As advertised, this morning I spiffed-up the fireplace set I snagged off Facebook Marketplace yesterday. The work wasn’t difficult, of course, and it didn’t take long, but it was one of those simple, almost meditative tasks I thoroughly enjoy.
First, I disassembled everything I could. The shovel, poker, broom and stand were easy to break down without tools. I wiped each piece with white vinegar and, after letting that sit awhile, I carefully rubbed the surfaces with #0000 steel wool. For stubborn spots on the base of the stand, I resorted to a brass-bristle wire brush.
The idea was to remove as much of the heavy tarnish and scorching as possible. I wasn’t the least bit interested in making it look “like new.”
Not all of the original (and very thin) brass electroplating could withstand my gentle attention. Some of it had worn away already from use, or it had burned off. The result, in places, is the silver of steel showing where once the yellow of brass had been.
That doesn’t bother me at all. I mean, some people pay a lot of money for stuff with an “antiqued” finish, and I got it basically for free.
I put all of the pieces back together and snugged everything down hand-tight. With the tools back on the stand, I stood back and admired it for a moment.
There’s immense satisfaction in something so ordinary. I love bringing new life to old tools, makin’ the grimy shine.
“I’ve never seen this many deer from the road before,” said Deb during this morning’s commute.
On Tuesday at midnight, a new law went into effect in the UK. It came after a four-week “amnesty” period, during which citizens could surrender (without penalty) that which was about to be forbidden.
Now, in England and Wales, it’s a crime to possess a “Zombie knife.” No kidding — like “assault weapon” was invented to sway soft minds in the US, “Zombie knife” was coined to produce a particular effect.
Then again, we’re talking about the UK, so influencing the masses isn’t terribly difficult. Brits are naturally governable.
And what’s a Zombie knife? According to Limey law, it’s a knife with a blade longer than eight inches. Machetes are banned now, too.
We here in the Colonies can chortle and snicker and poke fun, but really, we’re no better than our British brethren and cistern. [sic] Ditto our Canadian and Aussie friends.
Our day will come. It’s only a matter of time.
We know that’s what Chuckles has in mind, should she be installed in the Oval Office.
“We’re going to require responsible behaviors among everybody in the community, and just because you legally possess a gun in the sanctity of your locked home doesn’t mean that we’re not going to walk into that home and check to see if you’re being responsible and safe in the way you conduct your affairs.”
She’s not alone, either. The anti-American Left is tantalizingly close to achieving critical mass for enacting sweeping national registration and bans. I expect that if Chuckles ascends to the progressive throne, the deadly deal will be done.
Sure, we can postpone the inevitable by electing Trump, but we can’t prevent it. Ultimately they are coming for our guns, and our knives, and whatever else threatens their grip on power.
They already have our speech.
When we awaken to an America that bears no resemblance to The Founding, only the individual will survive. And by that I mean The Ungovernable Man.
Put your affairs in order, my friends.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB