I know that sounds a little bit strange but it is true. Here is the story.

Mrs. Wheeler, my Mother-in-law gave us Gary’s aluminum Christmas tree that  they used when the boys were growing up. It still was in the original box with the paper sleeves covering the tree. It is beautiful. Of course anyone who has these knows you can’t not put lights on the tree.

I remember as a child laying hours in the floor watching the color wheel go around while chanting, “red, blue, yellow, green” as the tree changed colors.

I wanted a color wheel. I watched the Good Neighbor section of the Birmingham News faithfully and when there was one in there it sold in about 2 seconds with the people getting hundreds of calls. I could not find anyone anywhere and if I did see one it was well out of my price range. When we started to get out of the car for what reason I said “GOD, I WANT A COLOR WHEEL.” I actually said that to God..Out loud!

We at the time had cookie jars for sale at Carriage House Antiques.  On this day we were to meet this woman in the parking lot to bring her two Mickey Mouse cookie jars. We met her and made the exchange before we went inside to check on our booth. She had an antique store in another part of the state and I happened to mention to her that I wanted a color wheel and did she ever happen to run across them. Nope was her answer.

We each went inside. I went up to the counter at the front where you check out and asked the owner if she had any color wheels anywhere in the store. Now this is a store as big as a Walmart and it one time was a Sam’s Club and it was divided up into rental booths were you could rent and sell your items.

She said “we have had about 1000 calls wanting a color wheel and there is NOT ONE in this entire store and we have asked all vendors..sorry.”

I was working my booth along with Gary and here comes this woman that we had brought the cookie jars for. She said “Go down to the middle aisle, there is a Christmas tree on a table and on the table there is a color wheel in about 10 pieces but  think you can get someone to put it together and get it to work.” 

Well needless to say I took off, Gary right behind me.. I got to the table and stood there and looked and looked and could not find the wheel. I first thought nasty prank. I looked down at my hand on the table and there it was in about 10 pieces wires sticking out everywhere. I had my hand on top of it. Gary walked up and said for me to get it and take it to the front that he would pay for it when we left and he thought he could get it running.  He walked off. I turned around AND TRIPPED over a box. I looked down and I give my word. IN THE FLOOR was a color wheel in the original box from the 50’s..Never been opened. I nearly fainted. My heart was thumping so hard. All this time I was standing there with my hand on the color wheel on the table not seeing it and only to turn around and trip on a perfect one, never been out of the box. It still was sealed in the cardboard inside the box and it had to be assembled. I was almost crying, my voice was cracking when I walked up to the counter and paid for two. When the lady said” where in the world did you find this and HOW IN THE WORLD did you get two? We have asked every vendor and no one had one!” I could only smile and say “God gave me mine.”

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 12th, 2009.