Smashed to Smithereens.

Crystal-clear

 

 

Instead of putting my laptop on the desk, I put it on the console, next to the bed. The next morning I was awakened to the sound of glass breaking. French Husband did not see the computer cord going across the floor to the console, and tripped over it. Of course, the tiny MAC cord pops out easily, so even if you trip over it you, nor the computer will get hurt… though if the cord is twisted around something, let say a crystal bronze candelabra with coupelles (glass dishes underneath the candles to catch the wax drips) one could hurt themselves.

 

 

  Chandlier

 

French Husband did not even have a scratch. But the candelabra wasn't so lucky. The bronze part is fine, the crystal bits were smashed to smithereens like fallen stars across the bedroom floor. I said half asleep, "Oh sparkling wonders."

 

 

French-antique-crystal-and-

 

One not so sparkly husband, cursed my reasoning for not putting the laptop away, for twisting the cord around the candelabra, for snoring, for hogging the bed, for last year's flat tire… not really but you know what I mean. He was in a bad mood made worse by the sparkling wonders on the bedroom floor, therefore every little thing that has been bugging him for the last century came spewing out as well. Except for the words: I am sorry. Because in France it is hard to say those three words especially when it is not your fault and rarely is it.

 

Scalloped-crystals

 

Note to self:

Find some coupelles at the brocante this weekend.

Is there a moral to this story? If you have one let me know in the comment section. I'll send a crystal from the sparkling wonder to one of you.

 



Comments

64 responses to “Smashed to Smithereens.”

  1. Well, French husband needed a reason to blow up. He has been worried about you and taking care of you and the only thing that is unsalvageable is the crystals. The marriage, the man and the woman are all intact.

  2. ohhh Poor Yann !!!!

  3. Ok you had your turn now get off the stage. No more calamities for you!
    Seriously this officially ends the bad luck streak.
    Hope your cast comes off soon.

  4. C’est la vie~

  5. I agree with Paulita and I think you will receive an apology later today… And some wine & roses perhaps.

  6. Mark Twain said it best, “Apparently there is nothing that cannot happen today.”

  7. Brenda, Walker, LA, USA

    Iron sharpens Iron…In marriage, we have many opportunities to be taught how to reach down in our hearts deeper and deeper to understand and forgive, even learn how to BE forgiven. Just love him, he is forced then to melt and love you back! :0)

  8. The moral to the story is that we need a girls weekend away from the French men 🙂 You will probably hear something similar this evening. I moved the computer….per a suggestion and now it won’t power up….catching my drift? 🙂

  9. *French Curiosités*

    The moral to the story is that we need a girls weekend away from the French men 🙂 You will probably hear something similar this evening. I moved the computer….per a suggestion and now it won’t power up….catching my drift? 🙂

  10. Oh man… I’ve done that several times… put my ibook someplace precarious. Once I dropped it and ruined it and AP has not happy with me. And there are PLENTY of things that he could bring up where I’ve acted recklessly and caused breakage… like once I drove the car into the house when he told me not to because there was ice in the driveway. Oh yes. But I was all like, “ice? ICE? I’m from Michigan. I KNOW Ice.” and then I promptly drove the car right into the house because the tires slid on the ice. But as AP is British, he just grows very quiet. Mercifully he hasn’t blown his top over my mistakes.
    That was quite a long story just to say… sorry about the candelabra and the — shall we say — slightly annoyed FH.

  11. I love Brenda’s comment. I do these kind of things all the time. Not on purpose, it just seems to be that I am the one they happen to. Sorry!

  12. There is a moral to the story … was it dark in the room? Were you subconsciously hoping to trip him so he would join you in your disabled state? Hmmm. I have no idea, but I think it could be that bliss needs a break now and then.(the chandelier is beautiful)

  13. But…. the laptop, is IT ok? 🙂

  14. Moral to this story.. when old histories appear put on ear muffs to keep from endangering a good mood. So sorry, hopefully you will find some dazzling bobeches!

