I wrote about 1,000 more words tonight in Dried Flowers, and here’s a snippet, a snatch of conversation about old-style bubble lights.
Her: Why did you dig out those damn lights?
Him: They were from her mom’s place. I thought… I thought it might be a nice connection for her. A link to, to the past.
Her: They’re fire hazards.
Him: No more than any other string of bulbs on the tree.
Her: They’re fifty years old. More.
Him: And? I’m fifty years old.
I also learned that bubble lights are still made today, and a lot of them use a chemical called methylene chloride because it’s got a low boiling point (39.6°C, low enough that a lightbulb can make it bubble). The downside is that a) it might be carcinogenic and b) your body will probably convert it to carbon monoxide if you ingest it. So, uh… don’t eat the bubble lights, I guess.