December 22...3 days till Christmas

Long before the lava lamp, there were magical bubble lights that thrilled me during the holidays. I remember how captivated I was by them as a child and how I could sit in a darkened room and look at them for hours. Spinner ornaments held the same fascination for me. Every night when my parents plugged in the tree lights, I'd wait eagerly for the bulbs to generate enough heat to make their tiny pinwheels go round.  Light would reflect off the metallic vanes and make the tree sparkle.

Of course, I was the same kid who would pull up a chair and watch the clothes go round and round in the new front loader that the home extension lady had taught my mother to use when she and my dad replaced the old wringer washer. It didn't take much to amuse me back then.

3 vintage bubble lights
christmastreedecorations.net

THREE vintage spinner ornaments
vintagechristmasdecorationsforsale.com

Did someone say "bubble"? Number 3 on my Christmas Wish List is a George Nelson bubble light. Or two. Or three. What I'd really like to have over my dining table is the triple saucer fixture, but if that sounds too greedy, I'll gladly take a single.

An original George Nelson bubble lamp in the saucer shape
collectibles-articles.com