Britta's Letters from her life divided between city-life in German's capital Berlin and life in a Bavarian village

Saturday 28 November 2020

Let There be Light - but not too much, please.

 

photo by Britta, chandelier 10 times brighter 


November 28th ---
All morning busy. My "Good-man-for-the-house" (have to remind me to become more careful with language: first I wrote "I was busy with" - which might be a quite harmless half-sentence, but as today I made a big blunder (in German language!) my confidence is shaken. 

I said to him: "First we'll have to have a test-run in the bedroom" - thinking  of my beautiful net curtain and KNOWING that I spoke of them before - but of course he grasped the chance for a wicked manly laugh.

So: he is an all-round talent and helps me with those things I myself do not dare to tackle - which are not many, but I my rooms are about 4m high and there is no one around to pick me up IF... I learned - late in life, but better now than never - to require help if I need it. (Memory to myself: The art is to have the insight that I need it - I am still a bit megalomanic). 

But a very high ladder intimidates me. 

It was the third time he moved up to change the chandelier bulbs - they were still too glaring, they bit into the eyes - 18 bulbs gave me the brightness I missed before - but their intensity was too much... 

Now it is better, but still not good - so a moment ago I ordered via Amazon chandelier bulbs that I can dim. I did not know that they exist - I mean those you can work with a remote control - because before I had looked at the fine stucco on the ceiling and thought: I do not want a cable above! 

Ha - now I am wiser - and he likes to come - even if it means to climb the ladder the forth time. 





12 comments:

  1. First, I have to say, "I love your chandelier." You have great taste. Good lighting makes all the difference in the world. Ability to control the brightness of the light is fantastic. For Winter I like brighter light. When reading or doing close work, brighter light is good. For everything else a nice soft light is ideal. Light dimmers are a wonderful invention. Your ladder climbing man sounds like a nice guy with good humor.

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    1. Thank you, Susan - I love that chandelier (though it is a huge challenge to keep it sparkling :-)
      As you I prefer more light in winter - otherwise I tire too soon.
      And yes: the ladder-climber is a really nice man, former biker, long hair and tattoos, and we laugh a lot.

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  2. Silly man. You have to love them. My granddaughter comes for my light bulbs. Yours, not old enough yet.

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    1. I do love men, Joanne! The greatest gift in life is my son.
      The older I get the more I am convinced - and my women friends reached the same result - that they are a class of their own, very cryptic yet sometimes easy to look through - an exciting paradox I would not miss!
      Yes, too early for the triplets, still too young for climbing a ladder - but the first starts to run - at least 30 steps all in one!

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  3. I was going to suggest that you get bulbs that you can dimm. You beat me to it you clever thing.

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    1. Well, Emma - I love a good advice, and thank you for the intention! xxx

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    1. Yes, when they arrive, Pipistrello - as I saw they promise that you can even change the colour (though I stubbornly think: no need for that).

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  5. I don't like the idea of either you or your man climbing ladders as it so easy to have an accident. I now insist that we have a young man that comes to us to climb our ladder and cut down the Hydrangea plant that climbs high up on one our outside walls.
    I am pleased that you have solved the intensity of the light problem by using dimmer bulbs and do hope that they last you forever and ever.

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    1. Dear Rosemary, the man (he is "my" workman for all kind of jobs) is young - or better: young-ish, as I will not call someone between 40 - 45 years old exactly "young". :-) So he can climb up - but I won't.
      As to the duration of dimmer bulbs I am hopeful too: they are not cheap, though they do not use as much energy as those beloved "Glühbirnen" we had some ten years ago. So please keep your fingers crossed !

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  6. Your chandelier is very handsome and ideal for those big rooms and high ceilings in Berlin apartments. I hope your dimmer lights will round off the job.xx

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    1. Yes Rachel: high rooms can do with that sort of lighting (which is very heavy). When they built the house 1904 they stuck strong hooks into the ceilings. Modern at that time was that it even then was for electric light - while most other houses in Berlin still used gas light. xxx

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