Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Guessing Game # 6

                Hardenlava

A few years ago I went to the Azores to the island of Terceira.  My family has its roots there, in fact our ancestry can be traced back to the 13th century.

I was lucky enough to visit the home of my Grandfathers and Grandmothers. As children they lived on the island, then in their early teens one by one they left Terceira to venture to America, traveling across the States to settle in California.

When I was in Terceira visiting the house of my Father’s dad, the owner of the house gave me this lava stone. She told me that it was handmade by my Great Grandfather in the 1890s.

                Lavarock_2

Do you know what it was used for?

A little treat for the first person who gives the right answer, and another for the most original answer too. (Sorry girls it is not pink nor romantic, but if you can whip up something romantic with this stone you know I am gonna love it.)

Comments

99 responses to “Guessing Game # 6”

  1. Parisbreakfasts

    Is this per chance a VERY large key chain ornament?
    Or better yet a CHARM on a historic bracelet?
    Would the prize be a cup and 2 bowls???
    Or some NOUGAT!!!!
    ________________________
    Hi Carol
    Sure that sounds like a good prize. Nougat is made in my village. But you where too busy having me EAT macarons to show you the place.
    The most creative answer might have some nougat.

    Reply
  2. Miss Nougat-Ville

    Is this a piece of toasted NOUGAT like a toasted marshmallow???

    Reply
  3. Jeanne

    Looks like the kind of stone for polishing
    as we use smaller ones for our feet etc……
    Just a wild guess.
    Love you.
    Always curious as to the answer.
    Love you
    Jeanne

    Reply
  4. Melanie

    I have to think all day about that and I will give an answer tonight .
    MAy be I will give ma langue au chat ….

    Reply
  5. Katy

    Some kind of weight for a fishing net, perhaps? I have no idea how much lava rock weighs, though. Kind of large for an earring.

    Reply
  6. Sarah

    It is a beautiful stone. I would also guess a fishing weight or a pestle of some sort. Thank you for your blog it is the only one I read daily.

    Reply
  7. tut-tut

    hmm . . . I would have to guess something to do with fishing, too, though I think lava stone is almost as light as air.

    Reply
  8. Kristin Wight

    I have three ideas.
    1. A pumice stone for scrubbing. The whole was for a string so it could be hung.
    2. A candle stick holder.
    3. A bed warmer.

    Reply
  9. My Melange

    Corey,
    First, what an amazing heirloom to be holding in your hand..from that far back. Lucky you!!!
    Next, I have seen these in bath and body shops recently. They are for rubbing callouses- mainly from your feet. But, this one looks very big, which makes me think that perhaps your family was unusually large….so that is my guess…a foot exfoliator for giants 😉 Just kidding!
    Ok, seriously….I know that they use something similar for taking the loose shededing hair from animals. So maybe it was used for brushing dogs or sheep or horses?

    Reply
  10. Cottage Contessa

    I think it looks like a “do not disturb” sign for the door……or for the cave entrance maybe? Like, no knockin’ if this caves’ a rockin’! lol Truly though I have no idea. Can’t wait to find out though!
    Amanda (aka Cottage Contessa)

    Reply
  11. Karin

    I will say the first thing that popped into my head- a clock weight. I am sure that’s not right, but it is just a guess after all. 🙂 What a wonderful treasure to have, Corey!
    ————————
    Hi K
    Here is a clue the stones are very light, they float.

    Reply
  12. Caffienated Cowgirl

    Perhaps a back scrubber…like a loofah…to scrub someone else’s back…

    Reply
  13. Anastasia

    its beautiful…how wonderful you have it!
    was it used as a weight of some sort…?
    or maybe like a pumice or soap?

    Reply
  14. Marie-Noëlle

    Maybe your ancestor used to wash / rub his trousers with it…
    One day he ventured to California and stone-washed his family’s jeans…
    The startng point of California’s world-wide fame for its stone-washed jeans !!!???!!!

    Reply
  15. Sheila

    I wondered if it was used for scaling fish ?
    Whales were still being caught in the Azores and Madeira in those times..?

    Reply
  16. Darla

    I’m guessing it was something to tie your keys to. A big ol’ key keeper.
    Whatever it is I’ll bet you were thrilled to get it.
    Darla

    Reply
  17. Paris Parfait

    Isn’t it a pumice stone?

    Reply
  18. shirleymcc

    was it a candle holder? I was going to say bed warmer, but someone already said that. I guess if the candle was set very near the bed, it could be both…

    Reply
  19. meredith

    I am laughing over the Cottage Contessa’s answer…too funny!
    It’s a weight to hold down a bouquet of helium filled balloons.

