These fragments I have shored against my ruin...

A Marvellous Burne-Jones Painting

2009-04-26T13:32:19Z

This very curious and wonderful Burne-Jones painting, hitherto unknown to me, was lot 34 at Christie's London (June 14, 2005):

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Bt., A.R.A., R.W.S. (1833-1898)

A Sea-Nymph: signed and dated 'EBJ 1881' (lower left) oil on canvas (unlined), in the original frame, 48 1/8 x 48 1/8 in. (122.2 x 122.2 cm.)

Estimate : £1,200,000 - £1,800,000

Realized : $2,050,909 £1,128,000

Long time coming

2009-03-01T01:27:09Z

On Monday I'm going up to Portland to get Kelley and all her worldly possessions; we'll be driving back down starting on Tuesday. If all goes according to plan we'll be home on Sunday. I'm hoping that we'll arrive on Sunday, because on Monday I have to teach my class!

I'm really looking forward to having this time to just chill with someone I really care about. We'll be on the road for about 6 days. I like road trips: just watching the road unfold in front of you...

Yes, the future is uncertain. AND?

Bring it on!

I would be grateful if you purchased this tapestry for me -- thank you

2009-02-07T15:19:42Z

The tapestry was woven in 1904 by William Morris & Co. after a design by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. It is coming up for sale at Christie's (Collection of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Berge) -- the estimate is 400,000 - 600,000 Pounds Sterling.

Thank you for buying this for me -- I really appreciate your thoughtfulness!

"Death is Everywhere..." (Happy Holidays, etc.)

2008-12-23T00:26:15Z

I have always admired the frozen majesty of Depeche Mode's "Fly on the Windscreen" -- so in recognition of the "Christmas Spirit," here is the newly-recorded Unto Ashes cover of it:

COME HERE / KISS ME / NOW....

Happy Holidays!

Michael

For those who have befriended FAIRIES: "Spring Magic"

2008-12-14T22:29:17Z

Awhile back I discovered a profoundly beautiful children's poem by Cicely Mary Barker entitled "Spring Magic" (originally published in "The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies. 1923). I was really moved by the poem's simplicity and poignancy; and of course I couldn't resist putting these fine words to some forelorn-sounding music.

You can listen to demo version of the song HERE.

And now the words:

Spring magic

The World is very old;
But year by year
It groweth new again
When buds appear.

The World is very old,
and sometimes sad;
But when the daisies come
The World is glad.

The World is very old;
But every Spring
It groweth young again,
and fairies sing...

+++++++++++++++++++

Instruments: hurdy-gurdy / guitar / bells. Vocals: Michael L. + Josie Smith

Signs and Wonders

2008-11-21T14:32:57Z

A cold front moved in last night. This morning I was playing in the backyard with frisky TINKER when I happened upon the two friends I met back there yesterday. They were alive but pretty unresponsive when I picked them up (still interconnected I might add). I moved them to south side of the house (where the sun will warm them up). On top of the mailbox they'll be protected from all harm, as you can see:

Fragile interlocking butterflies

2008-11-20T22:09:32Z

It has been enormously stressful living apart from Kelley -- but despite everything we've been through, and despite all of my own personal failings, I am still deeply connected to her.

Today I received a very beautiful email from her... I cried when I read it. Afterwards I went outside and called her; while I was leaving her a message of love and thanks, I saw my dog Tinker engaging with something in the grass: I didn't know it was this beautiful pair of butterflies, interconnected, and fragile, just like we are:

Clearly this has been a sign that came at the most opportune moment... Thanks be!

Further excursions in Bibliography

2008-11-16T14:47:34Z

I went to Cornell University recently -- the library was wonderful of course -- anyway the weather was lovely and I was struck by the stunning Autumn views which could be seen from the campus. Here are just a few:

Sigh... Once again: these views are very different from where I live!

Seals

2008-11-16T14:43:47Z

I did an appraisal of a very interesting library near La Jolla, California - anyway, here are frisky seals that were laying around the rocks, just warming themselves in the sun. It was pretty excellent to wake up and walk down by the sea... very different from where I live!

I also got a chance to go the very fine Memorial Skatepark in San Diego, although no one told me that they close at dusk, so I only got about 35 minutes to skate! But I very much enjoyed myself on this trip. Hopefully I'll be able to visit again someday. I would definitely not want to live in La Jolla: everything is too perfect, too rich, too fake.

