Quick Note

Hi all,

I have a few exciting things brewing here. That is why you have not seen many posts for a while. Stay tuned... Also my health wasn't the best for a few weeks. I'm feeling better now though and geared up to get some interesting things on this blog and in a few other places.

Take care and I'll post again shortly...

Shopping Suggestion for the Inquisitive Mason

Hey Everyone,

I've been hiding for a bit. I'm a bit late giving out gift ideas but here is a great little special to give to yourself or another. History Channel has a great 2 for one special. I should mention this special ends on December 20th 2007. The friendly folks over at A&E/History Channel brought this particular deal to my attention. Thank you very much Janice! Brethren take full advantage of this one... Take note that even the shipping is a deal.

You will notice that in the deal there are plenty of DVDs that would interest a mason or pretty near any documentary junky, such as myself.

What makes a Lodge "Regular"?

Brethren,

I'm doing research for a lecture on "What Makes a Lodge Regular". Each member of my small lodge(about 50 members and the website has/uses limited resources and is managed by one of our "most experienced" brethren) has been asked to take a topic from a list and prepare a lecture for a lecture series. We will probably get about 15 different lectures from this exercise.

As mentioned my topic is explaining what makes a lodge "regular". I thought this would be a good side-topic from my usual. Is your lodge considered regular? What would make a lodge not "regular"? Do you have any examples of lodges that are not considered regular or under great debate?

I would really love to hear from the knowledgeable brethren out there on this topic. You can leave a comment here or send me an e-mail directly by using the link up in the left hand side that says "e-mail me". It's located right below the Most Watched eBay items.

I look forward to all your comments and wisdom.

Also I just started another blog on another topic... feel free to check it out Mobile Office Journal. It's for anyone working at home or on the road.... good for entrepreneurs also.

Masonic Clay Tavern Pipe Found in Shipwreck

I could help but post one more today. I found this great masonic pipe. It was found in a shipwreck. The post mentions the Atocha but I see no information to back-up that claim. If it was the Atocha it would be a real treat. The Atocha was a Spanish Treasure ship, was it not? To find an item such as this on a Spanish ship I can only imagine being a bit out of place... Please correct me if I'm wrong.
The pipe itself has the square and compasses on it.... I see the sun and an eagle with a shield on the other side. I find the eagle a bit odd as well but look forward to a more knowledgeable person to educate me a bit on whether this is truly out of place or perfectly proper the the claimed time-frame and wreck.
None the less this item is fascinating and I'd love to have it myself... but I will let my readers have this one if they want.

Click here to go directly to the eBay item

1862 Newspaper on eBay with interesting Masonic article

Great item today... I think it is a great read. Sure to intrigue many readers. It speaks of publishing the masonic ritual word-for-word. I'm sure this was quite an issue in the mid-1800's. The seller of the newspaper has scanned the article for our reading pleasure. You will have to skip through the article on the Mormon ball to get to the masonic article, however both are interesting. This seller specializes in many antique papers. I've snooped around his items before and found lots of interesting articles, such as reference to the War of 1812, WWII, the Revolution and even Pirates. I like these type of items because you can see how the news was reported at that time and it provides a different perspective than reading about it in text books and reference websites.

Take a look and let me warn you that reading these old papers can be a bit addictive.

Click here to go directly to the eBay item

Painting/Photocollage of Grand Lodge in Brighton England with King Edward VII

Here is a neat item to check out. It is a photo collage of Grand Lodge in Brighton, UK. The Grand Master at the time was King Edward VII. The painting requires some restoration but for a collector I think this would be a great piece to grab, and for the curious it is really interesting to check out the pictures. From what I understand the artist paints the background and then overlays actual photographs onto the scene.

The painting contains several members of royalty and is taken in the Grand Dome in Brighton, UK. The seller estimated the time of this work to be around 1910.
I love seeing items like this. They allow a picture back in time for us to see another period in masonry. Take a look at the mode of dress and the architecture of the building. Beards were definitely more popular back then.
Enjoy!
Click here for the eBay listing

Antique Masonic Skull Ring From Mexico, MUST BE SEEN

Good day everyone! I was browsing today, as usual. I came across this neat looking ring that I thought may be of interest to a few.

The seller is located in the Netherlands but they are charging a flat international shipping rate of $11. This is a good deal for international shipping.


Here is how the seller describes the ring:

"THIS AUCTION IS FOR A HANDMADE STAINLESS STEEL/CHROME WIDE BAND SPINNER RING, (THE OUTSIDE BAND IS SEPERATE AND SPINS/TURNS AROUND THE INNER BAND!)

