I Like the Playground Horse

We got Gypsy Lea's set up for our special market. I just took some random photos of the set up. There are some very interesting items for sale.


This is my favorite piece. A cast aluminum playground horse. It was mounted on a large spring when in use.

This is a model car that Mike makes from buggy parts and other bobbles. It is sitting on my work bench.

I bought this huge oil painting of Washington at Valley Forge at an auction. It was painted in 1939 and probably was hung in a public building. Maybe a WPA artist's project.

Mr. Flannery

Everything but Granny in the Rocker

I attended an auction last night. It looked like it was going to be a bust, but oh boy did I fill up on the junky furniture. The auction site was about 60 miles from here so I was determined to only make one trip. Three large oak bookcases, a yellow cabinet, a white chimney cupboard, 2 oak pillars, a door and a rattan chair bungied to the back. Thought that I looked like Jethro driving into Beverly Hills with everything but Granny in the rocker.

Mr. Flannery

A Special Sale in Sauk Rapids

We are going to have a special sale at Gypsy Lea's this weekend. Sauk Rapids is going to celebrate its community celebration, River Days, this weekend. We have seen estimates that as many as 15,000 people may be there to attend the parade and the other festivities. With that potential market we have to make an attempt at more sales.

I have not done much to get ready for the special sale. I did pick up this oldtime workbench at an auction a couple of weeks ago. I sanded it and gave it a wash of gel stain (these photos are prior to staining). It is my favorite piece at the sale.

Mr. Flannery

Photos from Gypsy Lea's

We have the shop set up for the TV shoot today at Gypsy Lea's.

I still have pricing and some finishing pieces to bring in but it looks pretty good. Kris and Gypsy busted their butts getting the place ready. I did a lot of watching and waiting to lift something here or there.

Mr. Flannery

Another Day, Another Dance

I have been getting my things ready for the next sale at Gypsy Lea's in Sauk Rapids. It seems that all I do is dance with furniture. I am going to move my barn door table and some other unsold items from The Porch to Gypsy Lea's this afternoon. Mike is going to meet me there to help load the heavy stuff. Then we are going to Second Hand Rose to pick up some of Kris and Mike's unsold pieces.

I did so very well with frames and paintings last time at Gypsy Lea's that I decided to bring a bunch more in today. I have oil paintings, shabby frames, abstracts, maps and prints.

The St. Cloud cable TV is going to be at Gypsy's on Monday so we have to get a nice looking set up complete tonight. The amount of local attention that she has been getting for the new shop in Sauk Rapids has been stupendous. Its a completely different market from Buffalo which is tied to the Twin Cities. The daily newspaper did a feature story on the grand opening last month and there may be a follow-up this month. Gypsy has appeared (or is scheduled) for three local radio shows and the TV is going to do a story. The local market has been very excited by the occasional sale concept and Gypsy's implementation of it in the 100,000 person St. Cloud area.

Mr. Flannery

The June Occasional Sales in Buffalo

I've been having trouble sleeping recently so I have been a bit remiss in getting items posted here. I also was late (again) getting ready for the occasional sale at The Porch. Luckily, Teresa cut me some slack and didn't panic when I waited until today to finish my set up. Her patience is appreciated.

I'm pretty pleased with the way that my barn door table came out. It takes a big chunk of my space in the shop.

The other photos are part of my space too. I really like the 1920's shade on the floor lamp in the last photo. Very shabby.

The entrance to The Porch.

Some of Peggy's stuff.

And Steph's wicker pieces.

Annamarie and Lisa.

Mr. Flannery

Barn Door Table

I am going to make this old barn door into a table. The bottom 6-7 inches was rotted so I had to cut that part off. The door is held together by 10 million nails that were pounded through and then bent over. I had a good time trying to find a cut off line that wasn't dotted with rusted nails. Finally I put a carbide tipped blade on my circular saw and cut away.

The blade cut through some of the nails that were in its path. So now the one edge of the door will have metal pieces visible. I am going to lightly sand the top, then give it a coat of semi-gloss lacquer. The door knob set is going to stay in place. I have four porch posts to use as legs. I cannot decide whether I should make it normal table height or work island height.

Mr. Flannery

This is Why I Live at the Lake

Mr. Flannery

Historical Perspective

Memorial Day, an important reminder of the sacrifice of our fore bearers in defending the United States, is another holiday that has become overwhelmed by our self indulgence and loss of historical perspective. Memorial Day is not memorializing the start of the summer bar-b-que season. It is a holiday to remember the dead of the Civil War (and later wars). It's purpose is to remind us of the terrible sacrifice made many generations ago to preserve the Union and destroy the special institution of slavery. Over 600,000 Americans died in the bloodiest war in our history. There was not a place that wasn't touched by the carnage. Whole towns and counties lost all of their mature men. The 1st Minnesota, from the far frontiers of the Union, suffered 82% casualties at Gettysburg. Thousands of wounded and maimed men returned home to pick up their lives after their comrades "Died to Make Men Free".

Mother Nature had a surprise of this generation of Minnesotans yesterday. A killer tornado struck east of my spot on the tundra. We had big winds and hail. The splashes in the lake are strikes from meteor like hailstones. It was sunny and calm 30 minutes later. So much for the theater of seasons.

Mr. Flannery