It’s not going to happen

Rusty 1969 Ford ThunderbirdIt’s healthy to realize that some dreams are not going to happen. The owner of this 1969 Ford Thunderbird may never find the time or energy to turn his rusting beast into a gleaming factory condition sedan.

One way to deal with the loss of a dream is to get a lot of distance between you and that dream. In the case of the old Thunderbird, the owner should sell it to an antique car parts dealer. Then he will not be reminded of his unfinished project – and the massive amount of work ahead – every time he sees the old beast.

Another way to move forward when facing a lost dream is to pass that dream on to someone who can finish your project. You will first need to convince them of the value of your dream. In the case of the old Thunderbird, that may be impossible for the owner. But sharing your dream may bring joy to another!

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Better than new, sort of

Jeunet vintage bicycleIt was gorgeous. A 1974 Jeunet Franche-Comte bicycle. There’s something about seeing a perfect vintage object that almost can take my breath away.

I stopped to take a photo. The young owner came up while I was still admiring the art. He said a man printed up replica decals for restoration projects. The details weren’t perfect… It was a fixie instead of a 10-speed. The rims were of the modern tall style. The brakes were a replica of the German Weinmann brand, instead of the original French Mafacs. The handlebars were flat. But it was beautiful.

Even though newer bikes can run circles around this baby, it has a style that cannot be matched.

Art.

p.s. My Gitane is from the same era. I have made too many modifications for it to be close to the showroom-floor state.

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Blogs are dying

1972 bicycleYes, I really do believe blogs are dying.

One major reason for this change is the many faster and easier ways to put personal content up on the web, such as Instagram and Facebook. And I think a lot of people are getting burned out on posting to and reading blogs.

But I still love blogging, similar to how I love my 1972 Gitane road bike. Some old things are still worth hanging on to.

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The sadness of how little it’s worth

Old Tennis RacketsWhat once held value is now worth just a little above zero. These two tennis rackets are worth something to someone, but finding that someone would not be worth my time spent looking.

Ebay is a great avenue to sell many things. But the market for old tennis rackets is so small that few are selling there.

I think both of these rackets are beautiful. Sadly, my family does not have the space to store them nor the desire to put them up on a wall. So the thrift shop gets them. And at least a charity will benefit a small amount from the sale.

Here’s another tale of wasted beauty.

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I Love Whole Foods

Forager ProjectWhere else can I go to spend $6.99 on 16 ounces of juice?

I didn’t buy any Forager Project juices, but the very fact that they are available at Whole Foods makes me happy. I’m sure there are some amazing health benefits, but I am not willing to spend that amount to discover them.

If you are willing to offer something that no one will buy, it could benefit you – if only to show your customers that you think outside of the box. So go to Whole Foods today to discover a new amazing product that you won’t buy. Chances are, you will buy something else. I did.

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Back in time

old drawing in a textbookFifty years ago, a college student was bored while reading advertising principles. Little did he know that fifty years later, another person would be entertained by his sketches. And there is no way he would have known his sketches would be seen by people all over the world.

As I was doing research at the University of Denver library, I stumbled on these sketches. The book holding the sketches was published in 1923. The sketches were done around 1962, judging by the car.

Fifty years from now, it will probably be easier for people to see what we were doing today than it is for us to get snapshots of life going the other direction. It’s fun to get little glimpses into the past!

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Why would they buy it?

Automobile magazine article on the sale of a $8 million FerrariThis Ferrari sold for more than $8 million. Yes, million. And it’s probably older than you are.

I tried to think through what would motivate someone to spend that much money on such an old car.

1. It’s art. Yes, it is a beautiful car. And it’s almost as rare as a Picasso painting.

2. The collector is hoping the value will increase. That is a bet; markets could crash and what a singer named Larry Norman sang a long time ago, “A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold,” might come true.

3. The collector has enough money that they are not worried about what brand of laundry detergent to buy.

4. The collector has never been to a slum in Africa or Asia.

5. The collector has enough money to pay insurance for his or her occasional drives. (One year’s insurance must be more than the cost of my house.)

Do you have any ideas on what they were thinking?

Special thanks to Automobile Magazine, where this was featured.

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The incredible dandelion

dandelionsMost people love to hate dandelions. A field of fertile puffy seed balls, waiting to spread their beauty to the next closest lawn, strikes fear in the hearts of most North American lawn-keepers.

But ah – their bright yellow flowers – and exquisite soft seed balls. If you stop to think about it, they are amazing. What an incredible thing that the seed puffs always turn out almost perfectly spherical. And the flowers are unfailingly the same brilliant saturated yellow.

Enjoy them for a moment – if not on your own lawn, on your neighbor’s.

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It’s free, in your back yard

masks art exhibit in fort collins colorado

We all enjoy a little change of pace. We enjoy it even more, when we don’t have to pay anything!

If you live in a town with a university, chances are they have art and music departments. If so, there are student music performances and art shows throughout the school year. Most of them are free. Just explore the school’s website, or better yet, spend a little time roaming around campus.

I took these photos of masks at a free exhibit in Fort Collins, Colorado, where my oldest son is attending university.

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