Not a hat.

Not an umbrella.

Yes, it’s a lampshade.

And it’s made from some kind of hide.

What kind of leather do you think this is?  It’s pretty darn thick.  And the spokes are metal.   I’d shop for a lamp to fit it (if such a thing exists) but I don’t necessarily want to light up my life with an extinct animal skin.

Have you ever seen anything like it before? I bought it at a yard sale about 10 years ago, just because it looked so out of place amidst the trivets and sheets and old Tupperware.  Sometimes I am overcome with the urge to buy the strangest things at garage sales, which is how I ended up with the top half of a male mannequin, 2 dozen individual syrup pitchers, 4 yards of pink and white wool, Mickey Mouse fabric, etc.

But I have changed.

Really.  I have.