What your old mum said

[OnlyaMan]

Many years ago, our electricity was cut off, because we could not pay the bill.
For several weeks, we played dominoes (and the like), as a family-by the light of candles.
My mum insisted that the candles should be lighted in front of a mirror-because a mirror meant that there were twice as many candles!
I suppose that if she had one candle, and many mirrors, we would never need electricity again!

[bellinisurge]

Are you for real?

[HeIsAVeryBadBoy]

I'm a bit confused OP

[OnlyaMan]

No need to be confused.

[bellinisurge]

Are you pissed?

[TwoKnocks]

Well, that’s why pre-gasolier 19thc households tended to have candle sconces on walls in front of mirrors, to amplify the light. Your mother didn’t invent the concept. Google ‘antique mirror sconces’.

[OhNoNoNoNotThatOne]

Are you asking for stories about things put mums have told us that sounded illogical, but there was some logic behind it?

[OnlyaMan]

OhNoNoNoNotThatOne-Yes actually.

[PickAChew]

Imagine the electricity you could buy for the price of each mirror.

[DesignedForLife]

why do you think a lot of LED ceiling lights have metal in them. Why photographers use reflectors. It reflects the light an concentrates it to where you want it. It doesn’t create more light.

[OnlyaMan]

I think this thread is going nowhere. I hoped it would lead to amusing stories.
Fair enough-goodbye.

[TwoKnocks]

But why not ask clearly for amusing stories, OP? Your post describes your mother doing something perfectly sensible that people have been doing for hundreds of years. It wasn’t obvious to me what you meant by posting about it.

[HeIsAVeryBadBoy]

Well, my mum used to say that if I lit candles by a mirror on halloween, i'd see the face of my future husband in the glass. But she is crazy!

[PickAChew]

How old is this old mum, btw? Is there an age above which all mums are plainly batshit?

[TwoKnocks]

My granny said the same, but I think you had to be combing your hair and/or eating an apple. Or peeling an apple in one long piece and throwing the peel over your shoulder where it would form the initial of your future husband. That, or you summoned the devil...

[TwoKnocks]

My granny was actually batshit, but for reasons unrelated to age.

[SunshineAvenue]

I'm not confused and not sure why people feel the need to act like they're stroppy 14 year olds 'OMG OP, like, totally lame'.

Sounds like your mum was a bit of a character OP!

[Tartyflette]

On my wedding day a friend of ours was chatting to my mum, saying what a nice day it had been, and my mum said, "well, it makes a change, doesn't it?"
One of her batshit stock phrases.

[TwoKnocks]

@SunshineAvenue, it’s not ‘lame’, it just reads either as if the OP thinks his mother invented the mirror sconce in his childhood, or doesn’t grasp the perfectly sound basis for lighting a candle in front of a reflective surface.

[HeIsAVeryBadBoy]

Sunshine, I thought it was a troll and now I feel bad. I'm sorry OP and I hope you get lots of amusing stories. That will help us take our mind off things.

TwoKnocks yeah it was something like that...vague memory of her saying that if I brushed my hair in front of the mirror, I'd see my future husband. I wonder if that's a widespread superstition? My mum was always coming out with stuff like that, I assumed she made it up herself!

[TwoKnocks]

No, definitely not just your mum, @Hels, I think it’s pretty widespread. But I think you had to do it at Halloween in the version I grew up with...?

[Krazynights34]

OP - I love this!
I used to have the horrors because there was something about having a candle after midnight and seeing the devil ... but I’m Irish and the world was full of weird things that batshit people said.

Oh and I grew up in a house without electricity and running water or a toilet (til I was 10) and then it burned down (not because of a candle) and our new house didn’t have a toilet til I was 14.

That’s all pretty “outing” stuff but I’m pushed so I don’t care 😀

[Krazynights34]

Pissed not pushed 😂😂