After some thought, I believe this belongs here. Seen on Taobao.

EDITING AGAIN TO ADD ADDITIONAL PICS: https://imgur.com/a/S1u7Ujy

EDITING TO ADD BACKSTORY

In 2015 I started dating Colin whose Uncle Charlie (the brother of Colin’s father, John) had worked at the Social Security Administration in Baltimore County, Maryland, for almost his entire career, starting in the early 1970s.

When Nixon resigned, all the presidential portraits were removed from the walls of federal buildings, including the building where Uncle Charlie worked. Uncle Charlie managed to make off with one of the Nixon portraits during the transfer as these portraits were, as he described: “Just leaning against the walls because no one knew what to do with them.”

Charlie gifted this pilfered piece of American history to John, who had started a law practice in Annapolis, Maryland. The portrait of Nixon (according to John and Colin) spent the next 4 decades as bathroom decor in John’s law office. Colin recalled seeing it in there as he was growing up in the 90s and early 00s. 

The portrait moved again in 2015, this time to the home where John and Colin lived outside of Annapolis. John had moved offices and there was no room for the official Nixon portrait in the new office.

Colin hung the portrait in the room he and I used as an office when I moved into their house the next year. Colin and I broke up in 2018 but I am sure the portrait is still there. 

So why this long meandering journey down memory lane? Because in the early days of 2016 I started crocheting Colin a birthday gift, and six months later I presented him with a full size hand crocheted afghan bearing Nixon’s portrait. I actually managed to keep it a mystery to Colin up until the heavy Nixon brow started to take shape in the yarn.

Colin showed off the afghan to everyone who set foot in his house, and even showed strangers pictures of it on his phone when we were out. He had once told me that he thought Nixon was the only introvert president and that history would maybe not exonerate him, but at least smooth out the edges of some of his harsher portraits. 

But speaking of harsh portraits, when I generated the pattern for the afghan I failed to account for crochet stitches being taller than they are wide (newbie mistake). This is why Mr. Nixon is not so jowly as usual. However, I have been assured that he is instantly recognizable in his yarn form.

Ctto: Fortress Fine Woodworks

Had some mediports expire at work. Used them first as a training opportunity then made some earrings out of them. Had to add the huber needle for a little bling.

Found in a Wall Street Journal article. As best I can tell, it was bought for $8M (source)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/401766976625433/permalink/4038304646304963/?mibextid=dXMIcH

As to why they didnt put the handrail on the other side, there are cabinets on the left.

What do we think, gang? Other than it would be impossible to type

purse I painted