I think a soul has been deposited inside the yellow pitcher I left on my piano when I returned after an auction recently. Why else would it make me feel so good when I pass by it…
Month: May 2010
A shout-out from a Fuller Brush Woman
Posted in Movies, and Personal items
I heard from a Fuller Brush Woman the other day. She had read my post about the Fuller Brush Man letter opener that I had found among some small items in a box lot at…
My auction buddy Janet and I were standing outside the garage waiting for the auction to start at an estate sale when the two women walked up the driveway. They smiled, said hello, and disappeared…
An art auction that, well, wasn’t
Posted in Art
I dropped by an art auction last weekend sponsored by one of Philadelphia’s oldest African American art galleries. A friend told me about it; it was only about 15 minutes from where I lived, so I…
From the photos, the 1950s rancher looked to be in excellent well-maintained condition. I could tell by the clean red-brick exterior and the neatly landscaped lawn. Someone had taken special care of this home. The…
Did you ever meet a Fuller Brush Man?
Posted in Art, Movies, and Personal items
The Fuller Brush Man never came knocking at our door. I’m very familiar with the image of this ubiquitous salesman with his briefcase full of brushes. But I never met one. I don’t remember when…
I hadn’t listened to much of the jazz stylings of the legendary pianist Hank Jones before he died Sunday at age 91. But since then, I’ve devoured his music because after the saxophone, the piano is my…
Oh no, I thought as the auctioneer started moving disparate items into a lot. He was desperately trying to sell some unsellable junk on the auction table and no one was biting. First, he slid…
Fan away those lost years, Lena Horne
Posted in Movies
Nobody wanted the Lena Horne fan, my auction buddy Janet told me. She had pointed out the fan early on, lying on top of a tray of stuff under a table at the auction house.…
Denzel, “Fences” and funny stories
Posted in Broadway plays, and Performers
My cousin Raymond was a “crack-you-up-in-a-minute” storyteller, even if he told the same story over and over again. Just like Denzel Washington in August Wilson’s wonderful play “Fences,” now on Broadway. Raymond would tell about how…