Since we have another VERY EXCITING houseconcert coming up (this one with fiddle and mandolin wiz, Jake Armerding), today was a kind of get-ready day. Bo and I did some shopping, first to the local thrift store.
I had kind of started losing faith in the thrift store, because their book prices have recently increased. Kind of a bummer. I used to go in and buy a stack of books for our schooling for .50 and .25 each, and now they're individually marked. There was a Shakespeare that I've really wanted, and it was marked $3.00. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I passed up an annotated Sherlock Holmes set because I only had a few quarters in my pocket, and they were a dollar apiece. So I don't go out with armloads of books like I used to, but I still do get to find treasures now and then.
Today, I found a lamp for Monet's room. It was a little more than I wanted to pay, but he's been asking for one, and we likely won't do Christmas gifts this year, with the exception of whatever I can thrift. He needs the lamp now, so I didn't wait. I also found a little alarm clock that will be very nice for us. We're currently sharing one between us all! If someone needs an alarm clock, we unplug and reset. This is a cute little vintage wind-up clock, so no unplugging is necessary, no resetting. Nice.
But the real bargain was this: a bottle capper! We've been trying to get things together to make our own sodas--ginger brew, root beer, apple brew, whatever. I have the bottles, which were donated to me by a friend, but I didn't have the capper. While talking to a friend who works at the thrift store, I happened to catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, and it was ...a bottle capper! At $4, it wasn't much cheaper than eBay, which has one just like it for $4.99, but I saved on shipping, though the caps are included in the one on eBay. I can't wait to get some caps and start brewing!
Actually, the realio trulio bargain was 10 gallons of whole milk, and I do mean whole, whole, whole. I love watching Bo fill the bottles from the great big tank, loading them into the car, filling up my fridge, straining the cream off the top, drinking very , very yummy organic, raw milk, complete with all of the bacteria our bodies need to fight the nasty allergies our culture has begun developing since we started pasteurizing everything.
We spent the evening making homemade potato chips, playing various instruments--Bard played piano very nicely, and working with Flash animation (that's Monet's new thing, given to us by a friend).
Oh! And I had fun perusing through my stack of Country Living and Country Home magazines that I got for .10 a piece at the thrift. Excellent! Lots of great ideas.
In the morning, we will be visiting a new church with friends. I'm really looking forward to this new experience.
And with that, it's time for bed. Bless your socks, friend!
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