My Heart Skipped A Beat

Author:  Autumn

Let’s play a little game here.  I recently bought something that I have been wanting for ten years.  I had seen these things in the past, but I never really knew what I would do with one until I saw a Country Home magazine that featured one in a display.

The homeowners in the Country Home magazine had the item displayed in their foyer.  It was hung prominently on the wall as a piece of art.

I think my heart skipped a beat when I saw that photo, and I tore it out and carried around in my inspiration file for years.

I never thought I would find one for sale, and if I did, I didn’t think I would ever be able to afford it.  I wanted one so badly that my mother recently made a small oil painting for me.

Have you guessed what it is yet?  Well, here is the last hint:  my mother’s painting.

Did you guess it?  Yep!  It’s an antique high wheel bicycle made in the 1800’s.  Last week when I was headed to a business meeting in a small town near here, I saw it hanging outside of an antique store.  My heart ceased to beat, and I stopped breathing.  I stopped to inspect it, and when I found out the price, I swallowed hard and left.

After thinking about it all night and getting up my nerve, I telephoned this next morning and offered a ridiculously L.O.W. price.  It was just one-third of what they were asking.  The lady thought for half a second and said, “Sold!”  I was happy.  She was happy.  Hey, everybody was happy.  Even Mr. Autumn, who doesn’t get excited about too many things, was happy.  When I checked current prices on line, I paid about 12 %, yes t.w.e.l.v.e.  percent of the prices I saw online.  That made me even happier.

This little baby has been restored but is missing a pedal.  I think, with some patience, I will be able to find one.  She will be the perfect addition to our new place, which is coming along.  (We hope to move in by mid-May.)  We have three perfect wall options where she would look great.  We will just wait to see which spot makes her look the best.  And we’ll make sure to show her best side.

If you have been following this blog, you know that we are a family of world-wide bicyclers.  We have ridden on four continents, with plans of adding another continent next January.  So, my new/old bike will be right at home.

By the way, a friend told me that people have ridden these high wheel bicycles around the world. That sounds great, but it’s not for me.  I’ll have plenty of fun just looking at my high wheeler hanging on the wall.

Take care.

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