17 June

Fixing My Brothel Lamp. It’s Going In My Office.

by Jon Katz

I bought this lamp about 12 years ago in an old antique shop that specialized in old lamps. The man running the shop said the light came from a brothel in Albany, and while I couldn’t verify his claim, it did look to me like a brothel lamp in the 1920s might look, not that I’ve ever seen one except in the movies.

I just wanted it.

The cord frayed, and we put it in the basement for safety; Maria came across it the other day while cleaning something in the basement. She brought it into the light, took it apart, and sent me to the hardware store for a new cord.

I was delighted to see it.

Of course, I got the wrong one. We returned to the store this morning, and she got the right one. It was amazing for me to see her disassemble the old lamp and gather what she needed to put it together, which will happen tonight or tomorrow.

We have a fair amount of gender reversal here; I could never rewire a lamp; she does it all the time.

Zip, of course, got into the act and decided to nap right before it. When Maria puts it together, I bring it into my office for that soft, bright light. Photo to come. I’m calling it the Bedlam Farm Brothel Lamp; that’s what it is to me.

3 Comments

  1. Is there anything Maria can’t do??!!!
    You’re a lucky man! And she a lucky woman!
    Always happy to see Zip show up!

  2. I love how handy Maria is. There seems to be nothing she’s not willing to tackle. My Hubs is that one in our relationship. Yesterday he installed two new batteries in cars, which he’d never done before. He watched some YouTube videos, and of he went! Although I am the one who will tackle all sorts of new kinds of foods, and cooking methods. You both bring your gifts to the table. And of course, Zip is in the midst of it all. Cats love to see what’s going on.

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