Madrone Table

I have a madrone table. It is 16” high with a live edge. Eight leather footstools fit around it. It holds a King James Version Bible of the original size, two Collier’s atlases, a two-volume Webster’s dictionary, and several different publications of the complete works of Shakespeare. It used to reside at 926B Emerson Street, Palo Alto, California, 94301-2414, a 700 sqft second-floor commercial unit with windows lining both sides of the single room. The inner of the two doors of the unit I kept unlocked at night in case I or my friend unexpectedly needed a place to sleep. This was a philosophy underlying The Pricer’s Inn, as the unit was called by me.

The Pricer’s Inn existed as that physical place from August 2021 until June 2022. It was meant to be a place of safety for toddlers who gathered accompanied by a parent and older siblings. The madrone table was to have been the focal point. There were two light blue toddler’s beds for naps and an elevated kiwi green Flexa bed for kids; I was small enough to nap on the Flexa bed. Many days I rested there on my back even though my occupation of The Pricer’s Inn was brief.

The space that was The Pricer’s Inn collected crafted items from the vicinity of Palo Alto that were energetically held, that is, that had potential energy introduced by craftsmanship. This definition is not strict; there could be moving parts. The craftsmanship followed lines of tradition begun by artisans during the 1800’s. It was my wish to hold for toddlers inexpensive classes taught by local artisans who would aim to get the youngest children excited about the crafts. Every person has a craft.