Holy Autumn

2008-10-17T22:34:40Z

Ever since I was a child, growing up in Texas, I cherished the Fall season. And I still do. Fall is sacred, holy...

When, after a long hot summer, the air becomes cool at night, and the shadows grow longer in the day, I find myself feeling more and more alive.

The other morning I woke up and it was definitely FALL. I grabbed my camera to record what I saw outside my house:

NYC visit (SPOILER WARNING)

2008-08-24T06:57:02Z

Just got back from a trip to New York City. My business: a tedious appraisal of a gigantic boring library (Part II - the saga continues)! The Good news: I'm getting paid for it.

Better news: I was able to spend about 30 hours in the recording studio of my long-time commarade A.J. Tissian. The new Unto Ashes album is coming into being, and it sounds very, very good. We imported all my sound files from Digital Performer into LOGIC, which is clearly the better application. There was a definite learning curve for me to work in LOGIC, but after awhile I was doing all the mixing myself. I still have more work to do on the album, but it's really coming along. It sounds really beautiful and really depressing.

I'm really happy to be home: I missed my kitty ("Lottie") and my dog ("Tinker") - they make me want to just stay home all the time!

:D

A.J. has his studio in Williamsburg (nearby where Kelley and I used to live) and I must say that I really did NOT enjoy being back there on account of the HORDS of hipsters swarming all over the place. As if this wasn't bad enough: the devastation of the neighborhood by developer scum is truly sickening. Old buildings have been destroyed and replaced by one of the following:

1. Absolutely nothing
2. An abandoned construction site (i.e. abandoned for more than 2 years!)
3. A pathetic-looking monstrosity of "modern" architecture

In a couple weeks Kelley and I are going back to NYC (a good friend of hers is getting married) so that's good, but I'm not really looking forward to hanging out in Williamsburg for an extended period of time. YUK! And can I mention how FILTHY and DISGUSTING it is in New York City? And how absolutely THIRD-WORLD the roads and highways are? What about the AIRPORTS?

All I can say is that I'm really glad to be home!

:D

Cats and Rare Books

2008-08-06T18:20:19Z

Everyone knows that it is REQUIRED for at least one cat to grace the establishment of an antiquarian bookseller. It's just one of the laws of nature.

My friend Bennett Gilbert has recently retired from the rare book trade, and sent me 11 giant boxes of rare book book catalogues. So imagine my lack of surprise when I discovered beautiful LOTTIE snuzzing in between some of the heaps of Rare Book catalogues that I was sorting on my dining room table.

How can cats be so unfairly cute?

Garden images (July 2008)

2008-07-26T16:31:52Z

Central Texas in July is not known for being the best place on Earth; however, this morning was so beautiful, cool and clear, that I simply had to go out into the garden and take some images for posterity. I started this LJ as a journal for myself, and since "It's my party, I'll cry if I want to," here we go!

A couple lovely white antique roses (literally grown from seeds of an ancient rose bush):

Some magnificent native flowers - name unknown:

Flowerful vegetation that is wonderful to behold and impossible to kill (thankfully):

A lucious pond, now home to a couple frogs:

A nice new porch swing for an old porch, very pleasant in the evening:

Did somebody say "SQUIRRELS"?

2008-07-26T16:17:42Z

In a previous journal entry, Tinker mentioned something about how much she loves to chase squirrels, although this comic routine basically consists of a squirrel in a tree, laughing at poor Tinker down below.

However, here's one REALLY lazy squirrel that wasn't going nowhere for no one or no thing. He was literally hanging out in a big Pecan tree in the front yard for over an hour:

FINALLY some movement:

And Monsieur's departure:

I thought *I* was lazy! I had to bow down to this bad boy.

P.S. Sorry my LJ posts are so blindingly interesting and exciting!

:D

Introducing TINKER

2008-07-26T15:48:22Z

Tinker is a sweet boxer female that me and silkandbone adopted in January. It's not so to take pictures of her because she instantly starts wriggling around in a "u-turn" when she thinks you might possibly be playing with her. Of course I love it when she starts grinning - an unmistakable boxer trait! She is a really good dog, although sometimes she "acts out" when I leave the house: for instance, last night I came home to find that a bottle of SUNTAN lotion had inexplicably "fallen" to the floor, and miraculously there were TEETH MARKS on it; yes, some SUNTAN lotion had leaked onto the floor. But when I asked who might have been responsible for this dastardly act, NO ONE was talking.

