ONE WOMAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER'S TREASURE

(Click on the picture to see a close-up)

I guess today was my lucky day. This morning I met with some church women for our weekly sewing group. We usually talk and visit more than we sew, but it's a nice group of women and I enjoy being with them. On my way home from there, I was thinking about how I was going to call my "long lost cousin", Jeanette (see the story in an older post), to tell her HAPPY BIRTHDAY - I hope you had a good day, Cuzin - and as I turned off the road on which my church is located, I spied a beautiful Americana basket with something quilt-like in it sitting near the curb, next to two metal trash cans. I knew trash would be collected on Thursday in that neighborhood, not Wednesday, and that house was the only one with trash set out already. I drove on past and picked up a sandwich at Wendy's, but turned the van around and went back to investigate the basket.

Of course I tried to be non-chalant, so I wouldn't draw attention to myself. I pulled over, put on my safety flashers, and pretended I was going to walk up the driveway. I surely didn't want anyone to think I was going to pick through the trash, even though that's exactly what it appeared I would be doing.

Please note that I never pick through anyone's trash - ever. But, this was just too tempting to ignore. I sacheted over to the basket and saw it was a nice one, showing some wear, but it still had a store tag attached. Then I saw what the quilt-like item was - a beautiful pillow sham! Why would someone throw out something like that? I was puzzled, but I put the basket and sham inside the van and drove home.

I unloaded the basket while I was in the garage since one never knows what she might find when picking through trash, and note again, that I NEVER do that - ever. Today was simply an exception. (*v*) . I was amazed to find other items inside the ample basket that seemed like a bottomless pit. I still cannot fathom why someone would throw out such nice things, especially when a Goodwill store sits not more than a block and a half away from her house. Here's a list of what I found:

1 large woven Americana basket - fairly good condition

2 full/queen size pillow shams - excellent condition

4 flag placemats in excellent condition

1 ceramic pot in excellent condition

1 clock (yes I said clock) with the batteries still in it - excellent

2 Americana photo frames that appear new

1 wooden plaque on which is painted, "USA" - perfect condition

Did I hit the jackpot or what? Most likely I will not use all those things (so much for downsizing, right?), but my church is already collecting for the fall bazaar and would welcome the donation of gently used items for Grandma's Attic - or, I could pack up the treasures and drop them off at Goodwill. How much better for someone to be able to buy and use them, then for the items to be crushed in a trash truck?