All year long we save holiday donations for our holiday boutique held at the beginning of November. I confess that we were light on Hanukah this year, but we had Christmas stored in every corner. Upstairs, downstairs, understairs, boxes waited patiently for someone like The Geezer or me to haul them down and out.
I was slowed down a bit by the fall I’d taken earlier in the day, but I got the boxes out. Last year I helped set up, and last year there were other guys to help haul boxes. This year there was only the Geezer. He set up the trees, the ladies decorated. The boss moved the display stands, and the ladies decorated, unwrapped, built displays, and worked hard for their pot luck dinners.
In the very last box from the very last room were the Holiday books that I’d been saving all year long. From novels and songbooks, ornament making to knitting, and everything in between, one very big storage box was stuffed with books. I filled up two shelves in the big bookcases with just books for the holidays.
We have two organs. One is a Eastlake Edwardian charmer that’s foot pumped, and I filled its music rack with song books. The other is a 1960’s charmer, and it too looked ready for the holidays when we were done with it.
By dinner time, every nook and cranny of the store was red and green. By yesterday morning as the buyers arrived, the shelves began emptying fast. Let us hope that other holiday donations continue to come in so later in the season we still have something to offer our shoppers
Next year, tho, we will take the big refrigerator dolly with us. We are getting a little old for this.
Wow!!!! I'm impressed with your hard work and even more so with your generous spirit.
ReplyDeleteI am mightily impressed! There's no other word for it.
ReplyDeleteEvery year at holiday time I get so disgusted with people who are either primarily "gimme now" or else selling something to the "gimmes" that they really don't want but think they have to buy...
Any community that puts so much work into doing for others is like a balm to my wounded spirits.
You certainly know what the holidays are all about!
ReplyDeleteLike Kay, I'm impressed with your hard work and your generous spirit. America needs more volunteers like you and the Geezer. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat shop!!! Maggie, you and Geezer are just damn good people!!
ReplyDeleteAre those stacking Santas?!! Everything looks so festive -- a testimony to your hard work.
You are always an inspiration to me! Thank you for your sharing and your commitment. Love you much, hugs your way.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for your kindness, I must say you are a dear friend despite our distance. You make me smile, and I appreciate it more than I can say.
You and the Geezer are amazing. What a great service you perform.
ReplyDeleteMany Hugs
I am always so slow for the holidays. I am still of the mindset that Thanksgiving is early to start preparations. It looks as though I would be out of luck at your place. Your hard work shows. You did a great job. I imagine you slept well.
ReplyDeleteI sure hope G. got some special gift for all his lugging up and down of boxes. What a hard job. And what a tremendous amount of work and care you and the others went into setting it all up!
ReplyDeleteWhen I work at the charity shop, I am always struck at how much people buy. You'd think we'd all have enough. Especially, decorative stuff. Who needs more bops and babbles?
Not just us. There was a good sized cadre of not young ladies to do most of the work. Bravo to them!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDoes every thrift shop in America have at least one pink chair? I think it may be an unwritten rule.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour. I'm sure I'd be first in line to have visited this shop if I lived in southern California.
ReplyDelete