One
of my favorite things is to go on adventures.
And…to have them turn into ones with added bonuses…over-the-top fun,
fun, fun! Some of my best adventures are
the ones where I explore swap meets, thrift stores or garage sales, never quite
knowing what to expect or what treasures I may find. But one thing I do know is that these
activities bring out a giddy little girl enthusiasm where my eyes sparkle with
delight and I feel as bouncy and energized as Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.
Yesterday,
I got to partake of my thrift store adventure fun. It all began with my accompanying a friend to
go and pick up a vacuum cleaner. That
went well and fine. My friend now the
proud owner of a lovely Dyson vacuum cleaner that works perfectly and fulfills
their needs.
Later
in the day, some friends and I decided to track down a different thrift store
I’d heard hosted a wealth of all sorts of treasures. Going into the store, I wasn’t too impressed
with the smaller size of the store, though there were lots of fun items to
behold. My friends and I had a great
time sifting through things, many of which took us on jogs down memory lane.
When
I go on thrift store adventures, it’s not like I enter with a concrete list of
items I’m seeking. Instead, I know of
things that would be nice and leave my mind open and eyes free to wander the
shelves to see what trinkets might jump out at me. Several did so with yesterday’s explorations.
One
of my friends had been wanting Pyrex measuring cups of one, two and also
four-cup capacities. Those are super
rare finds at thrift stores, which makes them fun items to be on a quest for,
since looking for them makes ones eyes scan the shelves with extra
scrutiny.
I
was beyond thrilled when I found a four-cup Pyrex measurer. It in hand, I bounded over to my friend with
the same enthusiasm Tigger would have.
My friend was as excited as I was.
Going back to where I’d let off searching aisles, a few minutes later, I
couldn’t believe my eyes when a one and then two-cup Pyrex measurers popped into
view.
A
life-long thrift store shopper, I knew better than to walk away from them to go
fetch my friend, so I snatched up the items and again bounded over to the
friend, a wide grin of victory on my face.
This time my friend was floored at our good luck and my eagle eyes at
spotting hard-to-see items on the shelf that have a tendency to blend in.
Just
prior to mounting the stairs to enter the store when we arrived, I’d noticed a
shipment of donated items that staff members were sifting through. One of those had been a brand-new area rug
that was still on its original heavy cardboard tube. I’d made a mental note to ask about it once
inside the store. And that I did. I was told that the items I’d seen had been
donated but wouldn’t be sold. Disappointed,
I was surprised a moment later when the employee informed me that since the
items had been donated, but weren’t ones they thought they could sell, there
not being enough room in the store, that the items were up for grabs by anyone
after the store closed. I was stunned
and my eyes twirled with unbridled enthusiasm of yet another adventure about to
unfold.
Not
long after, my friends and I made our purchases and then left the store just
prior to it closing. We placed our items
in our car and then went to take a look at the rug I’d seen earlier. Much to our delight, there was an
unprecedented crop of items that were to be tossed out. We couldn’t figure any reason why the items
were being tossed by the thrift store but were grateful that the manager had
let us know of their existence and availability for the taking.
Others
people showed up by the pile of items, undoubtedly aware of how the thrift
store discarded things every night. I
ended up getting the rug, fascinated with my catch. Another of my friends scored on a lovely Lane
Bryant cedar hope chest. And then there
was the surplus of perfectly good Pyrex, assorted, nesting bowls and also
baking dishes that still more of my friends loaded up on to stock their
kitchens.
Earlier
in the day, I’d come across an adorable stuffed zebra that looked brand
new. Since I’m a huge fan of zebras, and
it was less than a dollar, I got it. My
friends and I came up with the name Lucky, since I’d found the zebra while with
my friend who purchased the vacuum. By the
end of the night, all of us were rubbing Lucky’s head as if he was the most
incredible lucky rabbit’s foot, still unable to believe our good fortune with
the to-be-discarded items outside our last thrift store stop of the night.
One just never knows what
treasures they may find. And oft,
they’re plopped right in our laps…if only we’re willing to have an open mind to
the possibilities. Course, I still think
Lucky the zebra may have had something to do with all our good luck…. : -)
