Seeing this wonderful painting by Peter Bruegel The Elder brings me back to a time my friend Max (4 feet 9 inches of female pulchritude) and I were in Brussels. I still recall our time at a museum there where I learned about Peter The Old and Peter The Young. I thought, for the longest time, that I preferred the young guy but lately I'm torn. They are both amazing and worth a trip to Brussels to go to that museum! This picture does not do this beautiful bedspread justice. You have to touch it! All of these wonderful art books are on the middle table. I was drawn to this book on American Impressionists. We know about Mary Cassatt but I'll be darned if I can remember any others. You too? All the Impressionists hailed from Paris--right? Wrong! This book should edify us both. Strange word--edify. Hope I've got it halfway right.
You meet the work of this amazing artist in Spain. I've been at the old (creaking) museum, The Prado, in Madrid. It really is tired but you come on the section with this guy and you're blown away. The Spaniards adore him. There's an amazing statue of him near to some public building there. I adore him too. I'd even go back to the Prado. (OK, Prado lovers. Back off!) I'm told this gal is amazing. Frankly she's never done it for me. All Georgia O'Keeffe lovers unite! We don't have an argument about this new Dollar Rack, right?
How can I describe these? Japanese bowling balls? If anyone knows what these marvels are, let the rest of us know! How about that chair? I love that chair. This box looks like it's straight out of the Renaissance--complete with chubby angels. April brings a beloved religious holiday, Easter, plus Easter eggs and bunnies. Here's a special bunny. He's a music box too. Special bunny! We're Bunnies too--adorable, wonderful Bunnies. Music box, Bah! Our fantastic April dollar rack. There are two brilliant blue shirts (don't you love that shirt in the front?) and red and yellow sweaters or jackets--can't tell what. Hey, but people always find things they like on our Dollar Rack!
The Turnabout Shop is located in El Cerrito, California, at 10052 San Pablo Avenue—our telephone number is 510-525-7844. We are open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to four. The shop has a very interesting background and I plan to devote one of my upcoming blogs to that history. I was born in Minnesota in 1933, moved to Wisconsin with my family in my twenties, collected a Bachelor of Science degree in Childhood Education, left for California for a teaching job and met my husband. We have been married for 47 years and have two sons and two grandsons, age six and a half and almost three. I love thrift stores. Where else could you find a grotesque Paper Mache mask with weird decorations? Weird can be wonderful! This one nearly caused a divorce: "Either that goes or you go!" We have a dog—an Akita mix called Plato—named for the philosopher. He is a very bright dog. I still have family in Wisconsin and the memories of a wonderful brother who I'm grieving. Take some time out of your busy day and come visit me.