And then...all of a sudden a light bulb went off!

I have had a love affair with Mr. Thomas Alva Edison...and if his wife, Mina, hasn't been so dead on perfect for him and a force of nature in her own right, I would have forever thought I'd missed my opportunity to be associated with one of the most prolific inventors of that time. He changed our lives forever...in much the way Steve Jobs and Bill gates have. But -- I was off by more than a few generations!

I took so many photos today...of his labs...of Mina's greenhouse where you can buy shoots from her agave plants...wow! They hadn't any today but rest assured I shall return in the spring. Back to Tommy...as you walk through three floors of his invention laboratory and peek into the research library...and the stock room, filled with everything an inventor might need from batteries to toothpicks to having a glass blower on site in case an unusual type of funnel, tube or jar was needed. The dark room...the music room...the machine room...the Black Maria...did he sleep? Apparently not and when he did it was for very short periods of time. It is overwhelming and a magnificent glimpse into a remarkable man. And I had a magnificent day accompanied by my remarkable husband who surprised me with his in depth understanding of how the machines operated and explained much that I would have otherwise left without knowing.

This photo was taken in the heavy machinery room. I have to go now and see if that antique toaster or, maybe that antique iron, might be from Edison's factory...