Someone Gave Me A Kerosene Lamp

It’s a cute little thing, about eight inches tall with a copper-plated bottom and a suitable glass chimney, a wick and a little place for kerosene.

I guess it’s a good thing to light and find your way to the bathroom at night, as long as it’s not too far from the house. Aside from that, I guess it would be the best dust catcher you could be given; nobody would buy it except someone with a lot of window ledge space or a mantle if they don’t expect any Christmas cards to put on it.

We used to have Hurricane Lamps at home. Partially because we had a lot of hurricanes there and the lights came in handy; but mostly because they looked nice and, really, had no practical use. Candles, little crystal things hanging down from the elevated “base,” with the requisite chimneys. Much nicer than this kerosene thingy.

I don’t have too many dust catchers here. At least, I don’t think so – but what’s a valuable trinket for me is nothing more than one more thing to find a place for in your house. I have a lot of “oh, you’re going to just LOVE this” hidden away in my closet. And long may it stay there, out of sight and forgotten.

What will people to with my small, dented tea kettle? Don’t know, but it’s what we used at home and it means much to me. Not to you, of course. Nor do the small containers of sand here and in my radio studio; they are from the beach down the street from our house, the last and biggest reminder of where we used to live. Dump it out when I’m gone.