Saturday, October 26, 2013

All Good Things

I am dreaming over a pair of Privo MaryJanes in a shoe catalog. "Wait!" says my friend. "Let's check the Good Will bin first."

Privos? At Good Will? In my size? Nah.

Guess what's in my closet!

Hardly worn!
I lust after a very pricey mattelasse daybed cover and bedskirt at Pottery Barn. "Wait!" says my landlady. I have..." She runs out the door and comes back minutes later with a mattelasse cover and a deep, double ruffle bed skirt. "...these!" she finishes, out of breath.

The bedskirt has a mushroom ruffle trimmed with cream colored fringe that just matches the cover. Washed and pressed, my second-hand daybed and previously owned coverings look brand new.

An entire living room change for a fraction of the price of new.


"What? No photos with your blogpost?" bemoans a friend who lives far away. "My camera's broken," I tell her, "but I'm saving for a new one."

"Wait!" she says. "I have a second camera I never use. I'll package it up and send it to you." It arrives in the mail, still in its original packaging, brand new and unused until today!

A new, new camera!

I tell my neighbor I am headed off to pick apples at a local U-Pick place. "Wait!" she says. "There are more apples on my trees than I can use this year. Help yourself!"

I grab a basket and fill it in minutes. Four quarts of apple sauce and three bags of pie filling are in my freezer now. There's also a bowl of snacking apples.

The best for last.


All good things come to those who wait.



14 comments:

Brian Miller said...

smiles...pretty cool when people live life together....giving what they have to one another when they have enough...what if we all lived like that? smiles.

Tabor said...

I love this post and this is so much what it is all about. Finding things we have that are extras and accepting the bounty of others. Did I say I love this post?

Wisewebwoman said...

I absolutely love your living room and the Mary Janes and the....

I call this manifestation.

XO
WWW

Pauline said...

Brian - I grew up this way. Our family always shared with other family, friends, neighbors. My sisters say I am frugal; I call it sensible!

Tabor - I love how my little cottage looks and it didn't cost a fortune that I don't have. In return, I gave various neighbors and family and friends the pieces of furniture that the daybed replaced. It all works out beautifully.

WWB - it is manifestation of a sort. II do imagine things that i want but then I keep my eyes and ears open and I'm not adverse to second hand items... wait long enough and what you need shows up.

Out on the prairie said...

lots of good luck for you

Marc Leavitt said...

Pauline:

What good luck! Your room is beautiful; don't wear out your shoes too soon.

When I moved into my flat a decade ago, I was short of cash, so I made sure to notice what tenants were leaving behind for collection by the side of the rubbish bins when their leases were up at the end of each month.

I retrieved a perfectly-new microwave, a long,low French Provincial side table, on which to display two large spider plants under my bedroom window, two sturdy Windsor side chairs, a two-shelf bookcase, an ergonomic chair, a raided rug for my living room, and a beautful plain three-quarter-length solid oak-framed mirror which I hung over my chest of drawers.

I was very happy with my acquisitions, but something was still missing.

I wanted a small triangular standing display/bookcase for a corner in my hallway, and a narrow three-shelf bookcase for an empty space next to the sliding door off my balcony.

I could visualize both pieces, but I tucked the images away for the future.

Within a month, both pieces were in my flat.

Mind over matter?

Sometimes it's more important to enjoy good fortune than to ask the reason why.

Maggid said...

Life - the way it was Intended to be.

Thank you for sharing this.
Love & Love to YOU!

molly said...

Proving you don't have to be a millionaire. Good karma helps and I'm sure you've got it to spare!

Pauline said...

OOTP - I believe we make our own luck :)

Marc - we're birds of a feather!

Thanks, Maggid - it is a form of love, isn't it.

Molly - karma or not, whatever it is, I love the way it works!

A Cuban In London said...

Love the Guinness quote at the end. Strange that I am teetotal and yet I love, absolutely adore Guinness ads. By the way, those shoes are pretty cool.

Greetings from London.

Heather said...

Hi Pauline! I wanted to know if you would be able to answer my question about your blog! My name is Heather and my email is Lifesabanquet1(at)gmail(dot)com :-)

Anonymous said...

I love this post! I rarely buy anything new, but you totally outdid me here! This reads like a children's story... perfect timing!

Pauline said...

Cuban - I had to go watch the Guiness ads!

Barbara - Now and then I splurge on new but mostly on smaller items. Even my car is second hand!

Hilary said...

I love serendipity. I think everyone knows how very much you appreciate what you have and what you acquire.