 | This photo has been circulating on the Internet since at least 2013, when someone first sent it to me, along with the caption, "Before girls were told that every single last thing in their life must be pink." But it's not just about the pink. It's about... Well, this is the way I was able to dress when I was 7 years old. Blithely... No. Blithe. "Blithe to my gender." What I had of one at the time. It is not possible for an ad like this to be produced today. Note also that the little girl (or the marketer) did not believe she needed a kit to decide for her what she should build. |
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We live in an amazing age when it comes to family documentation. Philip Sampson was my grandmother's older brother. He was one of the soldiers who participated in that famous "Christmas in the trenches." Thanks go to my cousin Julie, for finding, and sharing, this article with me.
 As I clear my desk & toss old envelopes...
Comical dog in lifejacket, ~2015 If you are told that such a one speaks ill of you, make no excuses against what was said, but answer, "He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone!"
 When I was young, my mother did a number of bad portraits of me. Or so I thought, at the time she was doing them.
My feral child self thought this one in particular was hideous, and especially was furious that she gave me yellow eyes. Now that I am not young ... I better appreciate that my Mother was a patient painter. I was not a patient model. Practicing drawing foxes, because pen and ink is not very forgiving... (sketch for an illustration of a few years back) I send out Christmas cards, yearly. When I have time, I do an illustration. When I don't have time, they become... New Year's cards, or even Valentine's Day cards. I have lots of reasons for sending them, many of which have changed as the years go by. At this point in my life, having reliably updated mailing for my friends and the people I care about are definitely a big part of it. An "Addressee Unknown/Returned to Sender" rubber-stamped envelope is a pretty good way to be sure you've lost track of someone you once had much love for! This year, with our late (U.S.) Thanksgiving, I am doomed. Lots of New Year's cards, for sure.   My mother took this photograph of me and my Dad in 2016. We were visiting the William Merritt Chase exhibition at the Boston MFA. We got a wheelchair for my mom, so she wouldn't have to walk. She was extremely nervous about the outing. In her last years (my mother passed in 2018), she had diminished lung capacity owing to a severely dysfunctional diaphragm. We had a big argument in the car before we got to the museum. *At* the museum, we had a wonderful, wonderful time. WMC may not have been the most original painter of the 19th century, but he is a painter's painter, with luscious brushstrokes and a sensualist's love of color. And he's one of those 19th century artists who got to spend a lot of time on beautiful beaches, and in lovely country homes, shaded by old trees. I'm glad I have this picture, to remember. William Merritt Chase could have been another John Singer Sargent, but--he isn't. Sargent. Had something bigger or more complex going on. This said--I'd be happy to have a good WMC at home on one of my walls!   
For years, this was my local used bookstore. I missed buying a first edition of The Game of Thrones there. I missed buying a 12 volume set of My Bookhouse, a beloved childhood companion (the edition we'd grown up with was my father's, an early 1930s printing, and it's become too fragile to trust in a young person's hands... and many of the volumes are "read alone," not "read aloud"!). But I also purchased many excellent books there. A replacement copy of Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf. Connie Willis's Bellwether. And many more. Books and Christmas shopping. But evidently, between myself and the rest of my community, not enough. In all the years... I was too shy to ask "why 'Sixth Chamber'?" and after that it was so familiar that I never thought to look it up. Only as it was closing, did it post my answer, on its Facebook page. The name came from "A Memorable Fancy," written and illustrated by William Blake (1790), a passage/page from his longer work, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell":
I accept that the world is changing, but this change, this closing of my used bookshop--it's a bad one.
I wish Carlson all the best as she works her way through this painful episode. Hope she makes it to the other side & back to joy.
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Sites I recommend
These ones are maintained by long-time personal friends.
William Reimann is a consummate artist. There are so many images to enjoy on this site. His carved wooden long-leaf red pine Rhinoceros (which he made for me when I was ~11 years old) is a personal favorite. Starless River Is the U.K. based caving gear store run by serious hard-ass Tony Seddon. This link goes to the 'caves' section of the store's site--complete with alarming portrait photo of Tony ("After 7 days underground and 700m prussiking"). The Oxford University Cave Club Maintained by Steve Roberts, a guy who is extraordinary in so many ways, I'll just limit myself here to saying "Steve is a man who knows about motors." Bensozia John Bedell is an archaeologist, historian, and father of five living in Maryland. His blog is a fascinating grab-bag of historical, artistic, and political materials. This entry about work and leisure gives a good example of his voice. Earthsign Studios This is Liz Manicatide (now Liz LaManche), principal at Emphasis Creative's personal art & graphics site. I love Liz's work, panache, and aerial artistry, which leads me to- Flying Squirrel Consortium Phil Servita's site, and the place to go for custom fabricated circus equipment (either freestanding or fixed point), and aerial classes, if you happen to live in the area. Paul Nordberg Paul's site is... unique, authentic, & expressive, and pretty much exactly what I think of when I think of a website as an artform. Metro Bikes Trails Guide (St. Paul, MN) "Reviews and Reports on over 70 bicycle paths in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area!" Maintained by the tireless Seamus Flynn, and a great little site for those local to the Twin Cities area. Green Ivy I enjoy the Ukrainian/Russian artisanship on this website. Sites I enjoy
I don't know these people, but I appreciate their work.
What's That Bug? The title says it all. A useful site for both the non-bug-phobic & the consummate bug-phobe. Margaret & Helen Best Friends for Sixty Years and Counting… Raging Grannies I'm not a grandmother (or raging!), but I appreciate this site. Especially the fact-checking part. |
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