hyde Park

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So many folks my age seem to be trimming down their households, condensing a lifetime of belongings as they enter the later stages of life…and here I am buying these super-cool 1970s ashtrays.

No, I don’t smoke, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to display these vintage ceramic treasures. Made by the Hyde Park Company around 1970, they’re every bit as cool today as they were then...if not cooler. I’m a little amazed they’ve survived all these years intact, and there’s no doubt they’re worth a pretty penny now, although I managed to snatch them up for a song.

Maybe I’ll use them as candy dishes, or maybe I’ll simply show them off on a shelf and admire them for what they are, small pieces of art from another era. Either way, I was thrilled to add them to my collection of lifelong treasures. Someday I may trim down my things…but apparently not today.

This weekend has been so rainy and cold that thrift shopping was about all I could manage for entertainment, and honestly, it was the perfect way to spend the day. There’s something comforting about wandering through old objects and forgotten collections, wondering where they came from and who once loved them.

I also happily had lunch with my son and got the chance to catch up. I always enjoy his commentary over lunch, he fills me in on all kinds of things. His brain acquires knowledge at lightning speed, so he’s always ready with something interesting to share. From philosophy to medicine to the latest scientific discoveries, he always has a fascinating thought tucked away. He’s a smart one.

I told him about my medieval sleep patterns, and he explained that “first sleep” and “second sleep” actually began much earlier than medieval times. It may even be our body’s natural circadian rhythm, though modern society has worked hard to reshape it. Apparently Leonardo da Vinci studied various sleep patterns himself and wrote about his experiments. One had him sleeping for just fifteen minutes every four hours. He apparently kept that up for several months before moving on to the next experiment.

I’m not sure I’d care much for that schedule, but the first-and-second-sleep pattern feels pretty natural to me. Maybe my body remembers something my mind has forgotten.

Sleep in the ’70s was probably less interrupted, no cell phones buzzing on the nightstand, no endless television streaming into the early hours, no blue light convincing your brain it’s still midday. Just darkness, quiet, maybe the hum of a fan…and apparently a very cool ashtray on the bedside table.

Back then, all you really needed was a cool ashtray and the good sense to call it a night.

“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.” ~ Edgar Allan Poe