A Detour to a Christmas Present (a post script)

      We celebrated Christmas in Florida with my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter and gifts were exchanged. Among the gifts were this most heavy box, about 1/2 ton (I am kidding), but certainly heavy. It contained a stone making kit. So I have been waiting for a good day to make the stone.





The box containing the various "stone ingredients",
such as mud in powder form, mold,
stir sticks to mix the mud with water, pieces of stained glass and instructions.

It is obviously important to follow the instructions in order not to make a complete mess and end up with a disastrous result. Therefore the items in the box were laid out and examined, arranged in the order needed and the instructions perused carefully, because it would seem that if one missed a step or didn't have the proportions right then the end result would lack in quality, and quality is of course important.

 

 



The mold which is simply made out of really thin plastic.

The mud in powder form - really dusty when poured out.

Since dust of this type is very corrosive and damaging to the respitory

organs I was surprised the instructions didn't specify

that one should always wear a dust mask when handling it.

The plastic bag of nice pieces of cut stained / colored glass

 

 

 

 The mud is being mixed in the proper proportions.

3 cups water initially and if more is needed, one tablespoons at a time.

The manufacturer (Chinese) supplied stir stick broke.

One hopes the mud is mixed well enough.

The mud has now been poured into the mold without spilling but a few

drops on the floor of the garage. It has been shaken to level it.

 

     Now a decision must be made, should one make this a "pretty" stone and use the pieces of stained glass to decorate?

     Or should one, since this is a present for a man make it a man's stone? And if the answer is in the affirmative, what can be done to make it a man's stone? An idea surfaces, which I must say, not being in the least bit biased, is an excellent idea.

      After all, what better self-sacrifice to make than to drink copious amounts of beer in a short time, hoping one will not pass out before the bottles are empty and before the mud has set. Such a sacrifice but someone has to do it, why not me.

     The end result which is now curing - the stone - not the potential hangover - and will cure for the next 48 hours, so by Sunday morning the stone should be ready to remove from the mold.

Say where is the next kit because I may get thirsty by then.

 

     We will continue the journey out west soon.

 

     The post script - The stone completed curing and is now located in the flower bed. It looks like

the little figures are saying "How could he possibly drink so much beer?"