It took Maria three or four tries and the better half an hour to put together my old lamp, which I call a “Brothel Lamp” because that’s what the antique shop owner who sold it to me said it was. He had no proof, just a feeling. I feel the same; the lamp was a mess and only cost $20.

The plugs and wires were frayed, so we thought they had to go to the basement. That was five or six years ago, maybe longer. I don’t buy stuff like that anymore.

Last week, Maria was cleaning something out of the basement and found it covered in dust and dirt. I took a while to clean up.

I was delighted to see it, but I had several disastrous, confusing, and unsuccessful treks to the Hardware Store to get the right fixtures, plugs, and wires.

Maria ended up going and got it all right, and last night, she gathered her tools and figured it all out. It has a perfect spot in my office, and I am thrilled to have it there. It just feels right to me.

I took a few photos; as always, I am grateful to Maria. I would have called an electrician. I don’t play with wires.

You can follow along; it was fascinating for me to watch. Maria can only do a little, although there are many things she doesn’t want to do. Here goes. Someone on the blog asked me why I was interested in a “Brothel” lamp. I don’t know; it has a lot of character and maybe some bad behavior in the past.

It looked like a hopeless mess to me.

It took two or three tries to get the screws right.

Victory.

It’s all set up right where it belongs. It’s home.