Yellow Lemon, Brown Lemon

I found this amazing piece of gravel art in a shop that specializes in mid-century "antiques" while I was in Chicago last week attending a conference. You see, I'd seen it before. I grew up with the thing. It was in our living room, paired with a similar piece that featured, if memory serves, a pineapple and/or maybe a banana.

My dad actually made this classic example of gravel art when he was trying to quit smoking 40 or more years ago and needed something to distract himself from his nicotine fits. (Note the weird brown lemon. Huh?) Anyway, I always loved the gravel art and was bummed out when I found out that my dad had sold the pieces at a neighborhood garage sale some number of years ago--without asking the permission of his children! But it's back in the family now--I bought it, of course, even though I'm sure I paid a price several thousand times higher than what my dad originally sold it for at the garage sale. Go figure!