That's cool about your ancestor, Hoov! On my Dad's side we apparently have a headless ghost that haunts some northern town, lol. My Dad's cousin played for the greatest Yankee teams ever, with Lou Gherig and folks, '36 to '38 and got traded to the Brooklyn Dodgers that year. Dad knew him, and I see his closer relatives all the time out here, where he was born. Kemp Whicker [misspelled Wicker often]. I get motion-sick, too! Or did, rather and now it will be a migraine instead. Still the same ole triggers. Embarrassing asking to sit in the front seat as an adult ;] I can see computer refresh rates and flourescent light flickers at a frequency that is odd for humans to see... goes back to migraines, lol. Not a good superpower ;] ealoudermilk, I'm actually that way too, to a certain extent. It's scary how goofy I am in real life. I'm goofier here than in real life in public 'cos I don't much care, lol [not a bad thing to y'all, I assure you]. Oh, I'm definitely mored scared of smaller aircraft. I want to skydive but would have to be pushed out and I'd throw up and scream at the whole first part. Still want to do it, though. The 2nd part sounds worth it. I adore Chicory coffee! I like blackstrap molasses in mine! More than 3 answers is great, too, LOL and appreciated to see all y'all folks!!. I use TV as background noise 'cos I always have tinitis. Can stand silence but prefer white noise so I don't hear the constant high beep. I'm definitely a dork. Dorks unite! I figure if it's more fun than being contrived [which I have to do to be undorky] than so be it! I remind my Dad of his eccentric silly aunt with 11 cats in a very small house [& she was loaded] down to her never having kids but always having a ball with the neighborhood children. It's OK, I LOVED her :)

Physalis

I was thinking the same thing as already suggested, that the rhinestone item may have actually been sewn onto a hat or purse (something not cleaned often and then professionally) and therefore never had a pin or rigid backing. I inherited a lot of rhinestone costume jewelry from a friend of my mother when I was a little girl. It was a big thing in the forties and even fifties on everything from hats to evening wear. I see that it is pronged to hold the stones, and that may mean it's a little better quality than some I've seen merely glued into a setting. It's very interesting and rather pretty but other than that, I'm not a jewelry buff and totally clueless. I assume the little tool swivels so that the pointed end can revolve and be moved to any angle on its pivot? I'd guess the tweezer looking end is merely a handle of some sort to grasp it. It surely looks like some sort of center punch or scribe but not anything I am familiar with. I've seen that brass spindle before and can't bring it up where. Interesting little collection of curiosities and I imagine my mother's kitchen 'junque' drawers are full of similiar items she saved because she thought there may be a use for them down the line. Good luck.

i understood that rhiz .... i was just trying to dissuade them.. from bringing them into the garden ... because they might think its some rare wildflower.. worthy of a captive garden ... the way they seed.. i suggest not ... they are probably cooler.. as dried cut space alien indoor arrangement specimens ... ken