Wild Winds Blowing

Whoooooooosh!!!

We dreamed of building a house at the top of a hill.  And so we finally did.  It’s not the highest hill in the land, but it catches the wind.  In fact, at times it gets so windy up here that our inside doors slam shut.  WHAAAAAP!!!  This is not conducive to ultimate relaxation and frankly, it’s a bit alarming.

Don’t you love my sound effects?

But, being jolted awake from a Noon Nod can really shake a person up.  I had to find a solution because the slamming doors could affect my husband’s equilibrium.  Bill takes a nap after breakfast, after lunch, and after dinner and I have to make reservations for conversation.  The  rare times he is fully awake he is working outside on the “South 40.” If he misses a morning, mid-day, and afternoon nap, they can all add up to major sleep loss and who knows, he might get dizzy and fall off his tractor!

So, I had to find an immediate solution to the wicked winds of the west.

• Close the Windows.  Oh, I know I could do that, but what about losing the health giving properties of fresh air and pollen?
• Buy or Make Door Stops.  Of course I know about them too.  But have you ever tried to find one with character?  Do I really want a comic figure holding my doors open?   And are you suggesting I MAKE a doorstop?  Blahhahahaha! (Modern slang for “are you serious?”)

THE FRUITCAKE THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

During the holidays, my friend, Janet, makes miniature fruitcakes for gifts.  They are about the size of large bricks. One of the recipients shellacked his fruitcake to create a doorstop!  Now there’s a brilliant idea – fruitcake that’s hard as a rock and will last forever!  Maybe shellac isn’t even necessary.  The trouble is, Janet’s cakes are genuinely delectable, especially when frosted with royal icing and marzipan!  I’m making myself hungry with this post!

We do have one “cutesy” display, a black iron Scottish terrier that looks like our once beloved family dog, Pepper.  That doorstop does its job all right, and is fairly adorable, but really has no class.  It’s just, well – cute.

ANTIQUES FOR WIND CONTROL

After wracking my brain about the wind tunnel problem I finally consulted  my all-knowing, newly-found country friends.  “What do you suggest?” I asked.  And they suggested we go to an antique mall!   Really?  For a doorstop?

I  love to amble around our antique malls where I recognize things from my childhood.  Sometimes the ambling sends me into a state of depression since I begin to feel antique myself.   In fact I am beginning to recognize far too many things in antique stores.

“What we have in mind,” said my friends, “are the old flatirons they used to iron clothes in the old days.   They had to heat them on wood stoves you know.”  No, I didn’t know and I never heard of  a flatiron either.  Thank goodness I’m not THAT old!

AHA! PROBLEM SOLVED!  

Flatirons for doorstops?  I could hardly believe it, but sure enough, we found several options at the antique mall and they were all perfect;  different enough to add interest, heavy enough to halt the heaviest door, and classic enough to add class.

My Flatiron Doorstop

Country Tip for City Dudes:

If a wicked wind is howling through your home, look for flatiron doorstops.

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