Hrmph!!

Anyway, here's TINKS:

Now she seems to be saying: "I have no recollection about any SUNTAN lotion":

"No Sir: I have no use for SUNTAN lotion, I'm really much more interested in SQUIRRELS":

June Tabor

2008-07-17T01:36:27Z

I have been listening to really ancient JUNE TABOR music, namely her first album from 1976. It's pure British Isle folk music (mostly from the North). Her voice is so incredibly fine. I cannot recommend this record too strongly:

Sound samples of this album are available on amazon:

http://tinyurl.com/65v6oa

(link shortened via TINYURL)

I love her first album because it sounds like PURE BRITISH FOLK MUSIC, enchanted and almost primitive.

Today I just discovered a stunning song that she made in 2000; WARNING: it's heartbreakingly beautiful.

From allmusicguide.com

June Tabor is probably the finest female traditional British folksinger of the late 20th century -- if not the best British folksinger of her time, period. What links her to Britain's past traditions is the chilling and emotional qualities of her voice. What links her to the British present is her fine taste in material, arrangements, and backing musicians, along with a willingness to try different things and interpret work by contemporary songwriters.

Tabor's first high-profile project was a duet album with Steeleye Span's Maddy Prior in the 1970s (the duo dubbed themselves the Silly Sisters for the occasion). An all-star cast of some of the leading lights of the British folk scene supported the singers, including Martin Carthy, Nic Jones, and Andy Irvine. For her own albums and tours she has worked with outstanding guitarists, most notably Jones and Martin Simpson. She's also tread into folk-rock waters with Fairport Convention (with whom she's guested on-stage) and Oysterband (with whom she collaborated on a 1990 album). Her 1994 album Against the Streams found her still at her peak, interpreting both traditional tunes and efforts by modern-day composers, including Elvis Costello and Richard Thompson. Subsequent efforts include 1996's Singing the Storm, 1997's Aleyn, and 2000's Quiet Eye. Rosa Mundi appeared in 2001 from Green Linnet, with 2003's Echo of Hooves, 2005's At the Wood's Heart, and 2007's Apples following from Topic Records. ~ (Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide)

+++++

And how incredibly cool is it that June Tabor is also a librarian?

:D

Here's a more recent photograph of her:

*bows down before June Tabor*

Lingering weekend

2008-07-09T04:37:13Z

Had a lovely weekend with silkandbone who arrived on Saturday morning and left Monday afternoon. Already miss her, but I am grateful that we had the opportunity to spend time together. Everything was pretty beautiful. Sunday we went to one of Austin's finest restaurants, "Fonda San Miguel" and had a delicious brunch. Then we took a walk up on Mount Bonnell:

And from there we went to Laguna Gloria where we walked on some delightful paths:

I will definitely be interested to see some of Kelley's photos to remind me of her special visit!

Meanwhile, today I was stuck doing tedious Norton Utilities maintenance on a 7-year old Mac G4. Praise be to LEGBA for allowing me to fix it!

In other news: I am officially a 'fraidy cat. I started watching "The Omen" and couldn't get through an hour of it; I had to turn it off!

:P

1892 Texas Victorian - the Upstairs

2008-07-01T16:15:38Z

Well, I haven't updated my journal in quite awhile. A lot has transpired, most of it extremely positive.

The worst news is that on Thursday I *slammed* in the concrete bowl at the Round Rock skatepark and suffered a serious concussion - even with my helmet on! I have had a headache for 4 days, but Tylenol helps. The back of my head still hurts where I slammed on it. I was knocked out for more than 2 minutes (possibly 3 - I don't know!) and when I came to I continually repeated the question "What happened?" For reasons unknown to me, my friends did not call an ambulence for me, and they actually let me DRIVE HOME (about 35 miles!) with a serious concussion. Of course I went to the doctor and radiologist the next day. The results of my CTSCAN: "normal."

Hmmmm, are they sure? Oh well!

