Call Me Pollyanna

But rainbows really do cheer up grouchy old men. Especially during cold winters.

Hayley Mills as Pollyanna hanging rainbow makers

If you remember the movie, Pollyanna and Jimmy Bean were caught by Old Man Pendergast trespassing (perhaps the original "old-man-yells-at-kids-to-get-off-the-grass") and he takes them into his house for a good talking-to. Pollyanna, always looking for the "glad," is intrigued by a crystal light fixture casting rainbows on the wall and begins to experiment at the window. Before long, she and Old Man Pendergast are the greatest of friends stringing up crystals along every window to make all kinds of rainbows.

We've done the same in our homes hanging crystals to make rainbows when the sun is right. It not only cheers me up but it thrills my grandkids. So, maybe it is a bit juvenile. And what's better than such a connection between Grandpa and Grandkids?

Yesterday with my wife out of town I had to repaint the inside of the window casing in our bedroom. I had put up a candle in there for Christmas which unfortunately scorched the top of the window well and fortunately did not burn the house down. I went and got some touch-up paint since the old gallon can of left-over "cut hay" color is all crusty in the bottom. And it looks pretty nice now.

As part of the process, I had to take down the crystals we had up in there and rehang them. I was inspired to try the Pendergast/Pollyanna technique of stringing a taught line (of dental floss) across then hanging the crystals from that. It came out pretty well even if photos don't do it justice.

One crystal caught throwing spectrum red to orange on the camera lense

This is part of the effect - actually better in summer when the breeze from the ceiling fan moves them to spin the rainbows around the room.
But you can bounce the line a little to get a similar effect in winter.

My wife's Grandmother made the two porcelain angels in the window that were on our wedding cake many years ago. They are kissing over a make-shift altar of tiny stones I have picked up here and there. I may risk arrest for this as an international rock thief, but one is from the Santa Fe (Mormon Battalion) Trail, another from South Cadbury (Camelot), and one, of course, from Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Angels at a sacred altars and rainbows are constantly watching over us. Can't argue with that.