THE OUTER BAND HOLDS AN IMAGE OF AN ANTIQUE 1600'S EUROPEAN "LAST JUDGEMENT" PAINTING (LAST PIC)...THE SKULL HAS RHINESTONE EYES AND THE BACK HOLDS "MULTI COLOR PIXIE DUST".......FINISHED WITH A MAGNIFYING CLEAR GLAZE BUBBLE LAYER AND THE INNERBAND IS ENGRAVED WITH THE MASONIC INSCRIPTION "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES".......

SIZE: US. 9 OR 19MM INNERDIAMETER, 1/2 INCH OR 12MM WIDE"

I have edited some of the posting for length... For the full thing please Click here for the eBay listing

Still here...

Yes I'm still alive. I updated some of the sidebar items today to show more t-shirts and less rings. I thought it would be more interesting. Hopefully I'll get some time soon to post some interesting eBay items. I'm also looking at ways to make it easier for you to find interesting eBay items on your own through my site. Stay tuned...

I'm In!!!!!

How many of us love to travel with groups of friends or have been on a masonic road trip? We love them but we all dread the planning and coordination involved. I just found this neat Web Application with a pretty simple name. It's called I'm In

I took a look and thought it was a fantastic idea. Hey if I didn't I wouldn't write about it now would I? So when you are planning the next road trip or weekend trip with the guys (or girls) why not use this little application and see if it makes things easier. They even give travel ideas! Let me know how it works for you. I can see myself using it. I noticed they put a MadLibs section on the homepage that I need to checkout next LOL!!! Gotta see if it's child-friendly or adult-oriented.

The site gives you a spot for itinerary, photo-sharing, see who's coming and when, etc... Pretty darn cool. Where was this when I was planning my wedding in the Carribean?

So it's called I'm In... Short but sweet.

Prison art limestone carving, Masonic & tobacco motifs

I found this item very quickly today. It is definitely one-of-a-kind masonic folk art. I would encourage you to take a look at the item even if you are not interested in buying something like this. I was amazed that someone was able to carve something like this, especially given they were in prison. It is assumed that the prisoner was a fellow brother and carved it as a gift to the Deputy Warden. I'm not sure of the age but the thought behind this carving is remarkable. I wonder if these two men smoked together?
Masonic Prison Art on eBay

Note for a friend

Wow, I've been doing a lot of blogging about other stuff other than eBay stuff lately. Today I wanted to post a link to my new lodge website. Not for lack of reason though.

Today is the 25th anniversary of one of my best friends, R.W. Bro. Charles. Here is the link http://adastra.grandlodgens.org/news.html

Look around while your there and check out the website. It isn't the flashiest site but it has tons of heart!

If you do go there and sign the guestbook, tell them Bro. Dean sent you.

Changes... and a bit of humour!

OK yesterday I put up my sidebar that shows different masonic products on the web. If you didn't see it yet... just scroll down and watch the left hand side. You need to get past my ever-present "most watched" eBay listing section first. I liked the eBay section too much to get rid of it. Besides it has neat stuff show up everyday.

So the test today is to see which item I added to the sidebar just for a good laugh. Perhaps it may interest a few of you? But they should put age restrictions on some things.

I also added at least one more t-shirt from Greg as many of you seemed to like it.

OK so the test is to find the item and to add a bit of humour you have to suggest an alternative use for the item as well!!!! Good Luck!

A touch of Controversy with the Grand Lodge Building in Nova Scotia, Canada

Brethren,

I'm not one to find myself blogging about controversy very often and do not use my blog for those means but you may want to take a look at this new blog Innerguard. It explains the controversy over an historic Masonic building in Halifax, Nove Scotia, Canada. It admittedly covers only one side of the controversy, but at this time I must disclose I am in agreement with this side, until I can find a solid argument to the contrary. To date I have not. I think we are underselling prime land on the Halifax peninsula where there is scarcity of land and high occupancy rates. My hands are in the air brethren...

My new Sidebar tool

I wanted to point out and explain my new tool in my sidebar. First though I want to mention why I point out all these masonic items online. I always found it easy to find masonic items but hard to find what I wanted. Furthermore I wasn't sure if I could always trust the merchant. Besides I have fun looking for all these masonic items. I will continue to post interesting eBay items here as I always do (as long as my kids allow me the time and I'm not too busy with work! LOL)
In the sidebar you will now find the "Freemason Store". This is actually more of a showcase of things on the web, a one-stop shop for masonic items. I find them and place them there. These items are not being sold by me directly. When you click on them you will be taken directly to the store that vends that particular item. I should mention that I have one item up there right now that is sold by a good masonic blogging pal of mine. Greg over at Masonic Traveller did the Masonic Collegiate T-Shirt you can see near the top. I always liked that shirt and thought I'd take the chance to list it here. This week I took a fancy to rings... maybe next week I'll switch it more towards books... Who knows???

Enjoy... and if you want to flame me go ahead. I just want to do what I enjoy doing. Oh you can also make suggestions, that would be nice. If you have questions on how you can do somethign like this for your website... well I'd be more than happy to show you.