Anyway, the best news of all time is that the lovely SILKANDBONE is in my life, and that we love each other very much. She is coming down to visit on Saturday. I thought I would post some pictures of the upstairs of the house, not only as a little "aide-memoire" for her, but also for my LJ friends. More pictures of the rest of the house are forthcoming: I promise!

Tiny Texas Houses

2008-06-09T02:48:06Z

I have just returned from Luling Texas where I saw some of the most adorable Tiny Texas Houses -- created from all vintage materials: wood, windows, doors, stained glass, floors, sinks, everything! I think there may be one or two individuals who might want at least one or two for their backyards:

In other words, they are mega-cute, and everyone needs to have one -- either for guests, or for no reason whatsoever, except that they are just wonderful!

Back from the Harrowing of Hell - CYMBALTA FREE

2008-06-02T02:13:45Z

I am back from the nighmare of Cymbalta induced insanity. I made the last 3 raving blogs PRIVATE so that someday I could look at how far into the abyss I had descended.

I am not there anymore. This morning I frantically called my doctor and told him about the savage side-effects of this drug on my psyche, namly even MORE insomnia, MORE obsession, and MORE suicidal thoughts. All night long I couldn't sleep, desperately tried to cry, and COULD NOT because of the mitigating effects. The doctor said don't worry, just don't take them anymore!! Great: $68 for TWO PILLS that made me want to die. Guess I'm a little "old fashioned" but isn't that a little steep?

So today I stayed close to some good people and good family. Tomorrow at 11:00am I go to my therapist.

I still have a lot of toxic thoughts. This is still a hard time for me. But I'm no longer crippled by the same merciless obsessions, and I see how many extremely positive benefits have come from the breakup of my relationship. I wasn't making ANY progress before, and now I've been thrown into the deep end against my will.

I've been bitching and complaining the whole time, but I don't learn from anything except withering pain. So now I'm just going to sit down, shut up, and listen. And I'm not going to actually *DO* anything or control anything or anyone. I'm just trying to relax and not struggle against all the good that is going on in my life right now.

Reno Nevada

2008-05-18T04:28:13Z

I am brain-dead after spending six days in Reno, NV where I was engaged in the appraisal of a library. I was gone from Sunday to Friday. I wanted to be home as soon as I arrived there! But it's fine - I am getting paid (a lot) and I was able to play a little blackjack before dinner every night (just like James Bond!)

I missed my dog "Tinker" and my cat "Lottie" so much! Here is an adorable kittie video which made me cackle:

Air wars

2008-05-02T13:49:28Z

Some of my friends know that I have long enjoyed skateboarding in deep, round empty swimming pools. Here's a skatepark in Round Rock that I have been trying to frequent regularly (photo taken yesterday):

The skatepark was built by Grindline, and despite some occasional irregularities (mostly minor) it is an excellent, and highly challenging facility. It includes a replica of a GIANT empty pool (see photo) and a wildly over-vertical capsule bowl.

In my advanced age I am not exactly *blasting* airs out of the bowl (certainly not like I used to) but in this bowl I'll certainly take what I can get: it's really deep, and I just don't bounce off concrete like I used to!

:D

Flayed woman / anatomical specimen skateboard

2008-04-26T20:54:12Z

Not sure this is for *everyone* on this list, but...

My friend Andy Kessler got the design of this anatomical specimen from an actual 17th-century engraving that I purchased and had framed for my house.

Incredibly Kessler used this design to make a KILLER skateboard; and even more incredible: I just received one in the mail today! I can't wait to ride it!

The graphics are obviously exquisite, but then I'm biased!

P.S. Don't even think about disturbing my CAT, coz "Cats just rule."

:D

Super unfair tactics of mega-cuteness

2008-04-22T21:38:31Z

Even a crab like me could not withstand the unfair cuteness:

Glorious Spring day

2008-04-12T14:54:26Z

Although my relationship is over, life goes on. There are birds chirping wildly outside, and the flowers are in mad bloom. I am sending a check to the IRS + NYS for thousands and thousands of dollars. I've written a good German "military pop" song and recorded it. And then someone from Greece sent me a picture, which I am attaching to this rambling string of thoughts.

I was thinking that certain LJ people might enjoy seeing those sea-coral on the robes:

Best wishes to all!