OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...lookie what I found!!

I love garage sales. It’s an interesting look at all the crap people consider useless in their lives. So far this year, one of my favorite sales has been that of an old lady who was clearing out all her knick-knacks. She seemed so happy to be ridding her life of unnecessary clutter. We spent some time discussing the weather, the unusual occurrence of men at her sale (we called it the Antiques Roadshow syndrome) and my daughter’s fascination in her tea cup collection. . I bought a couple of pieces of costume jewlery. They will be a nice memento of an afternoon chat with a stranger.

I also use garage sales to get my cookbook fix. So far, I have found a well worn Julia Child book ($.25) and a 1964 edition of The Joy of Cooking ($.50). Being obsessed with The Joy of Cooking (in more ways than one), I now own four different editions: a1946, a 1964, a 1976 and a 1997. Why so many, you ask? I like to see the continuity. The 1997 edition is so…PC. More ethnic dishes, more low fat, more vegetarian. It does fit today’s American palate, but my family is not a typical family so I use the 1975 edition more than any other.

Other things I like to buy at garage sales are:

• Pyrex nesting bowls
• Fireking bake ware
• Muffin tins
• Cast iron skillets
• Interesting dinnerware
• Unusual linens
• Old board games (another one of my hobbies)

My house is slowly filling up with crap. I inherited all my mom’s accumulation of stuff: pressed glass serving platters, pressed glass deviled egg platters (starting to see a trend?), pressed glass bowls, pressed glass salt and pepper shakers, jelly jars (only some are pressed glass), cast iron skillets, plates, glasses plus tons more. Mom was a packrat and so am I. One day, I will be able to dump my ever growing collection of crap on my daughter. And boy, won’t she be grateful.
“Mom, I don’t make deviled eggs!”
“Shut the hell up and take it. It belonged to your grandmother!”