Thursday, November 29, 2012

Boomerang



Funny what reappears from the past when you’re cleaning, isn’t it?

I unearthed this item from the depths of my piano stool (no idea why it was THERE, of all places!) a few days ago. A Boomerang, a gift from one of my husband’s nephews. He purchased it during a trip to Australia some years ago.




Now my familiarity with a boomerang is limited to the lyrics of a novelty song, My Boomerang Won't Come Back, which was popular back in the 1960s. The song was recorded British comedian Charlie Drake and became a surprise hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1961. Read more about the artist and song at Wikipedia. Here are the lyrics.

The boomerang was historically used for hunting, as well as sport and entertainment. It is thrown and typically constructed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang, which the label states this one is, is designed to circle back to the thrower.



Readers in Australia can perhaps tell us stories about the boomerang, as it seems to be closely tied to the history of that continent. Or you can read about it on the Wikipedia page.

It’s an interesting and odd looking item. I am not sure what to do with it. Display it? Perhaps, but I can’t seem to make it successfully stand up in the little wooden display stand provided.

This could be the oddest thing I have in my house! What about you: what do you consider to be the “oddest” thing you own?




11 comments:

  1. You really are deep cleaning if you have even gone into the piano stool :-) We probably have lots of things people would consider strange as DH had a career at sea and visited almost any country with a port. I'm thinking the odd sharks tooth, the beach rock that looks like a face, the abacus I never learned to use. Then there are examples of my art and his sculpture which may qualify as strange to some people.

    Come to think of it I might just say we have a house full of oddities, LOL!

    Darla

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I've gone off the deep ending with cleaning! Your home sounds very interesting to me! Love the personal touches.

      Delete
  2. What an amusing find - I wonder what is in my piano stool? As an Australian, I have to say the souvenir looks a better quality than many which are sold, especially the wooden stand, although unfortunate if it won't stand for you! Funny the things that come to live with us over the years - I have a couple of ancient coins from Mesopotamia, 3,500 years old, acquired during University years.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thinking there was a smaller boomerang (the nephew gave us two sizes) that fit in this stand (but I have no idea where the smaller one is!) I think I can make it work if I decide to leave it on display. Wow, you have some really old coins!

      Delete
  3. We have the Binnacle from the ship, The Hollywood, that my husband's grandmother's husband was captain of. It shows up in pictures on my blog often, and people have asked what that "odd thing" is, so I guess it qualifies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will have to look for it in your photos. I definitely think it qualifies as an oddity in the decor!

      Delete
  4. What a beautiful " odd thing " you have found. Definitely worth saving. It looks like a piece of art to be frank.
    Having done my share of decluttering, I don´t have anything non-practical left in our house, but there might be something at the stable to be found. Something, I wish to save, because they have a special meaning for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keep it out for awhile - I want to see it!!

      Delete
    2. Mette, I trust your eye on these sorts of things! As I have cleaned I have sorted and boxed many things for giving away/disposing of!

      Delete
  5. Like Mette said, your boomerang looks like a piece of art. Being a minimalist and utilitarian, you won't find any strange objects in my house, no funky kitchen utensils or old heirlooms ;-)
    that said, I belive the strangest piece in our house would be an A4 size plexi glass sheet Mr. C fashioned for me. I use it to fold our T-shirts.

    ReplyDelete