We have in our home a magnificent grandfather clock whose mechanism came from Germany but whose entire walnut case was made, over the course of three years using simple woodworking tools, by my father-in-law. It is beautiful to look at and keeps perfect time but I had noticed right away that the door on the pendulum compartment would not close completely and latch. So I decided to take out a few simple tools of my own and install at new a spring-loaded latch for the door.

I did not make the cause-effect connection right away but I was noticing that the clock was chiming the wrong hours; five O'Clock was chiming a quarter hour, midnight was chiming five O'Clock, etc. My stepdaughter was visiting and she noticed. I mentioned in passing that I was thinking I had to take the "works" out to clean and re-lubricate the bushings. She says, "Have you been fooling around with that clock? You know, don't you, that it holds my grandfather's spirit."

Well, I decided to remove the new catch and put the old one back. Amazing! The door will not close completely but the clock is back to keeping perfect time and chiming every hour and quarter hour flawlessly.

My father's-in-law spirit truly resides in this clock. I will dust it off and wind it up but I will never again fool with its doors or mechanism.