The Secret of the Old Clock

 Okay, there's no real secret, (Or maybe there is.) I just wanted to use the title of one of my favorite Nancy Drew stories in my blog post.  (It's the first in the series...and definitely one of the best, especially if you are reading the original text which was 25 chapters versus the revised "updated" text that was only 20 chapters.)

When we bought the Poconos house, I brought with us the mantel clock from our house.  It was originally from my parent's house next door.  (Although there was another one there before it and now I'm obsessing over what happened to it.)  I can't remember if it followed them to the shore or not.  I'm thinking it did not, as a photo that I found shows it on my mantle in 2019, which was the year they permanently moved to the shore and in years before there was nothing there.  (My God I am getting old if I can't remember and am obsessing about a clock).  If I recall correctly, they purchased it in Bermuda (they used to take trips to celebrate their anniversary) and I ended up with it on my mantle in NJ.   

(Photo from 2020 after we had the living room painted.)

So since September of 2024, the mantle in NJ has had no clock and the mantle in PA had this:

And while I loved having it in PA, every time I was in NJ, I'd look at the mantle to see the time.  Even though I knew it wasn't there.

Furthermore, the clock just wasn't exactly right for the mantle in PA.  It needed something different.  Exactly what I did not know, but I've been looking.

Mostly what I've been looking for is a "Nancy Drew" clock.  Meaning...

or

But I've had no luck.

So I've given up looking for a Nancy Drew clock. But I've been looking around in local antique shops and online to find something that hit me. That just reached out and said this is right. However I haven't been able to find anything. 

That is until one  Friday. In mid-April  a new antique shop opened in town. That makes four antique shops within a 2-4 mi radius. At least three of them are officially in my town. 

This new shop unofficially opened on Thursday. Late on Thursday they posted on social media that they were opening and showing some of their wares. And they had clocks. Two of which I thought might be appropriate. So on my lunch hour on Friday I went over. 

They had lots of nice things. As a matter of fact they had so many things that I know my son would love but I have forbidden him from ever going there ( as if that would ever work).  

I asked the owner how much two of the clocks she had were they were both the same price but I was drawn to the one that looked more like an actual mantle block. Something art decoy that had a wood color similar to the house. It was reasonably priced, the only issue was that it needed AK and she did not have one. So I went home without it to think about it. 

I spoke to my husband. I showed him a picture of the two clocks that I liked. He, like me, immediately was drawn to the one that would better match the wood tone in our house. I explained that she said it worked but it needed a key to be set and to keep running. My husband immediately went online and was able to find a set of keys that he felt would work. 

The two of us then went back to the antique shop. He looked at the clock more thoroughly. So did I. We made the decision to purchase it. And so it has been sitting on a mantle looking wonderful but not telling the time for several days. 

Today the key arrived. It was one of these that had multiple sizes:  

My husband carefully wound it.  And it started ticking...and then it stopped...

It's wound and it's ready to go and it does go for a few seconds and then...nothing.

 Maybe there is a secret to this old clock!  And the secret is, what seems to be the problem as everything seems to be in working order.  Which meant it was time to find a clock repair place.  

 Did by on line research and there seemed to be one about a 40 minute drive away, but they are open they are open 9-3 on Tues-Sat (and possibly 12-3 on Sunday and maybe not on Friday). So that means I'd have to go over the weekend.  Which is exactly what I did.  (Okay, we did because I made my husband come with me.)

 They weren't open when we arrived (a few minutes after nine), so we wandered around the antique mall in which the store was housed.  When we checked back it was open (the grandson who was supposed to open the store was a no show) and my husband showed him the clock.  Turns out he has a 4 MONTH waiting list, which we can go on OR we can leave it and he thinks he can get to it sooner.  He thinks it needs to be cleaned and oiled.  (Which is what hubby thinks too.)  He gave us an estimate on the price for this (The price of the clock just doubled...am I happy?  I am not.)  We left it and the wait begins.

 So keep those fingers crossed for me.  I need an old clock that works, not one that holds secrets.