Eugene, The Chihuahua's, Update

Eugene is up and walking around as of 8:30 am this morning!

Deb hopes to bring him home Monday. His dog mom and dad and brother all miss him.

I'm so glad that little dog lived!

Diefenbach - why so wonderful?

We recently received a consignment to sell a collection of Diefenbach postcards, framed silhouettes, and a wonderful book called "Per Aspera Ad Astra".

According to history, Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach was one of the founder's of the hippie movement.

In the 1860s an ex-Protestant minister named Eduard Baltzer published his four-volume book about naturliche lebensweise or "natural life style". He organized some vegetarians and founded a Free Religious Community, then later published a book on Pythagoras as the ancestor of his movement.

Baltzers writings had a strong influence upon a young painter named Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (1851-1913) who also went on to form several communities and workshops for religion, art and science. Diefenbach spent the last portion of his life on the Mediterranean isle of Capri, which was a retreat for other life-reformers. He died and is buried there on the island, and there is a museum with 300 of his works.

His silhouettes are whimsical, lyrical, beautifully formed and fantastical - all at the same time. Who'd ever dream of the wonderful, imaginative art except someone who was a little out there?

Well, you don't have to be out there to enjoy them. We are selling them at a rapid clip. Enjoy the pictures!

Eugene, the cutest little chihuahua

My friends little 1 1/2 pound chihuahua, Eugene, got heat stroke yesterday. He's only 7 weeks old. He's at the vet getting an IV. I hope he lives. Such a cute little guy! (This is not his picture, but looks a lot like him. His ears are bigger, and he wouldn't wear a sweater for anything - too macho!)

He knocked over his water cup and was without water for a long, long time. They found him nearly dead when they got home last night. If he lives, he's coming to the shop with them from now on. Poor little Eugene (pronouned yew-jean here in N. C.).

Leo usually does not like small dogs. They are nervous and bark a lot. And they can run fast and stop on a dime. But he likes Eugene. Eugene has personality and spunk.

Oh, please, please pull through, little guy! He has big ears, little buggy eyes, and the biggest heart. Oh, my, poor little puppy.

UPDATE: Eugene made it through Friday night. The vet said he is depressed, but his bloodwork is good, except for low blood sugar.

The Family Picnic 1950's Car On A Vintage Printer's Block

We've listed a bunch of new items on Etsy: vintage printer's blocks.

This one shows a family (Mom, Dad, and four kids picnicking at a park with the family car in the background. Lots and lots of detail - you can even tell what kinds of food they're eating. In order to show this more clearly, the picture has been brightened so you can see the detail. I did not try to clean the block, though, as I leave that to whomever buys it. Some people prefer items in their "natural" state.

I got all these blocks from an auction; they're supposed to be mid-20th century. This could be useful for jewelry making, collecting, stamping - endless possibilities based on your imagination.

The block is 3 1/2" tall and 3" wide. The wood is about 3/4" thick. The back is plain wood, no printing or label. Click on the title above to see the Etsy listing.

Don't Make Candy In the Summertime

We have a linen postcard "Greetings from Bantam Lake, Torrington, Conn." for sale on Etsy.

On the back is written (in part):

"...I'm discontinuing my candy for the summer..."

I wonder about this woman in the middle of World War II. Was it even possible to buy all the supplies she wanted for making her candy? Was it sensible, given war-time rationing?

Postmarked June 10, 1943, Winsted, Conn and sent to Minneapolis, Minn., with a cancelled 1-cent stamp.

Working at Myra's Antiques & Collectibles

Helping Deb and Matt get a start at their new enterprise, I "volunteered" to work at Cornerstone Annex on Saturday nights during August in exchange for rent at Cornerstone proper.

I also worked Friday this week. Now, that's another 9-plus hours I spent in Myra's (aka Cornerstone Annex) after saying I'd never work there again after we pulled out of there at the end of June. There's something to be said for "never say never", because you end up feeling slightly foolish when you do the same thing again.

The Myra's that is the post-Cuba Myra's is cleaner and fuller, as Larry had his two girls put a lot of Mrs. Powell's things in there. Cuba's off to her new ventures down towards Connelly Springs. I wish her well; I heard the shop she's in now has had three failed businesses in there in the last few years. What town has not around western NC?

Business both nights was slow, slow, slow. Friday night had its usual amount of lookers - the car show brings people downtown. But they weren't in the mood to buy. Saturday was slow, with a trickle of people coming over from Myra's Italian restaurant.

There were bright spots - Eugene, the chihuahua, visited twice. Christine and Albert were next door. I got to drink Diet Mountain Dew. Leo was, as usual, an angel in disguise - showing up just when I needed him.

Off to read the Charlotte Observer.

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