November 23, 2003
ten gallon
This strange mesh bust was created by my son. It's chickenwire with a metal nose attached, a little hard to see in the photo. The sculpture originally wore one of my father's hats. (A few of which, of course, I have in a hatbox on the third floor landing.) I could probably put it back, and take a with and without shot.
My father always wore a hat, a business man's hat with a wider than usual brim. My high school boyfriends, who probably found him gruff and intimidating, used to call him "Ten Gallon" behind his back. I think he found out and was mildly amused.
The sculpture is a rather perfect representation of him. Not that present.
While cleaning off my dining room table for Thanksgiving, I found a formally framed invitation to the Inauguration of Richard Milhous Nixon and Spiro Theodore Agnew, our first criminal president and vice president. My kids unearthed it in the garage among the last artifacts of my mother's "stuff" shipped north to me. I think it was my father's invitation, though I know he didn't go. He was a staunch Republican. I've come a long way, baby. I have trouble tossing something like that, which is why my house is so cluttered. I certainly don't want to hang it up on the wall. Perhaps there will be interest on EBay, when I learn to use it.
So here's the "with" photo. I found the hats just where I knew they were, sans box. This one has a silken string about sixteen inches long with a black grograine covered button at the end. You could button it onto your lapel on a windy day. A fine specimen.
