One More

Hooray! One last sale to go to in 2018!

Okay, it wasn’t actually much of an estate sale. I overheard one of the family running it tell someone it was the fourth sale they had held, which explained the largely empty rooms. I offered them three bucks for the three items I found which they took so fast I wished I had offered two!

I started upstairs, where I had to use the flashlight on my phone to get around. There must not have been a light bulb stronger than 20 watts anywhere in the house. My first find was just a whim.

I love the design of the embroidered patch, and for something with a date of 1954 it looks brand new. Half the fun of bringing stuff like this home is what you find out afterwards. Camp Pioneer, a Boy Scout camp about 2½ hours east of Salem, was founded in 1936 – and it's still there!

At first I thought this was a triangular head scarf, but now I realize it must have been a neckerchief.

There were any number of wool scarves in the various rooms; I think at least some of them were Pendletons, though none had a label. I resisted all (my scarf collection has gotten prodigious) until I came across this lined wool stole. 

It's about 7 feet long and possibly homemade; the side seams are machine sewn but both ends are hand stitched. I think what really got me to bring it home is the hand-knotted fringe. I'm always a sucker for a good detail.

Back downstairs, I came across what I assumed is a twin-size bedspread. I fell hard for the fabric.

When I tried it on a twin bed at home, I saw it's really an odd size. Very long, but not wide enough to hang over the sides very far. But in perfect condition. Maybe I'll drape it over the sofa or something. Or just hang it on a wall as art. And both sides are nice!

I met up with my buddy Judy while I was there, and we went out for a bit of breakfast afterward. We had a good chat (haven’t seen each other for a few weeks, those pesky holidays got in the way) and as we headed to our cars she remarked that it had made her feel so much better to have a sale to go to. We had to laugh at ourselves, because it's so true. We really don’t care if we find anything to buy (though it's great when we do). It's that lovely anticipation when you start out, having no idea what the day will bring.

I am wondering why I don’t bring that same anticipation to every day. After all, we never know what will come down the pike on any given day. We think we know, and of course lots of days go as expected. But certainly not all.

Ah, but here’s the difference. Going to all these sales rarely includes anything really negative. About the worst that happens is you encounter someone who is rude or unpleasant, or you buy something you regret. But you’re unlikely to have to deal with that unpleasant person ever again, and you probably spent so little on that unneeded item that your regret is minimal. And the good encounters and fabulous deals far outweigh the bad.

So maybe I should bring that attitude more into everyday life – view the unpleasant parts as not very important, and focus on the good parts. A good plan for a new year.

Or – maybe I should go thrifting every day?