  15. I thought you were going to tell us FH fell and broke his ankle and now the two of you were complimenting each other’s injuries. He would help you with tasks needing two hands and you help him with things requiring two feet:) Alas, he wasn’t injured but his pride was hence the short lived tirade. American husbands do not know I’m sorry either. Moral of the story. It could be worse.

  16. I believe the moral is simple, men need to let off a bit of steam every now and then. That’s just the way it is.
    I cannot believe I had a similar situation in our home.
    Only, it was with a butcher block cutting board. Men.
    Get over it. The next day I got an apology, well, in a round about way. I keep saying to myself, Venus and Mars, Venus and Mars.
    Now go shopping…..

  17. I think you got the moral Corey, by seeing that it was not his fault, that the stars were falling, that it wasn’t your laptop, nor his ankle, but most of all that his defense and complaints came out of tiredness, or other needs or his that are bellow the surface. Love is a shattering chandelier. x

  18. Paula S In New Mexico

    Our sadness can disappear like crystals shattering across a stone floor as long as love is there to soothe the wound.

  19. Oh, my. Hope the breaking spell (twisted ankle, broken wrist, shattered chandelier) will end now.
    Moral: it’s only broken glass not broken hearts or bones. Thankfully. And Corey has an excuse to go brocanting.

  20. Amy Kortuem

    The moral:
    Crystal stuff is easy to replace.
    Computer stuff is hard to replace.
    Broken bones (as you know) are the most difficult to deal with.
    Glad it was the chandelier and not the other two!

  21. Kimberly C.

    I suppose the moral of the story could be to take a moment to see “what’s the worst that can happen with this” and see if you can make a change to avoid an accident. I’m the only one that breaks anything in my house, so I know this all too well.

  22. The moral is…Sometimes things get broken. Sometimes we have to pick up pieces. Sometimes people get hurt. Sometimes feelings get hurt. But once the pieces are picked up and we move on, we become stronger through forgiveness and love. Or maybe…though sparks fly today, the sparkle will return tomorrow!

  23. I believe sometimes things like this have to happen…either to give us a way to vent our unhappiness, to show us what’s really important, and to show us what can be replace and what cannot.
    Just one thread of a much larger tapestry call life. Glad no “serious harm” befell you, the computer or FH!

  24. Best not to twist the cord around the candelabra! Count blessings and a little later laugh with FH.

  25. Oh Corey, when I saw today’s headline “Smashed to Smithereens,” I was afraid you’d fallen again and (I don’t even want to think about it.)
    “Oh sparkling wonders”? That shall be my next euphemism for @#!$%!&*!

  26. Moral of the story? Perhaps the slogan of a popular music radio station, that I saw on a billboard:
    “HITS HAPPEN”

  27. Dear Corey, I’m going to send an OSHA person to your house and they’ll let you know where all the unsafe areas are.
    But the moral is that any time there is an injury or ilness – it takes a lot of patience for both parties to get through it. Venting is part of the journey.
    Recently our dishwasher gave out (only 3 yrs old) and out of frustration I was blamed for the break. HUH? I never use the dishwasher. So Mt. Vesuvius exploded and DH ran a litany of things like…you never listen…you never blah, blah, blah. I just smiled and calmy said, “please control your anger.” He dashed outside and within 30 min we were smiling again. As scipture said…win with kindness.
    BTW – maybe you should sleep in a separate BR until your wrist heals. Just a thought.

  28. The moral: It is better to have a beautiful French husband with long gray hair and a twinkly smile than a crystal bronze candelabra with coupelles, even if the French husband spouts off once in a while.

  29. The moral of the story may be that falling things have better endings if they land on something soft.
    Perhaps you need a lovely antique pillow next to your bedside table??
    I remember lighting in to my husband when he broke his leg – after the worry, comes the anger but it all stems from love….

  30. Mo’a Romig-Boyles

    Did you understand everything that he said? The moral of the story is that French Husband needed an opportunity, to erupt. When the pressure builds up that is what happens…be it a volcano or a husband.