    Reply
  20. beachy

    If French nougat is involved, I must get the answer correct! =)
    Lava holds heat extremely well (dah, beachy!), and since there’s a hole in it, I suspect it was to carry it around when it was hot. Bed warmer has already been mentioned (darn), but here’s a tidbit… I went to an OLD church in Boston, and families used to have their own little private cubicles of pews within which to sit. They used to bring heated items such as this to place on the floor (protected of course), to keep the family warm in winter, as the church was not heated. So… this is the Portuguese version of a portable heater! =)

    Reply
  21. Catalina

    I guess is a foot stone (to rub them) The hole is to hang it in the bathroom
    Or maybe is a magic stone. You had to try and if your “pouce” fit perfectly inside you may make a wish!

    Reply
  22. delphine

    like a pumice stone…right?
    delphine

    Reply
  23. Mary

    I think it was tied with a ribbon to a door handle to weight the door either open or closed as needed.
    How cool that you have been able to visit the home of your ancestors!

    Reply
  24. Ariane

    Well, all the practical guesses that I can think of have already been made (i.e. pumice stone, foot warmer, stone for washing grease from clothes or hands). So here’s my romantic answer… it looks like a moon rock…so it’s a token of affection from the goddess of the moon to her lover on the earth that although they cannot be near together any longer, he has a piece of her heart.

    Reply
  25. Paula

    I think it was used to scrub pots.
    No matter what it was really used for, it is a treasure for you and I’m glad you were blessed with it.

    Reply
  26. Travelingmama

    A pendant to ward off the evil eye perhaps? Ya never know!

    Reply
  27. Ariane

    I thought of another romantic answer. When the Solar System was forming, Mother Earth gave birth to her daughter, Luna. But has her daughter grew, it became time for Luna to go off on her own. So she separated from her mother. Every time lava flows from the Mother Earth, she mourns the separation from her daughter, and these lava rocks are her solidified tears.

    Reply
  28. Melissa

    May I make two guesses?
    1. He gave it to his wife to use to grow orchids. (Place orchid on lava stone)
    and/or
    2. He gave it to her as a water filter so she wouldn’t get sick from drinking the water.

    Reply
  29. Melissa

    Or MAYBE a string was tied to it and the stone was heated then plunged into water for a steam bath?
    Ok, so that’s three guesses.

    Reply
  30. Suzanne

    Dear Corey,
    Once upon a time there was, in a Portuguese island, Ilha Terceira, a young boy and a young girl. They were deeply in love for each other. But the girl’s father was against their love.
    The girl had been raised in all luxury, as they were the wealthiest family in the all island, while the boy was a simple fisherman.
    The girl and the boy, with their fiery eyes could only see their passionate feelings. And even though the rich father opposed to their relation, the boy and the girl thought they would always find a way to be together.
    So, the boy started to think how could he speak with his beloved and combine their concealed, secret encounters in the island.
    One morning, at the sunrise, having returned from the fishery work, he found a lava stone on the path, and he had an idea!
    He ran all the way home and started to work on the rock with a little knife. He would make a clever hole in it where he could place a piece of paper with his poems to her. And every night, before going to the boats, he would pass under her window balcony and throw in the lava stone with the handmade hole and his poems inside, tied up with a linen bow.

    Reply
  31. cruststation

    What an amazing piece of history to have in your hand, it’s precious! Humm…I think the holes are used to hold sticks like a ‘toothbrush holder’ 🙂

    Reply
  32. Julie

    Hmmmmm…I think it is….A weight to perhaps hold thread on a loom or spinning wheel………or perhaps it is a pot boiler. Heat it in the fire and plunge it in the pot![Clever}….or maybe it is a fishnet weight. Wait…I know!!!! It is an imagination sparker!
    Julie

    Reply
  33. Dee

    It’s kinda like a Cinderella story! Only this is an engagement ring not a shoe! You know how the story goes…if it fits…you live happily ever after!
    I was trying to be romantic…just for you, Corey! 🙂

    Reply
  34. martina

    Well first I thought it was a callous remover, then thought maybe it had something to do with fishing, maybe for cleaning the hull of a boat. Maybe it was used to identify and/or float a net?

    Reply
  35. rochambeau

    Corey,
    Don’t know how my comment made it into the wrong post, anyway….. is this a pumice stone?

