Susan Barrett Price's Blog, page 54

Week in review: rambling through time

An ungodly amount of time this week getting ready to sell some antiques. It's fun to dip back into time… less fun when your modern tools start acting up.

We also took a slow drive through the backroads of Wayne County NY (next county to our east and cradle of Mormonism). The only straight east-west roads are along Lake Ontario to the north or along the Erie Canal to the south. Every year or two we take on the challenge of getting through the county without giving up in despair and making a...

Mindless Pause

I've been bustling all week getting ready for a Friday visit from an antiques dealer to La Paz Museum. (Paz. P.A.Z. Price and Zimmer. Also peace in Spanish. Get it?). Finally, our sales items are laid out on the kitchen table, all labeled, priced, referenced, etc.

I'm feeling braindead now, munching on popcorn, with no energy to open another project. So I'm doing things like sorting through old emails and making filters and labels… something that feels mildly productive but isn't much.

This is ...

Cries and Whispers: Gun Babel

Do you believe that the things you possess pick up a little of your spirit over the years? That keeping your father's house key, keeps a little of him with you? That eating off your grandmother's good china brings a little of her holiday laughter into your kitchen? Call it spirit, call it electrons, call it energy — I believe.

So this weekend I'm cataloging (updating) and pricing a 19th-century gun collection — pistols owned by cowboys, gamblers, soldiers, homesteaders. They are beautifully...

Week In Review: It's Boring

Beneath the lovely social fun, a cranky, achy week. Two happy hours in a row — feeling polluted. Ibuprofen leads to needing antacids, blech. Midweek: back to yoga and decision to take a holiday from my dependence on Ambien to get to sleep — so tossing and turning for two nights, but last night, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I'm attributing it all to spring fever. Additional scant and boring details>>>

Let's Get "Healthcare" Done

I'll admit the government is screwed up, but I'm increasingly chilled by the total perversion of the health "insurance" (so-called) industry. I am increasingly chilled by the thought that my insurance company is beholden to its profit-seeking stockholders and not to the human beings who actually purchase insurance with the idea that if we get sick, we'll have it covered.

I have a master's degree in Community Health — decades ago I learned about the warped economics of health care. I get the...

Bridget O'Flynn, Where Have You Been?

As another St. Patrick Day rolls around and as I think of wisdom passed between mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, old cousins and young cousins, I think of Bridget O'Flynn getting a talking to by her wised up mother. Actually, I hear this song in my father's voice — one of his famous bedtime lullabies to his little bridgets.

Bridget O'Flynn, where have you been, Bridget O'Flynn?
Sure it's a fine time for you to be gettin' in.
You went to see the big parade, the big parade me eye.
There...

Week In Review: Howling

Toys have consequences. I woke up with a howling spasm in my neck/right shoulder. Sitting here I can tell it's from a combination mouse reach,digital pen clutch, and intent peering at my computer screen. Owwwww. I'd like to think it was from doing taxes –that's worth a howl or too. A quick run down of the week's progress here and there>>>

Practicing: Brain to Computer

Saturday's drawing of a cartoon figure on a photo looked like I had some kind of palsy. Wobbly lines can be artsy, but only if they're on purpose. I blame my tools, of course. Fast forward: I changed out my Wacom Graphire for a Wacom Intuos 4 drawing tablet. Same size, but OMG, what a difference.* Now I have nothing to blame but myself.

I'm pushing myself to be able to draw directly on the computer (instead of pencil sketching & scanning). It's my lust for efficiency (aka laziness).

Above is a ...

Week In Review: Seeing The Light

Managing to balance sales with artsy stuff this week. For the full run-down, continue>>>

Practice

Who's Got Your Back?

Playing around with some ideas… liking the thought of combining the cartoon "me" with photos. This didn't turn out like I envisioned (what does?), but just doing it is progress.

(Photos top: Catherine Martin Dunne [ggmo:], Maggie Keville Flanagan [ggmo:]; middle: Bridget Dunne Price [gmo:], Mary Barrett Hohmann [aunt:], Nellie Flanagan Kraleman [g'aunt:]; bottom: Kathleen Barrett Price [mo:]; Kitty Flanagan Barrett Curran [gmo:].)