Vintage Thingies Thursday

Okay, I'm going to try to participate for the first time in my new friend Suzanne's Vintage Thingies Thursday at http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2009/07/vintage-thingies-thursday-just-because.html! Rob and I love vintage things, so when I told him that I planned to participate and asked what he suggested to start with, we both looked at one another and laughed. So many of our things are "retro" and "vintage" that we could have done anything. So, I decided to focus on just one shelf of the book case in my sewing room, and the thing in the center was a clock. So, I thought I'd feature my vintage clocks. Now, not all these are vintage. But, they're all old as in "I've had them forever" and some of them are actual vintage.

At one point in my life, I was a call center forcaster and scheduler. It was my job to figure out how many calls we were going to get at any given time, and to make sure I had plenty of staff scheduled to answer them with a minimum amount of wait. So, I lived by the clock; time, Time, TIME. And, consequently, I started collecting clocks.

This clock was my Dad's 25 year of service gift from Southwestern Bell and has a brass plate explaining that. During his years with them, he earned 3 clocks. Now, he's been retired for nearly 20 years, and I forgot to check the date on the plate, but this clock has to be at least 30 years old. Still works great, but it gains 3 minutes a day and I'm too cheap to pay to have it taken apart, cleaned and re-set. So, I open it every couple of days and set it back.



This clock was a gift from my parents. Both my sister and I got one. At the time, I was so ashamed of it because it looks great, but it's a fake. Battery powered. But, I've had it at about 25 years and it keeps perfect time, so I keep it in my sewing room so I can keep up with what time it is in case I forget to wind the other clock. I think my sister put hers in the closet until my Mom shamed her into hanging it. Not sure where it is now.



This poor old clock is haunted. So, it doesn't get wound anymore. For some reason, it stops at 8:24 every time. Now, it may tick for a couple of weeks, but when it stops, it's going to stop at 8:24. So, we decided that was a special time in the clock's past life and we just don't wind it. No need to stir up spirits.



This clock is from Kansas. Rob's Mom gave it to me. It is the alarm clock that was used in the old railroad yard to wake the conducters when they stopped there to sleep. I wound it once and it ticked, but I decided it was better to just leave it be. It's a 24 hour clock and winding it every day is more stress than I want to put on it.




This old girl is my pride and joy in clocks. The traditional art deco style mantel clock. And, another one that keeps perfect time. It is also in my sewing room and when the two clocks chime together, it's a cacophony of banging and donging.

You guys have a great day and be sure to check out Suzanne's blog for her items and for those of other followers of hers. See ya'. Lane