A Polished Post

Polished stick on the left

In the 'good old days' (ha ha), my mother kept everything polished--the hardwood floors, her sterling flatware and plated trays, our mahogany and cherrywood furniture. Once in awhile, she'd pay a dollar or two to one of her daughters if we'd polish the brass doorknob on the front door.   I learned early how to turn tarnish into dazzle.

My mother inherited these old Belgian brass candlesticks belonging to my her mother-in-law, so they've always been housed by matriarchs who like things polished! I like shiny things, too, but in the last couple of decades, I've only reluctantly taken the time to spiff things up.

Recently I realized how dull and tarnished the candlesticks looked. Although they're sitting on a prominent side-table in my house, and I change out the candles for color once in awhile, I probably haven't really looked at them for seven years. I certainly haven't polished them since we moved in 2010.

Just another view
Left to right: "after & before"

So . . . I dragged out the dredges of a half-century old bottle of brass polish and began working. Yowie, what an ordeal. I stopped halfway to photograph the 'before and after' effects of one polished and one still tarnished. Notice its darkened, dull patina.

After continuing the ordeal, now both are shiny. Maybe that's the last time I'll polish them, particularly since I all but drained the last drop of polish from the very old container.

What's the point of the blog? To remind us how dazzled we should feel when someone compliments our polished speech or our polished home. And we should smile a lot after the hygienist polishes our teeth.