    Reply
  36. Darlene

    I have no idea…
    As for romantic, here goes:
    The lad carefully carved out a small hole in the poreous rock, then laid it amongst the stones of the courtyard wall. If the owner saw him, he would surely be beaten. But if all went well, tomorrow when he returned, that small hole hiden in the rock would house his love’s words of adoration. And right now, that meant more to him than getting caught by her father…

    Reply
  37. Marie-Noëlle

    Back for another guess…
    Your lava stone is shaped like the island of Terceira (to my eye !!!).
    It could be a little “talisman” your ancestor could wear round his neck (on a string) as to remember his island always !

    Reply
  38. tommiea

    a stone to scrub the crusties off your feet so they look pretty when he rubs them…..or maybe that is what I wish it would be.

    Reply
  39. Helen

    Corey…you make my day with your beautiful photo’s and clever thought’s. My dream in 2 years is to visit France and Italy…perhaps we’ll have a coffee or glass of wine. My guess for today is it a fishing weight? Have a wonderful weekend and know you inspire many and make others happy.
    Adeiu,
    Helen

    Reply
  40. Julie

    Is it a weight that is placed on a chain to keep a gate closed?
    Lucky you to be able to visit the land of your ancestors and come home with a treasure.

    Reply
  41. Leau

    Corey, I first thought it was a grinding stone but would lava rock be hard enough? But that is my guess if it is right. So maybe it was a rock to put into the coals to heat up and then put into water to keep it hot so she could always have hot tea!
    I love the new look of your blog and the pictures are really lovely, so dreamy.

    Reply
  42. carol

    Its a pumice stone – used to remove hard skin especially from heels. The hole I would bet is naturally formed – but a cord could be threaded through and it could be hung in the shower/bath and used daily.
    That is my guess anyway. I have seen similar looking rocks around Mono Lake in California.

    Reply
  43. Rosemary

    Hi Corey,
    I think it is a pumice stone, which had a hole put in it, to tie a line to it for a float for fishing.
    How about that guess?
    Rosemary

    Reply
  44. p

    hmmm..Lava rock…A symbol of MOLTEN red hot love???

    Reply
  45. patty van dorin

    What you do is hold it out at arms length, aligning the bottom edge with the horizon, when the sun can be clearly seen through the hole, it is officially time to start happy hour.
    So I say welcome to TGIF and let the maritini’s commence.

    Reply
  46. orama

    Matt’s brain, w/hole from the hole in his head

    Reply
  47. Franca Bollo

    Looks like something I pull from the oven when I’ve been trying to bake.

    Reply
  48. bejeweled

    When you look through the hole, you can see fairies 🙂

    Reply
  49. Elaine

    Corey, as we all know, we use the pumice stone today to keep our tootsies clean and free of callouses. I would think though that this stone could have been used for scrubbing clothes on laundry day. Just a thought.
    Romantic, mmmm. Well, young men who wanted to give their lovers furs would use the lava stone to clean the skins to make the coats.

    Reply
  50. Lorene

    Ok I will take a guess –
    It is a weight for a scale.
    I know, its not a romantic answer. I am trying to think of something practical. I have been there too but I don’t remember seeing anything like that.

    Reply
  51. suzi finer

    perhaps it was attached to a long stick and used to hack off the heads of chickens (although I did not notice any residual blood…)
    too much halloween over here…
    love.

    Reply
  52. tinker

    The world’s biggest lavastone wedding ring? lol – that’s the only romantic answer I can come up with, at the moment – though I can think of many other non-romantic uses…
    a hot plate/warming stone, a float or a weight for fishing nets (I’m not sure how much it weighs and I’m trying to remember if lava stone floats), a beater for washing clothes, or perhaps he made it for his wife’s pedicures? 🙂
    What a fun mystery…that must be wonderful to have such a long history of your family!

    Reply
  53. Di Overton

    I would say it was a pumice for your feet but that is too easy and I know you never make these easy so I give up or maybe it’s a handbag:)

    Reply
  54. Brother Mathew

    A weight used for a fishing net?

    Reply
  55. Brother Mathew

    Used for throing at people who make wise ass comments.

    Reply
  56. Brother Mathew

    throwing

    Reply
  57. stljoie

    Well I’m going to guess it was used to scrape hides during the tanning process.

    Reply
  58. nonizamboni

    This makes me think it could have been used as a sort of curry comb for horses or maybe for cleaning sheep’s wool. It certainly has a great history and looks like it has a nice feel too.
    I give up!
    Mary Ann
    :O)

    Reply
  59. Liz Ness

    My guess is a weight for a belt or a rope pull (like on a shade). Pumice isn’t heavy and it’s sharp but brittle…doesn’t last long when used to scour. So, I’m just not sure…weight seemed the best idea to me at this moment. Maybe tonight I’ll wake up with the real answer???

