Saturday, May 12, 2012
RANDOM 341 OBJECTAntique FISH Shaped PORCELAIN Hanging FOOD MOLD – ASPIC, MOUSSE - w Roses, FINE -$9
When I was very, very young, I remember seeing my mother’s aspic mold hanging on our kitchen wall along with other less intimidating molds; rabbit, crown, etc. etc. I wasted two or three years of my young life needlessly worrying that someday we’d sit down to dinner, and there would be a big plate of jiggling fish Jell-O.
SATURDAY INQUISITION BLOGGING
1573, 34 pirates beheaded in 27 min
RANDOM 341 OBJECTLarge PRIMITIVE Antique CHEESE CURD CUTTER Wooden DOUBLE PADDLE PEGGED Art -$46
Paradoxically, it is both the largest and the most petite example I’ve ever run across, and I’ve been out there among’m for decades.
The axel is 19 ½” in length and at least 2” in diameter – depending on where you stick your yardstick. Each blade, or “paddle” if you prefer, is 23” long counting the tenon seen from the top of the axel as it peeps out of its mortise. Each blade is 9 ½” wide at the wide end and about 3” at the top where it dives into the axel.
The simpler version: This piece of wall-hanging art is 19 ½” by 23” by 2”.
You could use that image in a textbook chapter on “the pegged mortise and tenon joint.”
From the side you can see that the blades taper down from a thinch of ½” to near infinity almost. They aren’t sharp enough to cut you, but they’re sharp enough to function properly.
The back side doesn’t have an oiled surface so you can see the wood as it is found in the wild. Speaking of which . . .
. . . you are probably asking yourself, “Where does this guy find all the priceless treasures he sells on eBay?”
Well, just this once, I’ll tell you. About six miles southeast of our little dirt farm there is a great big antiques mall. It was once a bigbox store that went belly up. Some local folks bought it and cut it up into small cubicle; each of the three sides of a cubicle is drywall on the bottom and four feet of pegboard around the top. You’ve all seen’m. It has a name, but I call it “The Pegboard Jungle.”
About a year ago I was walking around the Pegboard Jungle carrying a cup of coffee. Huckleberry the wonder pup was with me eager to lick anyone’s face who’d bend down and play with him. When we came to Mrs. What’sHerName’s booth, I spotted the piece hanging on a hook as if it wasn’t anything special.
I didn’t even look at the price. I just grabbed it and ran toward the cashier – my heart pounding with the rush of adrenaline.
I rushed home with it, anxious to show it to She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, once again illustrating what a good provider I am when I put my mind to it.
She didn’t even know what it was. Can you imagine? She also wasn’t as enthusiastic about it as I. So just to keep the peace, I agreed to sell it. Maybe someday she’ll gain an appreciation of fine art, but I doubt it.
Friday, May 11, 2012
RANDOM 9/11 AVOIDANCE TOUR
and now we have come to the 2nd destination we intended. the old pabst brrewery complex. we kept driving around trying to spot the road there. duh. now i now exactly the best route. i wanted to find the silos i could see from the highway. this is part of them. this is where we parked.
