Snuff box

interesting wire tree I will bring up for Xmas. Last year due to the chaos of the move, I didn't set up a tree but I am hopeful I will have more time this year

these chickens will look good in the kitchen

ribbon frames at 50 cents per

not sure I love the rose drawing but I do love the matting

I know these are common but I have no idea what it is

my favorite buy: handpainted bird house table. Looks good in the flower room but it could go outside

snuff canister thrown in for free Steve says he hopes I didn't pay more than 3 cents for it. No worries

top of the bird house table

Yeah I know, I need to buy other people's junk like I need a hole in my head. I didn't pay more than $20 total in my defense. A man along my running route buys up small estates and remarkets things in biweekly 'barn sales'. I saw this table for $20 when I took a break, asked him to hold it for me (he knows me) and said I'd pay ten. He said twelve and he'd give me a snuff box. Fine.

Meanwhile, back in our hood, there was an actual garage sale at the house of the HOA person. Hmmm. A few months back, we got a letter saying that our yard violated the HOA rules because one could see grass clippings and that we should read the HOA rules, a very boring 80 page document that had a few interesting points. Well I finally read it. Nothing about grass clippings though there was something about tidy landscaping. The HOA person just happens to have a lawn service company that has a contract to landscape the common areas. He also showed up offering to do our lawn at a very high price. Funny point: our mailboxes all have to match (there is a mailbox that looks like an airplane). But it says we could only have 2 days of garage sales if it was associated with a move. HOA person has 3 days of garage sales and won't move until next year.

I had spoken to a neighbor about this letter asking if anyone has been ever fined. No they haven't but people get letters all the time. He got one for having rocks in his drainage ditch and for drying his duck blind in his back yard for just a day. At one point, they set up a kiddie pool in their driveway. Instant letter.

I did buy some very inexpensive frames from Mrs. HOA and my splurge, the Smith and Hawken (overpriced brand) X-mas tree that once went for $90. Much less now. I might go back for some already lit cheap Xmas trees.

I waited for a while to run in the mist and later, it dried up enough for us to do yard work at the old house. After 2 weeks of inactivity, we have a viewing today. All this rain has made everything, especially weeds overgrow and now I have a very mild case of poison ivy.

Lots to do.