Many years ago, when my grandfather passed away, we descendents of Hank were going through his things and deciding what to do with everything. I have to hand it to my family. We haven’t always been perfect. Heck, we put the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional… but in this instance, everyone rose above and there was no real bickering over anything. It was nothing like the movies or sitcoms!
When it came to the barometer, frankly I expected more of a fight, but there wasn’t any! Most of my family said, “That? You actually want that?” To me, it meant the world, but to them, not so much! Different strokes, I guess. You see, that barometer had hung in the entry hallway of every home my grandparents had ever lived in during my life, and it proudly hangs in my entry hall today. I even found the original “owner’s manual” for it. In addition to the barometer, it also includes a thermometer, hygrometer, and a little round convex mirror. I always assumed the mirror was there as a “filler”, kind of like when you buy the base model car, and there are blank spots where the rich people have their extra toys and displays, you know? After bringing it home and doing a little research, however, I learned that it is in fact a “butler’s mirror” where a butler can discreetly observe the room. How cool is that?
I enjoy tracking the weather changes as the seasons pass, but this week one of my regular blogs had an article about how to use a barometer, and I learned even more. The article is over at the Art of Manliness, and if you’ve never checked out their site, you really should.
