I heard the offer....... $10! Good grief that lamp is beautiful and has to be old, that's what I was thinking. But with a $10 offer on the table I knew that the lamp would be out the door and back in Myrtles house within minutes. But wait! NOOOOOO that wasn't the case at all. The man slowly got up, moved toward my grandfathers old rocker and grabbed the $10 then stepped back and placed the lamp on top of the television. The man thanked my grandfather, tipped his hat at me and left! WE GOT THE LAMP uh uh uh I mean my grandfather got the lamp. So being the sneaky clever little girl that I was.......I eased over toward my papaw and hopped up in his lap laid my head on his big ole chest and proceeded to tell him just what a wonderful deal he made and that was the most beautiful lamp that I had ever seen and if one day he ever got tired of it would be please give it to me. He just grinned and said "we'll see robbie" (he called me robbie instead of Robin) Well many many many years passed and my grandfather passed away. I did what most people do when they have someone near to them die....I sat that day and thought about all the fun times that I had with my grandfather, all the things that he had taught me, the words of wisdom he instilled in me, the funny stories of growing up poor and living in Grayson Co. VA. The man was full of stories and he got the most joy out of telling them. Well as I was doing all this thinking.......that lamp came to mind. Now mind you I'm just a grandchild not a child and so it wasn't my place to go running in asking or begging for the lamp even though I wanted to tell all of them this great story that involved myself, papaw and this man about the lamp and how its so dear to me. Well I went to my mom and I mentioned to her that I would really like to have that lamp that sat on papaws tv. It meant so much to me.......and within a month my mom called and told me that she had the lamp and if I wanted it that I'd have to come get it. Come get it! Geesh I'd grow feathers and spread wings to get down there to it and I did. It's been with me ever since. I have it sitting in my living room now. It's not on my tv....but it sits close to it and every time that I look at it I think of my grandfather and the day that I was there while he did some trading.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Storytime ... The Lamp
Well since I have been busy working on another project that isn't ready to take pictures of yet. I thought that I'd share a story with you about my grandfather and this old lamp. Now what got me to thinking of this is that I've seen several lamps like this one being posted by fellow bloggers and I just had to show you mine as well. I absolutely cherish this lamp. No it's not a family heirloom....or at least it wasn't until now. See my grandfather was the type of man that loved to trade things and he would trade with a man no matter what they had to offer as long as he felt like he was getting the better end of the deal in the long run. He used to trade guns, pistols, knives and well.....even things like lamps too. When I was around 10 yr old, I just happened to be visiting my grandfather one evening when a man comes over and is holding this beautiful lamp. It was the puuurtiest thing I had ever saw before and it had the most gorgeous pink roses on it. I could hear my grandfather and this man talking about something in the background but I was so focused on that lamp I couldn't hear to save my soul, I was just mesmerized. When finally my grandfather said my name and told me to scoot over on the couch and let this man sit down. (I did EXACTLY what my grandfather told me to do and NEVER EVER did I say anything back to him or hateful cause there would have been a terrible price the top of my head would have taken) so I immediately jumped back to reality and scooted over for the man to sit down. He was still holding the lamp. So I got to thinking..........please oh please papaw trade for this lamp...trade something just get this beautiful lamp. Well what my grandfather had apparently been talking to this man about while my mind was being filled with the lamps mesmerizing powers was, that he didn't think that he could trade for that lamp cause he knew that it belong to this mans wife and she wasn't going to be none to happy when she realized that it was gone! See the man was known to have a drinking habit and he would come see my papaw with something to trade all the time to where he could get some money to boot so he could get him something to drink. Oh the stories I could tell of the things that poor man brought my granddaddy to trade. But lets get back to this one first, my papaw just didn't want to trade the man cause it belonged to Myrtle the mans wife and he was persistant on that. Well the man went on and on and said that Myrtle had more than she knew what to do with as it was and she wouldn't ever miss the blame thing. So my grandfather looked the light over a couple more times and said ok......I'll give you $10 for it and that's it! My heart sunk when I heard the offer....... $10! Good grief that lamp is beautiful and has to be old, that's what I was thinking. But with a $10 offer on the table I knew that the lamp would be out the door and back in Myrtles house within minutes. But wait! NOOOOOO that wasn't the case at all. The man slowly got up, moved toward my grandfathers old rocker and grabbed the $10 then stepped back and placed the lamp on top of the television. The man thanked my grandfather, tipped his hat at me and left! WE GOT THE LAMP uh uh uh I mean my grandfather got the lamp. So being the sneaky clever little girl that I was.......I eased over toward my papaw and hopped up in his lap laid my head on his big ole chest and proceeded to tell him just what a wonderful deal he made and that was the most beautiful lamp that I had ever seen and if one day he ever got tired of it would be please give it to me. He just grinned and said "we'll see robbie" (he called me robbie instead of Robin) Well many many many years passed and my grandfather passed away. I did what most people do when they have someone near to them die....I sat that day and thought about all the fun times that I had with my grandfather, all the things that he had taught me, the words of wisdom he instilled in me, the funny stories of growing up poor and living in Grayson Co. VA. The man was full of stories and he got the most joy out of telling them. Well as I was doing all this thinking.......that lamp came to mind. Now mind you I'm just a grandchild not a child and so it wasn't my place to go running in asking or begging for the lamp even though I wanted to tell all of them this great story that involved myself, papaw and this man about the lamp and how its so dear to me. Well I went to my mom and I mentioned to her that I would really like to have that lamp that sat on papaws tv. It meant so much to me.......and within a month my mom called and told me that she had the lamp and if I wanted it that I'd have to come get it. Come get it! Geesh I'd grow feathers and spread wings to get down there to it and I did. It's been with me ever since. I have it sitting in my living room now. It's not on my tv....but it sits close to it and every time that I look at it I think of my grandfather and the day that I was there while he did some trading.
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Girl, You can turn a great tale !!! I can tell how much that lamp means to you. I know you will treasure it always. It's value is greater to you than any amount of money. The memories it holds of your PaPaw will suround you forever. Tell me another storyyyyyyyyy !!
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