Musings from Quince

Beeswax vs. Wax

Well, this week I’ve learned something about candles….more than I wanted to learn, actually, due to rather unpleasant circumstances inside Quince!  Of all the weeks to lose air-conditioning, this one is probably THE worst, with temps. soaring to 91 degrees INSIDE the store…cooler than 102 degrees outside, but nevertheless extremely uncomfy.  Now, I’m not blaming anyone for this – parts just wear out, and it just happened to be Quince’s turn.

I found these 2 whimsical hare candelabras recently on a journey out-and-about, and just had to have them….in the right setting, they will be fabulous (actually, my house would be the perfect setting, but I just don’t have any room left!)…so, they’re for sale.  They weigh a ton (solid brass) and wouldn’t have budged if left outside during Cville’s recent “microburst”.  In the meantime, I thought I’d add some candles for effect….the ones on the left are beeswax; on the right are wax….both kinds are high quality, burn cleanly, and don’t drip.  But who knew one type would droop severely if subjected to a high room temperature?  Granted, 91 degrees is way outside temp. parameters for comfortable living, but if these candles were outside in a patio setting, let’s say, during a party, the drooping would give way to countless snickers and wisecracks (you get it, don’t you?) which could add a lot of hilarity but may not please the hostess.

I’m casting my vote for beeswax vs. non-beeswax.  I sell lots of beeswax candles in the store in a variety of colors….they all seem unaffected by the temperature spike, thank goodness!

I’m also very happy to say that my a/c has been restored……the parts came in a day early, and the guys have been on the roof of the building for hours in sweltering heat doing their best to get some frosty air blowing around in here again.  The temp. in 2 hours has already dropped from 91 to 86!  So many people suggested I close the store for the week, but I just couldn’t do it in the event someone made a super-human effort to get down here and shop.  Besides, abandoning Quince is something I would never do, and I certainly wouldn’t expect anyone to sit here in agony on my behalf while I escaped to my friend’s brand new swimming pool for a dip and a quick Grey Goose & tonic, heavy on the ice and lime…..

Well, this has been a “Study in Wax”….if you have any similar stories, please comment, and please feel free to suggest a caption for the photo below!

Hmm, create your own caption!