Score!

I went to a couple of estate sales on Saturday and managed to glom onto some pretty good stuff. After leaving the house at 6:45 a.m. for the first one I was disappointed to have to leave empty handed. It was a bust. But there was another one that didn't open until 8:00 so I waited it out and it wasn't bad. When I first got there I thought I had hit paydirt right at the front door. I pounced onto a pile of stuff only to be told in a rather frosty tone, "Lady, that's my stuff that I just bought!" Well, how was I supposed to know? Slightly miffed, I entered the barn figuring that she had gotten all the good stuff. But I did get these great little wooden game pieces and a bunch of beads, a few old unmatched screwback earrings, little paper flowers, beads and whatnot. And the tiara! It will be perfect for Mozelle (my vintage mannequin I have stashed out in my Flower House). And the best part? It all cost me a whopping $1.85! Yay!

Estate sales are always a little troubling to me, however. I can't help but think that someday people will be going through all my things, turning them over, contemplating them, wondering why I kept this thing or another. Here will be a bunch of little inconsequential items to most folks, but to me they were the salt shaker I used ever since I bought it in the 1970's, the funny little ceramic apple container that was used for packets of Equal, the miniature glass mug the toothpicks were in, various handmade potholders and all that kind of thing. To a person who never spent any time in my home, they're just stuff. But to me, even though I didn't give them much thought, they made up the texture of my home. I'm sure my daughter will keep a few of them, but a person has to let go of some of those things. So maybe she will keep the salt shaker in her cupboard and when she takes it out to salt the water for pasta, she'll think of me.