    Reply
  60. Jill

    I think it’s for good luck? But your grandfather left it there because it’s BAD luck to remove such a thing from its place of origin.
    hmmm, but you have it now in France, so maybe the moving part isn’t bad luck after all.

    Reply
  61. marita

    what a great memory of you ancestor, once made by your grandfather and serving a purpose for sure!
    well, i’ll give it a try ot two…
    – knowing lava stone is very light and seeing the whole at the top i think it was tyed with a ribbon to use it as a scarecrow hanging in fruit trees to protect harvests from hungry exotic island birds …???
    – or as a tool to scrub your feet and body (seen it in north africa) :((

    Reply
  62. tut-tut

    L suggests a buoy type of object, like in a pool to demarcate one area from another!

    Reply
  63. Lisa S. Oceandreamer

    My guess is that it was an early wine opener. The cork was placed in the hole and somehow maneuvered out – then when the bottle was open the neck went in to the hole and it kept the bottle at an angle. It was probably used to celebrate many an important occasion.
    OK, it’s not so fanciful or romantic, but that’s my guess!
    XOXOXO

    Reply
  64. Katy

    Maybe a floating candle holder? Hey – it’s a guess!!

    Reply
  65. JCinCA

    What a great story. How special that you are able to hold something your Great Grandfather crafted. I bet he’s smiling at your choice to have a contest featuring his rock! So here’s my WAG. Its a warmer of some sort but not 100% sure for what… for a bed? for bread? for water?

    Reply
  66. Sally

    Corey, you are the Queen of Guessing Games!
    ah sheesh, I haven’t a clue. 🙁 But not wanting to be deemed a party pooper, here are my thoroughly thought out and researched guesses … 🙂
    1. The Rosetta Stone for bakers – this is the first recorded donut recipe
    2. The very first loofah
    3. The very first cheese grater
    4. The very first pasta drainer
    5. The very first debit card
    and on the romantic front … it is a horse “parker” for when your beloved rides over to your castle on his steed to woo you, he puts the reins through the hole and this weighs down the poor horse so that the horsey cannot move until your romantic tryst is over. (yes, I’m having a goofy day over here)

    Reply
  67. marita

    it’s almost midnight here in the valley so time for a third attempt…
    it’s an isolation building brick for houses to keep the summer heat out!

    Reply
  68. tut-tut

    Or a marker for a lobster (or similar) trap??

    Reply
  69. sally

    er um huh oh bother …
    I was going to say a weight for a fish net but you said it’s lightweight, so that wouldn’t hold a net open … WAH!

    Reply
  70. Jeanette

    Your Grandmother used it to scrub clothes clean in the wash? How about it was used to scrap the scales off fish? Or to clean the rot out of the cow hooves? Or maybe used as a scrub to remove mildew off the wall. Or it was tied to a rope and thrown into the well to see how far the water is down.(if light maybe it float). Maybe it just graced the night stand by their bed as a reminder of a wonderful day they had together.

    Reply
  71. Karin

    Maybe his version of a handle for pulling the swing arm out of the fireplace? I don’t know! 🙂 ‘Tis a mystery!!

    Reply
  72. Sheila

    Second Guess Corey, a fishing float?

    Reply
  73. Dee

    I think it has something to do with Astronomy…maybe they looked at a certain star to determine the season? Or maybe which way was North, South, East or West?

    Reply
  74. My Melange

    You are killign me…again Corey.
    Ok, ok. How about the first S.O.S pad..you know scrub those pots and pans clean? First life preserver? Stuff bread in the holes and throw it in the pond…and feed the ducks?

    Reply
  75. Jeanette

    To scrub yourself clean in the bath. Or to smooth off the callouses off your hand or feet?
    Jeanette

    Reply
  76. Laura

    A bell clapper?

    Reply
  77. Jeanette

    A float for a crab pot or a float to mark where the fish nets are. Jeanette

    Reply
  78. queen of the carnivale

    I will say…
    it is a hand carved weight that holds a tapered candle, used to light the pathways at dusk so your Great Grandmother would always be able to see her way home, and into your Great Grandfather’s arms.

    Reply
  79. heather

    well, somebody else already said it, and it’s not original (or romantic) either, but the first thing i thought of was to scrub the dead skin off your feet. or maybe, keep the moisture out of brown sugar? or…or…i know! it’s a weather rock! you know, if it’s swinging it’s windy, if it’s wet it’s raining, if it’s gone somebody stole it?

