The Tale of the Missing Rooster

In 2006 we did a major kitchen renovation.  I was very picky about the details and found the hardware for the cabinets online at D Lawless Hardware.  I think I was shy one knob so I needed a 2nd order. One knob was going to cost about $1.22, but shipping was going to be $10.75. Shipping is free for orders over $50, however, and so I bought more things.  Important things.  Things I definitely needed.  Things like small Tiffany-style lamps and metal roosters.

OK, so need may be a strong word, but I liked what I bought – especially the rooster.  The rooster had a spot of prominence in the kitchen.  See it over on the white cabinet?  [Wow, the kitchen sure was neat and clean!]

The rooster watched over the kitchen all fall, but come Christmas it was packed away for the winter to make way for more wintery accoutrements.

Come spring I couldn’t find the rooster! I looked everywhere that spring, summer, fall, and winter.  I looked in the cellar, I looked in the storage area over the garage.  I looked and looked, but alas, no metal rooster.  Perhaps it went into the trash by mistake; I mourned its loss.

Fast forward 5.5 years.  I’m getting out holiday decorations and pull out a bedraggled box of packing materials.  Behind the box is a shopping bag, and in the bag – YES! – THE ROOSTER!.  Of course it was the holidays and the rooster’s spot was being used to display the Christmas Spode. 

The rooster is now back in the kitchen where he belongs. Typically, I wouldn’t bring him out until March (you can’t tell, but that windowsill behind the rooster is covered with little snowmen).  But I’ve missed Mr. Rooster and didn’t want to risk losing him in the cellar for another 5.5 years.

Now, perhaps you are also wondering about those small Tiffany-style lamps I also bought in order to save on shipping (Yes, I do realize that I spent $50 in order to save 8.50, what’s your point?).  Here is one of the lamps:

Notice the lovely stained glass pattern.  Can you see the flowers?  Look carefully and try to see the flowers. 

Perhaps it is easier in this shot.  Noticed the green leaves?  Try very hard to see the flowers because once I tell you what we, my entire family, all four of us, see in these lamps you will not be able to see anything else.

We have never been able to see flowers in this stained glass pattern.  We rather assume there is supposed to be flowers, we think the green glass pieces are supposed to be leaves.  For the life of us, we cannot see flowers, but what we do see, very very clearly are penguins with backpacks.

The penguins march around each lampshade; trudging really, those packs are full. 

I love my penguins with backpacks almost as much as I love my rooster.  I did a rather thorough purging of items from the house over the holidays and I can honestly say it did not even cross my mind to giveaway either the lamps or the rooster.  What does that say about me?  That I recognize quality?  That I’m still rather embarrassed by the purchases I made to save on shipping?  Probably it just says I’m a tad quirky.

So quirky I am.  But it is giving me an inordinate amount of pleasure to have found my missing rooster.

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