April Foolery

You would have laughed at us driving to sales on Friday. Not because it was April Fool’s Day, but because we were all excited over spotting actual garage sale signs on corners. Yup, big neon-bright poster boards tacked up. It's the first weekend since winter began in earnest (translation: it started raining) we’ve seen this; it's been all estate sales for months. But now we’re starting to have days of sunshine, so the actual yard sales will begin to bloom again. Along with my yard!

I picked up half a dozen padded hangers from a free box and a few sewing notions at one sale.

The next place supplied a folding travel hair dryer for a buck. (You already know what those look like, right? Picture a nice new one – that’s right.) 

But the real fun came at the estate sale on the north end of town. It was run by the nice guys I saw at the grocery store one Christmas playing Santa by giving away money to folks who needed it. We enjoy their sales, even though the prices are often higher than we think is reasonable. But they have their pricing blind spots, and the biggie is textiles. And kitchen stuff.

Judy and I were rummaging through a box of miscellaneous kitchen gadgets that were a quarter apiece. I plucked this odd thing out of the box and we puzzled over what it might be. Maybe a wire top hat? I held it over Judy’s head. Nah. Wrong size!

Then I found another section 

and fit them together. Love those wooden feet.

I think it's the holder for a fondue pot, with a lidded cup to hold a Sterno can. Haven’t found any pictures of anything similar though, so who knows. It could hold a serving dish to stay warm on a buffet 

and it makes a dandy plant stand! 

Back in one of the bedrooms I found an embroidered tablecloth, and headed out to pay. Weldon was in conversation at the moment so as I waited to hand over a couple of bucks, I noticed the dumpster there on the driveway. With something pink and yellow sticking out. I poked at it, and discovered a handmade tufted rug, little tassels of cotton yarn stitched to a fabric background. I pulled it out. No stains or smells.

“Are you throwing this away?” I asked incredulously. Yeah, we always have to toss a lot of stuff, they said. I tried to keep from rolling my eyes, thinking you don’t throw away a perfectly good vintage rug until it's still there after the sale. We also pulled out an undamaged cotton & wool blanket that KK took home – it will be going on picnics with her and the grandkids this summer.

When I reached home I tossed my finds on the dining table as I always do. Mrs. Wilberforce immediately went for the tablecloth.

It washed up beautifully, and as soon as I put it back on the table, there she was again.

While she tried out the tablecloth, I tossed the rug on the floor to take a picture. That’s when I discovered the large bunny design on it.

Zoë discovered it at the same time. The bunny is just about as big as she is! 

And she settled right in on HER rug.

It washed and dried nicely too (well, there were some stray pieces of yarn in the lint trap!). And I put it on her favorite chair, where she is curled up even as we speak.

Those estate sale guys may not recognize quality textiles, but my pets do!