    Reply
  80. delphine

    ok try #2: they are used for cooking or for massages…geez corey, i know i am off…but this is gonna keep me up all night.
    wink
    delphine

    Reply
  81. Jeanette

    It hung over the gate that the cows came into the barn and would scratch their back for them! Or it hung from a rope across a gate so people would see it and not run into the rope. Or to….? still thinking.
    Jeanette

    Reply
  82. Alexandra

    This was fun…I looked up the history of the Azores online. What a neat history, and I’ve always wanted to visit.
    It looks like some kind of weight – fishing, but maybe too big. Perhaps for a pulley.
    Not very romantic, sorry. 😉

    Reply
  83. beachy

    Well I did my homework… I HAD to… my uncle’s entire family is from the Azores (he was the only child born in the States).
    It was a “cobblestone” used on the street. The hole was for a smaller “white” stone to be inlaid, making the white lines down the road for traffic purposes.

    Reply
  84. Dawn

    I believe it was a stone that you could place rope or twine through to hang on your front door, or in your home, to bring much love and happiness to your family.
    Hmmmmm, don’t know if that sounds romantic enough for you, Corey!
    xxoo, Dawn

    Reply
  85. Miz Booshay

    The very first brillo pad.

    Reply
  86. Jackie

    It is a pestle, as in mortar and pestle. Jackie

    Reply
  87. Annie

    Oh my! How will you read through all of this nonsense! FUN!! My guess is it was worn around the neck for protection from evil. OR It was hung by twine into a pot of water to make broth because of the minerals in the lava. OR (am I allowed three guesses?) Babies were lain on the stone to determine if they had royal blood. If they cried, they were commoners. If they didn’t make a peep, they were of royal lineage.

    Reply
  88. julie holvik

    Well, may guess is that it was warmed up on a nice fire and put in their honeymoon bed to warm up their cold toes!

    Reply
  89. Elaine L.

    What wonderful answers!
    I’m going to guess that it is attached to fishing nets to keep them from sinking.
    ~elaine~

    Reply
  90. eb

    a pumice stone for the bath – to scrub away dry skin…
    ok – everyone has guessed that…
    but it is big – maybe too big for that – maybe to be used like sand paper or a file…
    let’s go for the metaphoric – it is used to smooth down the rougher edges of life – a rasp – (no Corey I didn’t say raspberry) to soften, smooth, subdue and round out the edgier and more abrasive aspects of life – an abrasive for the abrasive elements of living…
    xox – eb.

    Reply
  91. Pinkie Denise

    Corey we think it is some kind of door weight
    used like a pulley to lock the door? Hmmm sounds good anyway. Not very romantic though..
    Mary, Denise and Rene’

    Reply
  92. Hasmin

    Corey, hmmm…all the logical answers have been given. Well, it looks very fung shui to me. I’m picturing that it was placed flat in a pretty bowl, filled ever so slightly with crystal clear water, and as the lava rock soaks up the water, a bunch of sweet smelling posies were placed in the hole. The first floral frog, or the Azores form of Ikebana?

    Reply
  93. Mélanie

    I’ve thought this morning I will read the answer …but no .
    Well Je donne ma langue au chat ..I love this expression

    Reply
  94. Redness

    Hi Corey,
    You mention ” to whip up something …” so I wondered is “whip” the operative word? Could this have been an implement your Great Grandfather invented to avoid rope burning his hands during the ‘Touradas a Corda’ (the bull run). Did he return home after the event with a posy of heather, juniper and other native flowers placed in the hole of the stone implement? Imagine your Great Grandmother rejoicing at the sweet thoughtfulness of the gift as he appeared safe, with un-bloodied hands!

    Reply
  95. Elaine Kerr

    First thought was ‘fishing sinker’. Too obvious….spindle whorl? Hole’s in the wrong place…. Clock weight? That would be SOME clock! Last try: cat weight – to keep it out of reach of the nougat. What is all this nougat business, anyway???

    Reply
  96. Elizabeth Meredith

    Since lava would float, I think it is a life-preserver for children.

    Reply
  97. Elizabeth Meredith

    Second guess: a handwarmer

    Reply
  98. Elizabeth Meredith

    Last guess: This is used by men to induce women to go with them to a remote spot on the coastline at night where they would be able to watch the mermaid races (forerunner of submarine races) with the aid of the hole in the stone. (Note: This only works if the woman is very guillible or really wants to be alone with the man)

    Reply
  99. A

    This looks like some sort of fishing weight.

    Reply

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