Field Trips

“Everybody needs one of these,” the guy assured me. He pulled a metal plate out of the toaster he was selling that would brand ‘Luv You’ onto your bread.

“Mmmm, I don’t think I want to get that familiar with something I’m about to eat,” I told him. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been a vegetarian for forty plus years. I did however buy this food thermometer.

Won’t be using it in any meat; it’s to check the temp of the hot wax I’ve been melting in the small Crockpot I picked up a few weeks ago for treating my hands. You definitely do not want the wax too hot when you slather it on!

Judy and I headed for West Salem on Friday since there wasn’t much going on in our part of town. We felt like we were on a field trip since we had to cross the river to get there, and it was fun to be in a different part of town. Except we both noticed, when we got into the neighborhoods over there, they looked just like our usual South Salem haunts. Except for the house with the estate sale – it had at least an acre of yard. A great midcentury rancher with a starburst escutcheon on the front doorknob, and a pull-down fixture over the dining room table that we both lusted after.

We also lusted for the Heywood-Wakefield living room tables that were scooped up by another woman while we were looking at them. Sigh. And I quite liked the curved sectional sofa, but when I showed my husband the picture I snapped

he took one look and said, “But it’s white. We don’t live a white sofa lifestyle.” And I have to admit he’s right!

My purchases on Friday totaled two bucks. Along with the thermometer I came home with three packs of white index cards (handy for grocery lists and notes) and a Christmas ornament.

“When my daughter was born,” the guy having the sale told us, “she had red hair, so her uncle started calling her Ladybug. So everybody gave her ladybugs for years. But she’s just gotten married, so she’s giving up some of them.”

On Saturday my friend Toni and her mom, Billie, came out with me. I swear, they are the best good luck charms – I found several fun things. One of them is for Toni. She was chuckling over this lighted leash

so of course I had to get it for her. Perfect for taking her dog Xanadu out for that last trip in the dark before bedtime.

At the same sale there were several wind chimes hanging up that were for sale. Toni and I tried them all (I can never pass a chime without hearing what it sounds like) and I fell in love with this rusty old bell.

 

It has a wonderful mellow ring. I even love the rust!

And there was a cute hooked rug marked fifty cents, so it came home with me. As soon as I put it on the floor, Zoe came to check it out.

 

She loves it. I just hope she doesn’t decide to chew on the corners!

Speaking of Miss Z, she has another new collar.

When I asked how much it was, the lady said, “Oh, free…if it’s for a special dog.” I assured her that Zoe is very special indeed. Bought this nice pot there (not free, but only a dollar).

I think I’ll plant some of the coleus sprigs in it that I’ve been rooting.

 

I’ve been looking for weights in various sizes at my husband’s request, and was happy to find a pair of ten-pounders for a buck (hey, when was the last time you bought ten pounds of anything for a dollar?).

 

And how could I pass these up when they had my name on them?

And for fifty cents, I picked up some awfully cute shoes. Perfect for next summer with denim capris.

One sale had an amazing amount of stuff, with some pretty amazing prices. I picked up this puppy

 

because I sold a similar one last year and figured I might be able to do it again if the price were right. Are you ready? Fifty cents. Yup, vintage Pyrex bowl and stand, fifty cents. Then I saw a handwritten note on a white garment and stopped to peruse (I’m a total sucker for handwritten notes). It said this was the uniform she wore in the 20s working in the Dover, Oklahoma grocery store. The lady having the sale came over and told me her aunt had worn it in the grocery she and her husband had owned. “Can you imagine anyone now wearing a white uniform to work in a store?” she said. Underneath the dress was this picture

   

which I instantly fell in love with. She went on to tell me the whole history of her aunt and uncle. Uncle William was also a Methodist minister

and Aunt Cora taught piano lessons.

Isn’t this a charming way to have a portrait made? I like it much better than the usual face-front head shot; the setting in their living room gives a whole story. (Don’t you LOVE Aunt Cora’s cool piano bench?)

In fact, the whole room is great. I’m thinking late Forties probably. The book Uncle William is reading was published in 1945. So I bought the picture for a quarter and have adopted them as my own aunt and uncle. The seller said she has many, many more pictures of them. I’ll keep an eye out for a nice frame and upgrade them soon.

Just one more thing I love about garaging – you can go out and find new ancestors!