Little Journeys

An Audience of One

As a writer, I am often asked to do two things that I invariably regret. Appear at a book signing, and give a talk. Three decades ago I was living in Iowa City and running Knock On Wood Antique Repair and Restoration when my first book by…

Racing Father Time – To Waffle House

My latest little journey was just 400 meters long, but it took me nearly 500 miles to start it. About this time last year I became very aware of the fact that in 2015 I was going to turn sixty-five, which I have since done without a trip…

One Foot in the Past

I have often said that William Morris, when he established Morris & Company, kept one foot firmly planted in the Victorian style, just in case this new Arts and Crafts thing didn't quite pan out as he had hoped. Turned out he didn’t…

A $300 Masterpiece

After getting lucky last week in Cincinnati and literally stumbling upon this Grant Wood satiric oil painting "Daughters of Revolution" in the city's art museum, I made my way north to Chicago. No luck was involved with this next planned…

Smart — or Lucky?

Which would you rather be: smart or lucky? Turns out a few weeks ago I was luckier than I was smart. I had been planning on using my annual journey back to Illinois for the Johnson family reunion as a research trip as well, packing up my…

Two Good Stories

I was at a dinner party not long ago, along with my good friend Bob Brunk, a respected writer, historian, auctioneer, and antiques collector, who told several good stories during the evening, two of which were still floating around in my head…

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