Home on the rave!

I’m back!  I’ve been away in Fredericton on yet another conference.   The best part of the stay was dinner with my grandson Addison and his wife Kaytlyn at the Diplomat.   Kaytlyn’s mom owns a lovely tea shop  Trinitea’s Cup in downtown Fredericton. Hi Lynn!

My only purchase was a bag of fabric from Value Village, to add to my meagre supply of quilting fabric (wink,wink).   On my way home, I stopped at the local used clothing store to find two oversized garbage bags full of fabric put aside  for me at a cost of $10. a bag.   I’m known to the staff as the “quilting lady”.  Of course I purchased both bags.  After I sorted and removed any fabric suitable for quilts including Laura Ashley and VIP prints, I called my friend Jennifer.  She sorted through the remaining knits, velvets, linens and fleece.   Some she took for sewing projects, the rest she took for a fellow student who is presenting a Shakespearian play as her final class project.  One tiny bag of heavy upholstrey fabric was taken to the Salvation Army. 

I refuse to pay full price for anything.  I recycle, reuse, rebuy.   The majority of our clothing comes from the local used clothing store, the Salvation Army or yard sales.   It gives me a thrill to be wearing Land’s End, Ralph Lauren, Gap, etc. knowing that I paid a fraction of the original price.  Actually it is recycling at its best.   When I’m tired of the item, it goes into the blue plastic bags I usually solely for donations to the Salvation Army.   So it annoys me to no end when other people throw items in the garbage that could be donated to the Sally Anne or the local church. 

The 93 year old gentleman at the end of our street passed away a month ago.  For the past 3 weeks his heirs have been piling the curb side high with his belongings.    I know the family can’t keep everything but at least have the decency to give his belongings to someone who could use them.   On my way to work the other morning, it did not bother me at all, to stop and retrieve two wooden chairs from the pile.

When I lived in Saint John I enjoyed Spring Clean Up week.    Unwanted items are hauled to the curb at least five days before and left to be picked over by whom wanted them.   By the time the trucks arrived on your street for pick up, you would be embarrassed if there was anything still left at the curb.