the telltale clock
As a wedding present my Uncle George gave us a beautiful hand-made mantelpiece clock (since we sadly don't have a mantel, it lives on top of the tv). It's a great clock, very attractive both visually and, when it's running, aurally. "When it's running", though, is the problem: rather than relying on electricity coming into the house via wires or even batteries, it depends on us remembering to wind it every day. As such, it's an indicator of how much we've got things together. When it's running for several consecutive days, it means things are pretty much under control; when it's silent, on the other hand, we just may be getting overwhelmed by the press of work and life in general. Right now it's not running. We did take time to watch a movie together this evening, though!