Good morning to you, Cynthia.

Was it the cheeseball? Just kidding. No wait, was it the cheeseball?

Ha ha.

TM

A good morning from me too, hmmmmm not feeling like such a smarty pants this morning, I'll be waiting for clues.

Annette

Heehee, TM, funny. Wrong, but funny. ;)

Cynthia, who is way behind on her decorating this year-nothing but candles in the windows and a few random things placed around the house. Sigh. Not even a wreath up today. Plan to go get it this afternoon. I do keep it up through February though-just remove the bow, so it doesn't look so holiday-ish.

So did he invent an actual object or was it more along the lines of a usage of something that became traditional? I'm trying to rule out (or not) something that popped into my mind.

TM

NOTHING is popping into my mind, except the fact that I have a Christmas Angel gift to go buy, and more baking to do. The tree is up - after I laid on the floor trying to level it for an hour - not easy for me, and it is still a bit crooked. Oh well, I will just take pictures from the correct angle an it will look straight.

Nancy.

Tough question, TM. One could say he adapted something that had already been invented.

Here is some background (not my usual weird clues inserted into my blathering): Morris was an employee of the New England Telephone Co. He came up with his product in 1895. The idea sprang from observing something at his job.

Cynthia

OK, thanks. I was waaaaaayyyyy off base. Will now rethink.

TM

Hmmmmmmmm ????? blank, blank, black, good one Cyn.

Annette

Random (and I think mostly worthless) thoughts:

Tree stand?
Jingle bells? (The bells, not the song)
Tinsel?
Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle?
Curling ribbon? (Just this second popped into my head.)

More thinking is required.

TM

Ooh, curling ribbon is a great idea! Still wrong, though. In fact, I like all your ideas, TM. If you were a cartoon, you would have so many lightbulbs lighting up above your head!

Is it tonight that the Kennedy Center Honors show is going to be aired? I love Lily Tomlin. One ringy dingy...she is so funny.

So, have not done any new decorating. I am just so doggone lazy on weekends.

Cynthia

Mmmmm, my crystal ball is clearing I just might be onto something :).

Annette

Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?

Still trying to put this together.

- phone company
- decoration
- bells ?
- laziness, procrastination?
- lighting?

I keep picturing the old fashioned cable and plug switchboard, though it isn't leading me anywhere.

TM

This post was edited by thinman on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 15:24

A those old plug switchboards are indeed what led him to his idea!

Cynthia

I'm reading along. Perhaps something miniature?

Just finished watching the moving Clue. So confusing.

Probably the last warm day of the year and I have much that can be done outside but all I want to do is sleep. So tired of the cloudy gloomy weather. At this point I'd even take cold if it meant sunshine. Maybe I'll have more energy after a nap.

Oh, Bobbie, what you need is something to light up and cheer you through the gloom! Although naps are good, too!

Cynthia

Nap over but I'm still sleepy. I blame my allergy medicine. Off to work outside for awhile then to the store to buy ingredients to make cookies.

We've had a string of these gloomy days. Most of the snow has melted leaving everything damp and brown. Rain and snow mix expected tomorrow.

I am picturing a very small light bulb that is simply inserted into its socket rather than being screwed in.

Hmmmmmmmm?

TM

Hmmmm indeed, TM. âºï¸Â

Cynthia

Are we all on the same page now:).

Annette

Yes, I think everyone has seen the light-haha.

Four stars for all of you. Here is the history ( from Wikipedia): The first lighted Christmas trees made use of candles. Attaching the candles was a difficult process, and proved to be a fire hazard. The tree could not be left unattended when the candles were lit. A bucket of water also had to be kept near the tree and someone had to keep watch for a possible fire. Candle wax was expensive, so later trees used lamps that were made from nutshell halves filled with oil and a wick. More elegant lamps were made from different colours of glass. The new candle holder, called a counterbalance candle holder, had a weight attached to the bottom that kept the candle standing upright. However, even with these improvements, the trees still proved to be fire hazards.

The invention of the electric light added a new dimension to Christmas trees. In 1882 an inventor working for Thomas Edison devised a way of wrapping small electric lights in red, white, and blue crêpe paper. These coloured lights that were strung on a tree provided the earliest version of contemporary Christmas lights. However, Christmas tree lights were still experimental throughout the 1880s.

Miniature Christmas lights were first developed in 1895 by Ralph E. Morris, an employee of the New England Telephone Company. Morrisâ idea for miniature Christmas lights occurred as he was looking at the tiny bulbs on telephone switchboards. However, many Americans still distrusted the safety of electric lights throughout the early 1900s and candles were still used to illuminate trees. The early Christmas tree lights were simply night-lights strung together to form light strings. When General Electric commercially introduced Christmas lights, they quickly became popular. Edison Electric soon followed suit with an electric Christmas lamp.

In the early 1990s the world's largest artificial Christmas tree maker, Boto Company (bankrupted in January 2008) started the first production of prelit trees supplied to Target stores. Recent technical advances in the manufacturing process of prelit trees has made them easy to assemble and realistic looking.

Thanks for playing. I will try to come up with something fun for next week since I am already in a vacation frame of mind! ðÂÂÂ

Cynthia

Thanks for the stars, Cynthia. You gave us a nicely challenging question with excellent clues.

Will look forward to next week's question.

TM

Electric Christmas lights came to mind right away but I needed clues to get to miniature.

Thanks for the Chrsitmasy stars and fun.

Will be thinking of you enjoying a day at the movies on Wednesday.

Great question - sorry I didn't get back. Didn't work yesterday and ended up going to a friends 67th BP party - lots of (bad) singing the old songs - elvis, Patsy cline - crazy good fun but my throat is sore today!!

Nancy.