Crystals

Not the ones that have magical powers -- nor crystals in a ball . . . but rather . . . 

Those things that hang from sconces, lamps and chandeliers at Linderhof.      It's hot here on the prairie -- really hot and so chores are not outside (unless it is very early or very late).     I realized that my "crystals" have not been attended to for a long long time!

So, one by one, I took down, washed with soap and water, rinsed and dried and put back up.

Two sconces installed in 1949 when Linderhof was updated

The long hanging crystals on the scones in the living room -- they were here when we moved in.

I love these kind of crystals -- they have a special name and the lamps are not as old as they look.

The crystals on the lamps on the mantle in the dining room.  

Two sconces and a chandelier -- lamp shades askew -- my chore when I go to bed tonight -- straighten the lamp shades!

The crystals hanging from the master bedroom chandelier and in the background, a pair of sconces that are "sisters" to the ones in the living room.

24 crystals on the dressing table lamps

Crystals that hang from the lamps on the dressing room table.

The crystals sparkle!

And the crystals that hang from the chandelier in the sunroom.

Crystals reflecting the chandelier light.

See how shiny the crystals are!     They sparkle in the light!  

For a long time, I did my crystals by hand -- taking them down, washing, rinsing and drying and putting back up.    Then I found some chandelier cleaner -- you spray and it drips.    But after a while, I noticed that while it dripped -- it dripped to the end of the crystal and there was a residue of cleaner on each one.  

Then I started wiping them down with a rag and glass cleaner and that was really a better solution.    But they didn't quite sparkle like they did when I did them by hand!

It's hard work and I would swear this afternoon when I was done that I must have done thousands of individual crystals.    Husband Jim took me back to reality and reminded me that there wasn't even a hundred!     I groused and told him that he must be mistaken!   (Don't tell him -- but I think he was right!)

So all is sparkling at Linderhof on this hot first day of July.  

Sometimes, I think I'd like to replace the dining room chandelier with one of crystal.   Lots of crystal prisms hanging from a large chandelier (Cass from That Old House has one I covet in her dining room) but on a day like today, I'm grateful that I don't!    

I am grateful for being tall and for Linderhof's 8 foot ceilings -- no ladders were involved in the cleaning of the crystals.    And I'm always happy when I don't have to climb a ladder!

It is Monday and my sconces, chandeliers and lamps have been transformed into sparkling shining light fixtures and I'm sharing with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Met Monday.