  31. Laura McHugh

    When he yells at you is it in English or French? Seems to me the moral of the story is that cursing and yelling in French may not be so bad, but then, I don’t speak much French.

  32. I think Paulita had the perfect explanation.

  33. This time, I am all with FH…. We have this situation happening all the time; sometimes it’s me and my crazy ways and HH falls over my stuff, breaks my things, other times it’s him! One of my favourite hate things is him putting his computer bag ‘anywhere’ and because I have terribly bad eyesight and never look down but always up, I regularly trip over his bag or get caught with my foot in the shoulder strap…
    I think you need to make a cross over the done damage and do apologize to FH… and it’s not only the French Men Thing to be (nearly) unable to apologize – it’s known to other nationalities too!
    When I swear at my Hero Husband (not often) in such situations, it’s because I am under shock, filled with anguish (and anger), because it’s so unnecessary, or simply because one of us might (and occasionally does) get hurt… it’s like being in a terrible state when your child doesn’t return and then, when he/she does, you get SO angry, because you’re relieved to see that your ‘baby’ is fine, OK, unhurt, has come home in one piece; so you explode. It’s ‘ditto’ with older babies with pony tails… 🙂
    Corey, I bought some few crystals in England – I usually fix them as weights to my door curtain over Christmas. It’s a gold threaded Laura Ashley curtain waaaay too expensive to use on a daily basis but perfect to glorify the entry door and letting the little winter light pass through and over the crystals. If you can’t find any until then, let me know and I see if I can send them to you without breaking them….

  34. the moral?
    you should have wrapped the cord around him while he was sleeping, thus preventing him from leaving the bed in the morning before he was in a less grouchy mood.
    I don’t think my husband would have said ‘sorry’ either…
    who knows, maybe it was time to replace that candelabra
    and coupelles with… a giant scrap metal chicken!
    just imagine him having pulled that down of your side console… he’s lucky it was just the bronze candelabra…*nod*

  35. Violet Cadburry

    Sorry, I had to laugh. You two sound like Lucy and Ricky Ricardo — except he yelled at her in Spanish. But, they always made up….maybe that is the moral, sometimes a good yell fest is a prelude to a good makeup session.

  36. moral of the story….you are so blessed that out of your mouth popped ‘oh, sparkling wonders’.!! pleasant words are as a honeycomb sweet to the soul and health to the bones.
    he will always treasure that in you. xo jody

  37. Emily McGriff

    Oh no, I’m so sorry your lovely chandy was smashed and I won’t tell you how hard I was laughing! No not at french husbands accident but at how you expressed it all, so freaking funny. Honestly, sounds like something I would do. I get some of that in the middle of the night when my husband rolls over onto the ipad I usually take to bed and fall asleep with. The moral to your story, husbands always love a good excuse to bring up all those little things they have bugging them, you gave him a doozy! Forget about it and don’t forget to uplug……..
    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

  38. And such a beautiful light fixture. I hope you FH is doing OK now that all that anger came spewing out. Sending hugs for healing and for finding new/old pieces for your lamp.

  39. Luckily it was something easy to sweep up. Maybe you could pack him a picnic lunch as a peace offering next time he goes up in his plane. Doesn’t he like pasta?
    Sparkling wonders indeed, a good marriage is just that. Glad no one was hurt.

  40. The moral of the story is simple…..
    Bedrooms are only for sleeping, schtupping and saying you’re sorry with sweet tender kisses….which fortunately leads to more of the schtupping part.
    XOXO

  41. Tsk tsk tsk. One should never throw old resentments in one’s lover’s face in the present, especially when what is happening in the present is a whole different ballgame. It is always a mistake to do so.
    Unfortunately we humans make a lot of mistakes. Leaving the laptop cord where it might be tripped over is easier to forgive than the angry saying of mean, hurtful things.
    That’s just me. When I have problems with my husband, they stem more from things he says than things he does.
    Wish I had thicker skin! But I don’t.

