Shop Till We Drop

One tiny bit of the kitchen counter.

Saturday:  This wasn’t a big house, but it was a gigantic garage sale.  Two weeks of it, in fact.  It was the biggest we had seen in years.  She had miles of books in storage, acres of Christmas stuff in storage, and kitchen things by the hectare.  Duplicates of everything…even two big old white electric roasters.  We were amazed enough that we went back two weekends in a row.  He bought that tiny Pyrex baking dish above, and I found ¾ of a yard of plain white fabric in which to wrap my antique huipil.  (I left it stored in plastic and it got badly stained.)

He went to work and I puttered.  I like puttering.  I even got in a nap.

Sunday:  I wanted to find a replacement for my too giant navy blue dress slacks.  He needed a new blue coat or blazer for his smaller self.  I’d already looked in the usual places.  He wanted to go try the Discovery Shop in Ranch Bernardo.  This day we first did Goodwill with its lines of beautiful colorized clothes.  Then we did the not very full Rock Church store before lunch.

No blue pants, and no blue coat.

An hour’s inland drive found our arrival timed just as the store opened.  They were wonderfully enthusiastic to see us from another shop.  Their store was richly decorated and flat out luscious.   They gave us a tour back stage where they have three times the room for sorting and storage that we do.  They have a hall art gallery, an incoming donation area, a book sorting area with a comfy chair, as well as acres of storage for the upcoming events.   

I was really amazed and impressed with the charm as well as the usefulness of their space.  No blue pants or blue blazer.  He bought me a beautiful necklace with agates and carnelians for 8 dollars.

I had suggested JC Penney’s and we drove back to the one nearest the house.  They were having a sale.  Pants were 9 bucks.  Blazers were 42.  He searched the men’s department for two hours leaving me wondering why I didn’t bring a book.  I did find a chair, and I dragged it around so I could watch him dig through the racks.  You would have laughed except….the sales lady gave us 35% more off if we got a credit card.  I hang my head…we got another credit card.  He got three pair of pants, and a suit for 70 bucks.

Ah, the disadvantages of losing weight.

A fragment of the back yard…Christmas stuff in the shed, metals and baskets to the left, and a full garage to the right.  A half full house behind me.

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Himself:  Still nine some hours a day.  Gym first.

Herself:  Got Christmas shopping mostly done.  No work on the quilt.  Very discouraged by all the diabetes information and cookbooks.  Ate a muffin and a half a hamburger bun yesterday.  Today is pool, laundry while writing this, menu planning and grocery shopping, then lunch.

52 Week House Reorganization:  Printed out all the inventory forms and have all the pictures.

Reading:  Silva.

Gratitudes:  That I am not pooped at nine thirty.