FEELING THAT GARAGE SALE LOVE

It's been an exciting week here at the Castle of Fifty Cents. On Wednesday I learned I'd been included in this list of “10 Best Junk Collector Blogs” by Dianne Zweig. Talk about flattered—woo hoo! Then this morning I had an email from Shay of Quilting in My Pajamas letting me know that she has designated me her Blog of the Week. It’s even sweeter because this was her 100th post; I think it was awfully kind of her to share that post with me! Shay is in Australia, so now we see that I have a worldwide readership. I feel pride starting to swell my head…I'm a top junker with international appeal!

Speaking of pajamas, that was the attire of the woman running the first sale I stopped at. Yup, pajamas and bathrobe, uncombed hair, and a surly expression to boot. (Unlike Shay!) I was so glad she had nothing I was interested in. I think I met her sister across town. She wasn’t in her pajamas, but she was doing her best to sell a Hawaiian shirt that her husband kept saying he really loved. She told everyone in earshot that the shirt was too big for him and a Hawaiian shirt that’s too big just makes the person who wears it look terrible. He seemed like a nice guy, and I wanted to take him aside and tell him just to keep the darned shirt and wear it when she went to visit her mother.

Fortunately, the rest of the morning was full of nicer people. This cute guy had just sold a sofa and loveseat for twenty bucks.
His mom thought he should have gotten more, but he reminded her they had gotten the furniture for free and now they were twenty bucks richer. I always appreciate a pragmatist, especially one who will put on a red hat they’re trying to sell for a quarter.

Here’s another cute guy I met.
He tried to act all cool and standoffish, but all I had to say was, “Here, kitty kitty,” and he immediately forgot about being cool. (It’s that top international way I have with cats.)

His name is Scotch. Short for Butterscotch which they thought was too girly for a boy cat. His owner was raising funds to help African villages, and told me he was a very expensive kitty. She was in Africa a few months ago, and while she was gone one of her neighbors (she doesn't know which) turned Scotch in to the animal shelter. Even though he wears a collar and tag with her name and number, and was being cared for while she was gone. She got back and discovered where he was on his last day. Cost about $200 to bail him out, and another $300 to treat the kennel cough he came home with. She shook her head. “Five hundred dollars! That would buy enough seed to feed an entire African village for a year!” I hope the misguided neighbor at least came and bought some stuff at her yard sale.

Also met an awfully cute and unusual dog today. This is Katie.
She’s a chow/terrier mix. As soon as I got out my camera, Katie turned her back on me. She’d recently had a haircut, so maybe she wasn’t happy with her ‘do. I finally just held the camera down in front of her and snapped.
Katie almost never barks. The doorbell is the only thing she barks at, and when her family arrives home they vie to see who can get to the doorbell first so they can hear Katie bark.

Wish that would rub off on my guys. Lizzie is always protecting us from someone getting in their car eight houses down the street. She certainly barks at the doorbell—even if it's a doorbell in a movie.

I spent $4.50 this morning, half of it on stuff to give to my children’s librarians. Like this great frog:
These two dolphin thingies are meant to hold your keys and such at the beach.
This piece is a hoot.

Little faux fish cavorting in bubbles with changing color lights shining through. Should be a real hit for our Make a Splash summer reading program.

I admit I'm a sucker for anything that shows reading. Which is my only excuse for coming home with this rather over-the-top piece:
A reading Easter bunny snow globe music box. It plays “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.”
My husband was so appalled he didn’t even ask where I'm planning to put it, not wanting to imply that it was staying. I'm sure he’ll be happier with these bumpers and sliders.
I need to find something that needs moving to try out the sliders. The picture on the packaging isn’t very impressive—anyone over the age of three could move that chair, sliders or no.

This painted wooden tray is going to the office with me next week.
I've been wanting a tea tray; I'm always spilling things on my desk and it will look classier to spill on a nice tray instead. This one is already a bit beat up so I can spill with impunity.

I liked the rain design on these earrings.
Now I'll have to experiment to figure out if wearing them makes it rain (in which case they should never be worn on Saturday morning) or keeps rain away.

You didn’t know I was in charge of the weather, did you? But only locally. I am not responsible for all that snow back east!