  42. Ed in Willows

    If the crystal were simply pulled apart at the connecting wires, you could always put it back together. Knowing you, you will probably find new uses for the pieces. The crystals would make a beautiful hanging mobile. When places near a southern window, it would shower a room in small rainbows.

  43. On another note I think those ‘coupelles’ are called ‘bobeches’ though I forgot to put the accent on the first e….

  44. This happened to me! I broke my had and a week later, my husband broke his leg. We needed each other to get through everyday life. He hooked my bra and buttoned my buttons and I brought him things! We made a great team.

  45. Moral of the story, it’s a good thing to vent once in a while. I agree with Paulita, that it’s probably been building since he’s been taking care of you and has realized how fragile life is. Men don’t like to acknowledge such revelations (it implies weakness in them if they can’t control their domain) and so, the frustration comes out by them having a “bird” so to speak. At least he didn’t have the bird in public 🙂

  46. Morale of story put things away…don’t bottle up your feelings. I got a laugh from this – glad no one was hurt. Such is life!

  47. Moral…..not Morale…..geez

  48. I am sure you can find something to replace the coupelles, but bitter words cannot be taken back. Glad it’s just the chandelier that was damaged! It could have been much worse!

  49. safety 1st, all pathways clear to prevent injuries and falls

  50. Ellen at American Homestead

    A good airing of the linens never hurt anyone. Now all the toxins have been smashed to smithereens, no one needs to carry them around, though truthfully we all do… And the bright side is, you have something to hunt for this weekend!
    Give French husband a kiss and tell him he has to drive you to the brocante.
    And tell him from me, his scrambled eggs have changed my life. Whenever I make them I get compliments, even my teenage son after his first bite looked at me and said these are the best eggs I’ve ever eaten. I tell everyone they are French Husband’s recipe…

  51. The moral of this story is..If you can’t be a good example…then you’ll have to be a horrible warning 😉

  52. There are several themes going on here…
    What goes up, must come down (eventually!)
    Sparkling wonders illuminated quite a few “views” with one mishap. Sometimes that explosion of immediate emotion before censorship can be hurtful yet also very telling. Only love will forgive and forget, because after all is said and done; love rules the day!

  53. Jude Jackson

    I can’t add any more morals, but I was wondering when the French Husband curses, does he say, “Excuse my French?”

  54. my moral is this….never try to cover or get out of a situation with a lie. once you start with a lie,it leads another lie. Bestest,Denise

  55. cynthia wolff

    even Corey screws up once in awhile.

  56. Sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me. And we all know a prism or crystal is a rainbow you can hold in your hand…..or scatter across the floor. Tell FH to kiss you goodnight and good morning, too.

  57. Diane Dainis

    Moral of the story…Corey should be extreamley sweet to French Husband tonight if you know what I mean.:)

  58. Chris Wittmann

    OUCH!! I would find it extremely difficult not to say similar words 🙂 Maybe counting to 10….(or 50) might help? Look at the bright side Corey….now you have a good excuse to go shopping at the brocante again….as if you needed one! On a final note…men can be notoriously clutsy

  59. Melody King Komisar

    Note to self : Medicate Husband 😉

  60. Moral of the story….go wireless…..

  61. Moral of the story: Getting over it quickly, then both going to Arles to help Sacha redecorate!

  62. shelley gerard bailey

    progress not perfection…communication presented lovingly goes a long way…easier said than done…but very possible when i stay presnet to the moment and to my and the others feelings….play well…

  63. Teddee Grace

    The moral of the story? He’s feeling your pain…and he’s ready for you to be well? OR…Do you believe in astrology? I’d be wondering what the planets were up to. First your wrist and now the candelabrum. Teddee

  64. It does seem that emotions run high when one person in the relationship is not feeling well or able to function at their usual level of competence.
    You have been very busy and now you have been forced to slow down.
    I have no explanation why this emotional distress happens only empathy for the situation. Things will get back to normal.
    Focus on your love for each other and “this too will pass.” Best wishes for both of you during this trying time.

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