Exclusive DVD for Dan Brown's New Book "The Mystery of the Solomon Key"

A&E now has an exclusive DVD about The Mystery of the Solomon Key which is Dan Brown's heavily anticipated follow-up to the Da Vinci Code. Who can speculate on masonic content in his next book. I say it will have significant masonic content, anyone want to bet against me?

Masonic Crossword Puzzles

I found this interesting item on eBay today. It is a CD with masonic-themed crossword puzzles. This would be good for any crossword lover or even better a great way to add flavor to a masonic newsletter, blog or other masonic correspondence with lodge members.

The best part about this item is it is very inexpensive. Grab it while you can. Bidding started at $2.50 and the Buy It Now price is only $5.00. So I guess it depends how much you enjoy bidding... If you don't then just pick it up for $5.00. It looks like the delivery is free also!
Masonic Themed Crossword Puzzle

Gold Masonic Fob Ball for sale

I had an e-mail from a fellow reader. They kindly pointed out a Gold Fob Ball for sale on Craigslist. For those interested here is the link (click here).

These fob balls are truly amazing pieces. I've highlighted one or two in the past on eBay. A true gem for any masonic collector. I don;t have one yet but if you wish to donate I'll accept... (that's humour in case you didn't get it).

My Dog

Usually I reserve this blog for Masonic eBay listings but today I am inspired to write about something else.

Last week our dog (who will rename nameless for this post) was diagnosed with advanced stages of tumors in her lungs and various complications this causes, leaving her with only half a lung. The poor girl suffered, as her health started to dive quickly. My wife was taken off-guard by how quickly she went from being a happy healthy dog to a state of having a hard time just breathing, and taking little interest in the things she always enjoyed.

We made the tough decision and after explaining the best we could to our five year old, we let him say good-bye to our dog before he went to bed. We figured our other child was still too young to explain these things. We then took our dog to the emergency vet clinic and had her euthanized. That is a hard thing to do. It was surreal in many ways when the vet asked for permission to proceed with the needle. You know it is best for the dog not to suffer and yet you still have a hint of doubt, especially as the dog is looking up at you as you give the word.

I know it was much harder on my wife. She had the dogs head on her lap as it passed away. In some senses I was relieved not to see her struggling for breath anymore but up until a few minutes before this moment I was the tough guy that supported my struggling wife. She had this dog since before we met. I cannot claim however that I was a tough guy as I dealt with this issue. My heart melted and I felt bad as I reminisced about the fun times and companionship this friendly animal gave us over the years.

In the vet clinic I was told a couple of times, at the bare minimum, that euthanization was the last act of kindness I could give our dog and allow her to die with some dignity.

I will end this post with a new thought in my head and a question. I've seen my grandmother die of lung cancer and struggling to breath... when she died she was on so much medication she didn't know who she was or where she was. That is only one example... So I ask you to comment. Why does our society look down and disapprove of euthanization for our own kind if we think it is acceptable for our pets? Why is it not acceptable for us? Why can we not opt or perhaps create a living will that allows others to euthanize us under certain circumstances? I guess I've just seen too many people suffering to the end, even when it is know there is no hope for recovery. They sit in a bed suffering till the day of their demise. Can we not give our own species the ability to die with dignity? I'm aware some European countries allow this. This is a giant question, with lots to consider, no easy answers, but I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Antique Robe for Masonic Lodge Dramas on eBay. Decent Price. Decent Seller.

Today I found a great robe for sale on eBay. This robe was made specifically for Masonic purposes. I think it would be great for a collector or to add flavor to a Drama team. The price isn't bad either.

It should be noted that at first I had trouble getting a picture for this post. A quick e-mail to the seller of this robe got me an amazing response. They went out of their way to make sure I got these pictures for you. I could advertise these pictures as exclusive photos of this item. Brethren this seller appears to be a genuine good-person and I'm sure if you had any questions about this item they would be quite happy to respond to your inquiries. In fact, if you want to leave comments here I'll be more than happy to send your inquires directly to the seller now that I have their e-mail. I do not know this seller but I was pleased with their positive attitude. WOW!!! click here to link directly to the eBay listing

DEMOLISHED MASONIC TEMPLE IN CHICAGO ON A STERLING SPOON

It's been a while since my last post.... Sorry gang.

Today I have a neat piece of history. It is a silver spoon, but more impotant is what is engraved on the spoon. I little piece of know fact is that at one time Masons owned one of the tallest structure, if not the tallest in the world. Someone will have to validate that fact for me however. Nonetheless we had the tallest in Chicago for many years! Now you can own your own spoon with the building engraved on it and tell others the same thing when they ask.

Click here to see the ebay listing with photos

Also, I was asked a while ago to keep an eye out for some masonic wooden boxes. Here are two... at a good price also.
listing for first box

listing for second box