Category Archives: Bits and Pieces

Bits and Pieces

A Smattering of Unrelated Stuff…

Shackle Bookends

These old shackles probably should have been retired long before they reached this level of wear.  On the other hand, their extended service has given them a look that the most creative of ‘distressing’ efforts could never match.

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Waring Blendor Lamp

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Fred Waring was a very popular musician from the 1920s into the 1950s. During this career, he earned both the appellation ‘The Man Who Taught America To Sing’ and the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the U.S. government can bestow on a civilian. Personally, I’d never heard of him prior to doing this bit of background research. Continue reading

The Sportsmanship Cue

Legends are born in events that we rarely take personal part in.  Actions that transcend ordinary lives always seem to occur when we’re not there to see.  Those near enough to bear witness later share their tale with a circle of friends, and eventually the word reaches our ears.   This is such a tale. Continue reading

The Ants & the Grasshopper (A Fable Retold)

the-ants-and-the-grasshopperOne bright day in late autumn a colony of ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving Grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.

“What!” cried the ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter? What in the world were you doing all last summer?” Continue reading