Bring it on home

Achoo

Ahh, Spring!  Daylight saving time.  We've had the windows open during the day here.   I sneeze a little; soon I will sneeze a lot.  I apologize to everyone who lives where there is still ice and snow, really I do.  I don't make the weather.  

Here is an accurate diagram of Lillian's car, Pearl.  Pearl is old.  Pearl was my mother's car while Mom still drove, but she never went anywhere and thus Pearl doesn't have too many miles, which is probably the only reason why she hasn't completely fallen apart.  She has had some of her major organs replaced and needs new tires (the old ones have mostly disintegrated, as anyone who has tried to get too many summers out of a favorite swimsuit will attest). 

So my point here is that last Saturday I dragged Lillie out for a walk around the neighborhood and we made it about one block when we had to stop and dig through a box on the curb marked "Free!"  We scored a hand-crank ice cream maker, a framed needlepoint picture which matches my room, and a set of VHS tapes of the original three Star Wars movies.  We turned around and took those home.  I made her go back out, though, as two blocks round trip does not equal a walk.  

We made it two more blocks this time, and came upon some people piling junk in their driveway.  While this is not unusual around here, we took a chance and asked if a crap yard sale was in the offing.   The senior junk-piler said he had just cleaned out a storage unit and would probably have a sale pretty soon.  Both Lillie and I had spied a likely looking desk and offered $20 on the spot.  He agreed and we sprinted home to get Pearl, who is petite but has a large hatchback and can carry things like furniture.

Pearl is a helpy helper 

Lillie was so excited about the desk, and so tickled to have found it, that when she tried to hand the guy the twenty he waved her hand away.  He told two shirtless dudes who were hanging around to take the drawers out and wedge it into Pearl's behind, and we slowly drove the two blocks home.

Secretarial skillz, I has those

The funny thing is this one is the runty twin of a big old desk that has been in my mother's house since before I was born.  One top drawer folds out into a secretary's return (I'm sorry if you are too young to know what that is; ask your mother.)  The other side has slanted dividers (for typing paper, of course.)  One bottom drawer is extra deep for file folders.  

I bet your parents have one of these

It is solid wood, dove-tailed and sturdy.  It has some surface damage like water rings and minor scratches, but essentially it's great.  Especially at Free-Ninety-Nine!  Lillie has already started to sand it; the plan is Minwax Poly-Shades to darken it just a bit and make a nice hard finish. As soon as it's done, we'll show you how it looks!  If you look beyond the desk you can see the little mid-century tiered end table Lillie picked up at a crap driveway sale last weekend--it should look sly with a new finish.  Five dollah!

Pillows, I has them

Meanwhile, back inside the house, I made these pillows out of some cotton twill I found on deep discount at JoAnn (which is moving across town and clearing everything out.)  I put zippers in but didn't make liners--just stuffed them with polyfill from three ugly old  pillows (I don't why I have so many icky pillows.)  They came out really soft and bouncy!  Lillie took the two plum velveteen ones, which match her duvet.  Win/win.  These have just a hint of zebra, if zebras came in watermelon flavor.  

There are some changes coming around here.  Bit by bit.

I'll hold this down for you because I am a helpful helper

Close-up to avoid the junk piled on the floor