Filed under: Pennsylvania | Tags: found, garfield pittsburgh, home, instant film, polaroid, slr680
the former building in this lot had caught on fire and was demolished.
It’s funny how a place finds you. The longest I’ve lived anywhere is the place we live in now: former candy store/grocery store/children’s clothing store/bookstore in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In the past, I’d carefully chosen the places I wanted to live, but then I fell in love with a sweet, strange man who told me he lived in an old store and I didn’t imagine that I’d be there (here) so long that I can’t imagine living in a ‘normal’ house. The area around our building has proven a good place for impromptu photo shoots, found objects for Jeff’s art projects, even providing us furniture for our cozy nest (the desk chair I’m sitting as I type this; a kitchen hutch and a coffee table turned into a guitar). We have half a mannequin from someone’s trash, and our neighbor left a long strip of bowling alley for Jeff to transform into something else. A few weeks ago someone left an old TV in our yard, complete with remote control. Nobody took it home , but the remote was gone the next morning.
the retaining wall in our backyard, site of many photo shoots
doors in friendship
you can’t even give these away now
self-portrait after work
i see this car every day walking home from work
something like dancing
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This was a really funny post, I cracked up! Nice to see the umbrellas again and be careful on that ledge. Thanks, M
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Comment by Michael Williamson October 3, 2012 @ 2:31 PMthanks, michael – i’m glad i could entertain! i unleashed some of ‘wacky lisa’ after work when i wrote this.
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Comment by Lisa October 4, 2012 @ 1:28 PMYou don’t find home, it usually finds you.
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Comment by motherblue212 September 30, 2012 @ 9:01 PMThe more I travel and imagine Jeff and I settling in different places, the more I feel where home is right for me.
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Comment by Lisa October 1, 2012 @ 5:42 AMLife is a weird place, isn’t it.
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Comment by gregg September 30, 2012 @ 3:54 PMIt is. And the weirder it is, the more I love it.
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Comment by Lisa October 1, 2012 @ 5:43 AMgreat title! 🙂 love these umbrella shots, too! i wonder what the story behind the car is…
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Comment by farmhouse stories September 30, 2012 @ 3:42 PMHi Cait, thanks!
Some friends of mine said that they believe the car belongs to drag queen extraordinaire, Sharon Needles and her partner, Alaska. I didn’t realize they lived so close to us, so that is pretty exciting news!
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Comment by Lisa October 1, 2012 @ 5:45 AMreally exciting news! what great names, too.
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Comment by farmhouse stories October 1, 2012 @ 9:41 AMi know! sharon won this year’s rupaul drag race competition.
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Comment by Lisa October 1, 2012 @ 4:07 PMThanks for putting up with my trash habit!
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Comment by Jeff September 30, 2012 @ 10:17 AMAlways – it’s what keeps us moving along in our lives together (he he!).
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Comment by Lisa October 1, 2012 @ 5:43 AMI’ve picked a few things from your the garbage in your alley.
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Comment by Bill September 30, 2012 @ 8:40 AMReally, like what? There has been a lot of good stuff back there over the years.
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Comment by Lisa September 30, 2012 @ 8:44 AM