new used stuff

old red day lily rescued from the back yard last fall. 

Morning sketch of the red day lily. 

I went last week to visit Mom in Manassas for a couple days and since she had been away for a few weeks and my car was in the shop for a few more it's been a long time coming. I was excited to see how she was and how the garden was doing in Manassas since it went unattended for a long spell when she was out of town.  Things looked good but a few were lost due to a few extremely hot days unseasonal for May. The fun thing to see was the old red day lily that I found last summer and potted up was happy and blooming. I used it as a subject for my sketch that morning on the porch. I love the shape of the petals of these exotic day lilies.
Keith and I have been on a diet recently and we have done well with getting to our goals.
I found that about half way to my goal that many of my clothes are so baggy now that I feel kind of uncomfortable going out in them. So this visit to Manassas where there are at least four second hand stores that sell used items to raise money for charity was the perfect place to shop for some interim britches at a bargin price. We set out first to the local Good Will and found some great pale yellow Columbia brand bermuda shorts just the right size for the interim.  I also spotted a set of little pressed glass bowls with handles and a cut glass design I liked but left behind, after all I had two days to think about if I really liked them enough to bring them home. It happens they do a 20% discount on Tuesdays so I got my shorts for cheaper than usual.
Then we swung by a new place where Mom found a soft black leather purse that seemed to be new for about $4 but not much else. Wednesday is discount day at the Salvation Army stores where they give a 25% discount all day on everything. So we headed up there and I found a couple pairs of light colored kaki pants and Mom noticed a lovely unfinished wooden bowl set for tossing and serving salads. I have been dreaming about having one for years. It is because of the years I lived with Harry and George, they had a big v shaped wooden bowl, it was made without shellac or urethane coating the wood but I didn't realize this was such a hard thing to buy inexpensively. They last for centuries so it makes sense people hang on to them when they get one seasoned with olive oils.

 I tried them out yesterday and they are perfect. Just what I had wanted for our summer salad tossing with lemon herb dressings. Being on a diet, our food and the presentation have been much more important to me than usual. We have lots of cool dishes and food tastes even better if it is put together in some pleasing way on a nice old bowl or plate.
Funny thing I guess but it really makes my meal feel more delicious somehow. I was hunting also for used 15 pound dumb bells to do bicep curls at these thrift stores. I saw only one set of 5 pounders which is too light for me now. Thursday morning we went downtown Manassas to the farmers market where we saw potter Jason Alexander buying farm fresh eggs and chicken. He paid my beard a complement " Frederick, I love the beard, it is really working the artist look". I got a chicken on his recommendation and brought it home to roast with lemon, tarragon and garlic. At the Prince William Pink Ladies Thrift Store by the farmer's market was my last stop to look for used dumb bells, they had none but I found a nice Columbia swim suit and a beautiful green linen shirt in just the right sizes. Now I was ready to go home after we went to the sporting goods store and to buy new 15 pound dumb bells but they work just fine and were on special too. Car gassed up with discount gas from Giant Food bonus points at Shell where I saved 50¢ a gallon. Then I thought oh those pressed glass bowls just will not stop haunting me I better stop and see if they are still available. Said good by to Mom and thanked her for a fun visit then swung by the Good Will shop and there they were 5 for 99¢ each. I took them all and have been enjoying making fat and sugar free pudding and jello in them ever since I got them home.

I like the way that textured glass feels in my hands. 

Keith says they remind him of the bowls his great grandmother used to serve him home canned stewed tomatoes in for a snack as a kid. He thinks she got them from the detergent box or cereal during the depression.