At the Very Last Moment.....

.....yesterday I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to apply for tickets to the Antiques Roadshow, and it was the last day to do so.  The Roadshow is gonna be in New Orleans this summer!  And that's less than a two-hour drive from here.  Do-able.  Well, do-able as long as someone is willing to take me. 

But who wouldn't want to go to the Roadshow?!  When I had tickets to the Biloxi event (I guess that was 8 years ago?),  people were clamoring to offer to take me so that they could get my second ticket.

It was such fun seeing all the stuff people brought in to the Roadshow to have evaluated.  My items didn't make it "on air" but I had the most wonderful time visiting with appraiser John Buxton.  Usually the appraisers spend less than a minute on each item because there are so many people at the event but I was the only person in Mr. Buxton's line, so he spent ten minutes with me.  And, yes, I got his autograph.  But I sold the item he appraised for me, and I sent the autograph with it--that only seemed right.

Actually, I didn't "sell" the item; I traded it with a well-known local artist for one of her paintings.  She was happy; I was happy (still am; love that painting).  Trading is such a good thing to do!  

And, I have to admit that as much as I wanted that painting, I wanted even more to get rid of what I always called "The Stick"--one of my mother's primitive antique store finds.  I was terrified of it when I was a kid, begged my mother not to buy it, and I still didn't like having it around even when I became a grown-up.  Turns out that my antipathy was well-founded:  Mr. Buxton informed me that it was a shaman's staff from a tribe of head-hunting cannibals in Borneo.  Yuck.  

The painting has three angels on it; I like that infinitely better.  And the artist thinks The Stick is cool.  So we are both the better for our trade. 

Anyway, back in the current time, I took a chance and entered a piece of furniture to be considered for the Roadshow this time:  my corner cabinet.  Took the pictures in a rush, so they are not great but the cabinet itself is kinda fascinating.

It's signed by the maker.  And if the maker is who I think it could be, that would be all the better.  But who knows?! 

Fingers crossed.
Please, Antiques Roadshow, pick me!  Pick me!

It was fun applying, even if I don't win a ticket, even if I don't get into the furniture section, and even if I should win a ticket, I still have to deal with an annoying disability and PTSD and agoraphobia and would have to beg someone else to take me into the big bad city.  Sometimes you've just gotta try no matter what.  Gotta be brave.  We all need stuff to look forward to, and it's nice just to know there is a chance (although getting the ticket would be only the first hurdle for me.)

Life is good.



.....Oh, and by the way.....kindly pardon the flash glare.  Hopefully the artist won't mind me sharing (she's very nice); her name is Milo Stephens and the painting is called Three to Watch.