Another what is it?

 After the moose visit and it finally quit snowing (and it snowed for a week!!!) and I was unable to sit on my little deck, the sun came out and within two days, spring came back.  The birds came back.  Neighbors have told of seeing lots of dead bluebirds down by the river, no doubt as a result of the zero degrees weather.  I love bluebirds!!  We have boxes out and had several pairs checking out the new digs, but have not seen any since the snow.  The blackbirds are enjoying the buffet we provide and we have several yellow headed blackbirds as well as red wings and tricolors. 

 So my what is it for this time is below.  We have had a wonderful shop to explore, but because of illness it will be closing.  I have looked at this piece several times, but when the 50% sale began, and it was still there, I was able to get it.  Have you heard of a weasel?  Not the critter, but the yarn weasel?  This is only part of the mechanism that was used in days gone by to wind and measure yarn.
There would have been little pieces at the ends of these arms that the yarn would rest on and the arms were attached to another geared piece.  When a certain amount of yarn was wound the weasel would make a "popping" sound to mark that measurement. That is where the song"Pop goes the Weasel" originated or so I have been told. 

In addition, you can see my "make do" pincushion, an old bobbin, an old canning jar with treasured buttons atop a chair re-purposed as a shelf and two other bobbins given to me by a dear friend and re-purposed as candle holders.  The thread is still on the bobbins. 

On another note, we had our health fair this past week and got our results back and discovered that we will probably live to see another health fair.  All was good!!! And do any of you remember cars without power steering?  In helping our friends move after their home sold in record time, we were involved in re-locating an old Fire bird with no transmission and not moved for many, many years.  After the Mr. pulled it over here and the owner arrived, I was elected to sit in it while they pushed it off the trailer in order to put it in it's new garage.  (how many years it will abide there is unknown).  With no power steering and questionable brakes, it was a reminder of driving my Dad's old Plymouth which is what I learned to drive on and my arms got a work-out. (Now we have to use weights to stay in shape.)  But the car is really a pretty light blue, and the interior is white and in pretty good condition, so I hope that it will be running as retirement for the owner is coming and yesterday was his birthday as well as my Baby boy's birthday.  I became a mother 45 years ago! Happy many more guys!!!

"Be kind to the women for they make up half of the population...and are the mothers of the other half."
 ~ unknown