Signs of Spring

Don’t you love watching for the signs that show the turning of a season? In Autumn we get piles of fallen leaves and golden light; Winter brings holiday fun and (if you live in a colder climate than mine!) that first pristine snowfall; Spring arrives with daffodils…and the first Saturday with more neighborhood yard sales than you can get to.

And you know that any yard sale day that starts out like this is going to be a good one:

I’d been chatting with the couple at this sale, complimenting them on their exemplary signage, when I saw the wig on one of the tables. “This is much more likely to sell if you demonstrate it,” I said. The wife chimed in with, “You could go stand on the corner and flag people down.” Well, I don’t know if he went that far, but he donned the wig with no hesitation, and never batted an eye when I pulled out my camera.

Okay, I admit I didn’t mention my blog. But I don’t think he’d have cared a bit!

I headed from their place over to the part of town with all the neighborhood sales, stopping along the way to pick up newsletters about the upcoming garden tour. Three weeks from today! Aaagh! I’d better write fast and get outside to help my husband in the yard!

I do need to plant something I found this morning…in something else I found this morning! Have you ever seen an Aztec lily?

Evidently they grow well here. So well that the pot this lady had planted two bulbs in had multiplied to 32 bulbs! She was selling bags of 3 or 4 bulbs, but after we chatted a while she just gave me a bag. They like plenty of water, so I decided a pot would be better than the ground for them. And a few stops later I scored this for fifty cents.

Looks like stone, but it’s foam. So lightweight that when I first picked it up, thinking it was stone, it about flew out of my hands. It’s a nice size, 12” across, about 10” tall. Can’t wait to get those bulbs in it.

There were several nice pets along the way. This handsome kitty seemed to expect more than just admiration though.

Sweet Sammy was suffering from pollen allergies. She just wanted to nap in the sun.

Little Fergie though wanted to know everything about everyone on her driveway.

 

She is a very smart girl who knows several tricks. I got to admire her dance moves.

Then there were the inanimate animals. I thought this one did a brilliant job of advertising their box of toys!

And as for these cute Engelbreit Scotties…I couldn’t resist and brought them home.

Hope it works once I get a battery in there!

I feel like I was a total spendthrift today—ended up parting with $12.50! I found some future gifts.

 

Tried to resist, but the little guy in Santa’s pack just reeled me in. Can’t decide if it’s a teddy or a kitty.

I may try to sell this wonderful vintage pillowcase.

 

Look at the work on this thing. The central medallion is only about 3” across, so you can imagine how fine the thread is.

I picked up some movies

 

and fairly recent magazines.

I liked the bamboo pattern etched on these glasses. Tried to resist, but a dollar for four of them sealed that deal.

Turns out they are handblown pilsner glasses by Noritake, part of their Bamboo stemware line. A set of 6 like mine is for sale online for $39, so I guess I did okay. They came from a really nice lady. A couple of teenage girls were helping with her sale, and I figured they were her daughters. Especially when one was telling her about a college test she needed to send in the payment for, but she had to send a check and she only had cash, so could the mom write a check and she’d give her the cash. The mom said sure, then we started talking and it turned out this is a neighbor kid!

My last item of the day…well, I’m a little embarrassed to tell you. Especially when I admit I practically took it away from another guy who was looking at it. But his wife made him let me have it. “He doesn’t need it,” she told me. He looked wistful. But I hardened my heart. Because how could I resist a flying hamster?

Yup, it really flies. Drives the cat crazy. I love it.