Strategic Placement

Rain and rain and yet more rain. The weather gurus say we’re getting hammered with the tail end of a typhoon that hit Japan. Certainly glad I didn’t see the rest of it if this is the tail end! But do Oregonians let rain stop them from garaging?

Heck, no! I went to a grand total of two sales on Saturday. Spent a whole dollar, had some laughs. Take that, you storm.

Didn’t buy anything at the first sale, though I was tempted by the worm composting bin. Something I’ve wanted to try…but I’m afraid we might not have enough scraps to keep the worms fed. And I know how bad I’d feel if my worms got hungry. I’d probably be scrounging scraps from the neighbors. There’s a sure way to convince people you’re nuts – go door to door and ask for their vegie peelings. So I passed on the bin.

The lady having the sale was wearing a cute jacket she’d made from a sweatshirt and some Mary Engelbreit fabric. I complimented her on it and she told me her design strategy. “I wear these sweatshirts all the time, and you know how you’ll be eating something and you have a spill—”

“Right,” I nodded. “We always say, ‘What’s a cleavage for anyway?’”

She laughed. “That’s it. Well, when I get enough spots on a sweatshirt, I cut it open down the front, then sew patches over all the spots!”

 

Before I left the shelter of their garage and headed back into the storm, I had to admire their vintage chest freezer. Who knew that International Harvester ever made these babies?

Bet if you put wheels on it you’d be able to plow up the back forty.

She said everyone had commented on the IH logo. After a good look at the freezer I asked if everyone also commented that it looked like something you’d hide a body in. She said I was the first to come up with that. Well, heck, I write mysteries! Of course I’d think of hiding a body in it!

From there I headed a few blocks away to an estate sale in a little Forties house. Nothing much I wanted there, though I enjoyed poking around in the vintage sewing supplies. A little old lady came in that room and asked the young woman keeping an eye on things (you know how riotous it can get when there are vintage sewing supplies on hand) if there were any thimbles. Young woman pointed to a wooden display case with half a dozen thimbles, and the old lady cried, “Ask and ye shall receive!” “Yes, but not always that fast,” I commented. They both laughed. Then the young woman asked us what the thimbles are for. She’d never seen one in use! One of those moments that makes you feel old. In fact, I’m sure if she’s telling this story, she’s saying there were TWO old ladies who told her about thimbles!

My big purchase there was this Karen Rossi ornament. She had a Queen for a Day banner on, but I took that off. Now I’d say she looks like a Queen of Fifty cents!