One of the bathroom lights burned out this weekend and as I climbed up on a chair reaching up to twist it out of the socket I was horrified to notice that the tulip shaped glass was covered with fuzz.  Kind of like a fur-bearing tulip.  The fact that my light fixture was growing fur is the fault of the fancy new-fangled ever lasting light bulbs we have nowadays. Not my fault.

Back in the day we regularly shopped for lightbulbs and ended up changing several at a time which was the precursor to the lightbulb borrowing dance; borrowing from one light fixture or lamp to another to prioritize where light was most needed until the next lightbulb purchase. And the rule was that when a lightbulb was changed, the light fixture was taken down and washed.  It was the time to dump the bug collection out and polish up the glass.

The lightbulbs today have a life span that puts them up there with Grandma’s amethyst necklace and the Waterford crystal vase for generational longevity. There should be a disclaimer on the lightbulb box refuting any complaints of furriness on glass tulip shades or bug collections that qualify for carbon dating with petrified wings dotting the glass. (I  wonder how they get in there).

So when you come to my house and notice fur growing on the glass fixtures, or the shadow of wings as you gaze up into my energy-efficient luminescence, feel free to take the glass down and wash it.  I’m waiting for the bulb change over to do it……it’s just my way.