HAUNTING AND CLOCKS

Here is a link to an earlier post about the 'haunted clock,' which I have mentioned in two previous posts:The Haunted Clock.

My Parents' Sessions Clock
Photo courtesy of my Niece
who now owns it. Not haunted
to my knowledge.

Be sure to read the link as I tell you of other clocks in my life. We both loved old clocks. I earlier referred to a Sessions Mantle Clock in my family that sat on the fireplace mantle our home.

The mantel clock was black and was an anniversary gift of our parents early in their marriage. It counted hours and sounded once on the half hour. I was fascinated it needed two different keys to wound the spring mechanisms for the clock; and the sounding mechanism also was not very melodicl.

As my siblings and I became dating age, it became THE CLOCK that measured curfew which was 1o p.m., except Saturday night which was 11 p.m.

For a number of years after mother died it resided with us, and I tended to its winding .

Recently we returned it to my parents' first granddaughter; last I heard she said she never wound it as it would be too spooky to hear, since her grandpaents both were gone. My sister adamantly said she did not want it--too many times Mother was sitting looking at that clock, when she missed curfew.

Have you heard the saying "Pride goes before a fall?" Well it is a corruption of Holy Scripture, Proverbs 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. I prefer a lesser known (to me) translation on the same link called God's Word (1995): Pride precedes a disaster, and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall.

Similar Anniversary Clock
Internet Photo

On one of my parents' anniversary celebrations, I purchased what was called an anniversary clock, which had a glass dome and pendulum device. It was supposed to run an entire year. I was exceedingly proud of my selection, and perhaps a tad arrogant because I was in a position to purchase more expensive gifts than my siblings at this period in time.

I wound it up and it started its spinning of a pendulum-like device with four gold balls mounted on a cross like base. I left for parts unknown, i.e., I don't remember where I lived at this moment in time. Soon I heard the clock stopped long before a year passed. Since I, nor they, could find anyone who repaired them, it sat and gathered dust in their home until Mother died, a sad statement of my pride.

I took the anniversary clock to Arkansas but never found a repair person. It sat a long time and during a remodeling frenzy the dome was broken by a swing of a 2" x 4' board; later the pendulum wire broke while moving it.

There was a Cuckoo Clock I gave my parents one year. It ran very briefly. I'm glad. as I was living for a brief time in my parents' home. I probably would have taken my rifle and shot the those stupid birds. They are bad birds who steal other birds' nests for themselves, I've been told. [This was during a period of time I had a Savage Target Rifle and was pretty good target distance shooter in a local rifle club.]

Antique Gibraltar
Electric Clock

Then there was the wall Gibraltar Electric clock we siblings used to leave the house for our 2-block walk to elementary school, then called South Ward, after the school district division of the town. It was a sales premium given Dad by some salesman. I found it in disrepair with a frayed electric cord and rescued it.

I repainted the clock nth time to its original light green and later it became a blue with ivory trim. It hangs over our coffee bar today. I replaced the mechanism with another electric mechanism. The oval clear glass front cover is all that is missing. I think it broke in moving from Texas to Arkansas, or it may have accidentally fallen, when we had to reset the time.

Enamel Navy Blue Plate Clock
Designed by  Me

I also crafted a kitchen wall clock out of a dark Navy blue enamel white spackled plate. It matches the draw pulls and knobs plus two pieces of enamel white spackled cooking utensils. Our mothers used the large roasters for turkeys, and many camping utensils were made of similar materials.

Enamel Navy Blue  Knobs
On Our Kitchen Cabinets

Our Kitchen Cabinets with Navy
Blue Enamel Spackled Cookware

Finally, we have a lovely European antique clock given us by our military sponsors. When Navy personnel (perhaps other military branches, too) transfer to an overseas station, they are welcomed by a couple who help them adjust to living in a foreign land. 

European Antique
Wall Clock (gift)

Our couple became friends with us, and when they transferred back to US, they gave us this lovely gift of friendship. This clock hangs in our living room; it has a melodic tone and announces the hour and half-hour.

Since it has always been mounted much higher on a wall, than my 4'10" height and arms can conveniently reach to wind without climbing on stool or ladder), my husband tends to this dependable clock.

And HE will always wind it as long as he lives. After all, we received it mainly because of his military service tour-of-duty assignment; therefore I sense it may have a prejudicial haunt waiting for me to touch it...NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!

[ All photos mine except black mantel clock  is courtesy of my oldest Niece who now possesses it; the anniversary clock which is a Internet photo. Apologies for flash burn, but unable to put in light tent as these clocks are all beyond my normal reach without a ladder or stool, which I am supposed to avoid.]