Midnight Rider

As I assess the epic energy it took to get my act together for these craft shows, I think I've decided that if I want to do this "for real" I need to get my own studio going ... I currently rent from the Goggleworks in Reading, PA.

So when chatting with my favorite jewelry store clerk (and cave guide), I got this grand statement: "You know, Paul Revere didn't have a tiny torch". My first reaction was, "huh?" Then, "oh I get it. I guess."  I don't have to have the state of the art set up, blah blah blah...but it sure would be nice, and this is the 21st century so I see no reason to attempt soldering over a pit of hot coals.


here's the coveted Tiny Torch,  and here's Paul, I totally forgot that he had been a silversmith. duh.


Of course he's best known for screaming "The British are coming! The British are coming!" Now, this is all vaguely familiar to me, but now I'm like, "the British are coming where? and why? what's going on?" I have no idea. Apparently there is no Hollywood movie portraying this ride, otherwise I definitely would know more about it.


A brief summary - a la wikipedia of course - ok first of let's start off by mentioning that Paul Revere was named after his father, Apollo, who anglicized his name to Paul. damn. Apollo. The poem was so close to being called "The Midnight Ride of Apollo Revere" that would have been so much cooler. Ok, so Paul was a silversmith, he was alright, but was more involved in the Sons of Liberty and stuff (ooooh, secret society)


They asked him to send a message to John Hancock and Samuel Adams to warn them that the British troops were moving from Boston across the Hudson River to Lexington. So he got on his trusty steed and spread the word along the way, that indeed the British were coming - but he didn't yell it! hello?!  this was all supposed to be a secret, duh! So much for that Longfellow poem ...


anyway, he almost made it, got captured, escaped to the house where Hancock and Adams were staying, helped them escape, the British were eventually defeated, we win. yea America, we are free to ride motorcycles without helmets and burn our trash - glad our forefathers fought for those rights.

But let's talk serious business here. Can we talk about Paul Revere's house color?


I think I'm loving it.  It has all these cool details like shutters, doors, window trim, big wood carved knobs, but they said screw it, we're painting it all this mushroom color.  no detail enhancement for us!

I can't help but think the Revere's were ahead of their time ... case and point this super rad skater's house in San Fran:

and this house that was featured in Martha Stewart's halloween edition last year - creepy, but nice:


I could get on a whole tangent on dark painted houses ... like this ...

but I'm not going there now, (fabulous Door Sixteen already did it) instead I'm going to leave you with this amazing Willie Nelson cover of Midnight Rider ... I don't think it's about Paul Revere but I like to pretend it is.