Ball Point

Okay, so this is a stretch for a blog about textiles... wait... a stretch... get it?

In Monday's New York Times was a story about a Florida man who has a rubber band ball 25 feet in circumference. He put it together to beat a Ripley's Believe It or Not record. Now the Ripley's museum has bought it from him and taken it away. Apparently the neighbors were sad to see it go. It sat out in the front yard and was a distinctive landmark. I love those neighbors! Most people would just think it was an eyesore.

I started my rubber band ball more than 10 years, with no intention other than to get rubber bands off the counter after the morning paper hit the front porch. I've slacked off in the past two years, as it's gotten harder to obtain rubber bands big enough to stretch around the ball. The larger of the two is nearly two-and-a half feet in circumference and 12 pounds. The house shakes if I try to bounce it. The smaller (dubbed The Sidekick) is 18 inches around and 3.4 lbs. When I started, I made a rule that I would never buy rubber bands for the ball, but could only find or be given them. Some young men might win a mother's trust by bringing flowers or cookies when they took her daughter on a date: my daughter's beaus brought me rubber bands.

Sadly, the larger of the balls is starting to dry out and the rubber bands are breaking. But it's also gotten so heavy that lifting it to put on the bands is a workout in and of itself.