Rural Treasures

"The address for the estate sale isn't showing up on the GPS," I told my husband, "maybe it's a new street. The directions said it was north of Ponca City, so maybe we can find it by looking for signs," I said hopefully.

We drove north of town, but we didn't see any of the familiar signs that always mark the location of our favorite estate sales. We were about to give up, until we tried a side road and spotted a sign.  This was in the country!  After another intersection and down a gravel road, we met a car and saw another one coming from a driveway.  "That's it!" I exclaimed.  

How picturesque, I thought, as an old-fashioned, white farmhouse came into view, nestled peacefully surrounded by trees and tall, green grass.  I couldn't wait to go inside.  First thing, I spotted a set of shiny copper pots and pans and accessories.  I already have a set at home that I use alongside my stainless steel set, but these would look so pretty beside them on the pot rack, even if I didn't use them much.  Besides, they were 25% off!

I tried to get my huband interested in a leather recliner, but being a furniture man, he said the price was too high and he didn't like the way it sat.  I wasn't tempted by much more, although it was fun to go up the handsome staircase and see the brightly painted and tastefully done bedrooms  with their slanted high ceilings.  I liked the hand-braided throw rugs, but I have lots of rugs. 

Then I noticed an unusual summer robe.  It was striped, like Joseph's coat of many colors, and I didn't know if it was for a man or woman, but the cut was nice with a yoke of horizonal stripes and with three-quarter sleeves.  It was marked $1 (well, 75 cents with the discount).  I couldn't wait to get home and wash it and put it on.

I snagged two floppy, straw sun hats (one for him and one for me) at $1.50 for both. Other than something Howard bought for the garage, and oh yes, a teflon baking pan,  we hadn't bought anything else, but touring the completely remodeled house was worth the visit.

"Has the house sold?" I wistfully asked  the cashier, when we were checking out.

"Oh, yes," she said, "to a young family with children.  They were just ecstatic about moving here."

I could see why.  Having those spacious bedrooms filled, children clambering down the stairs or sliding on the bannister, family gatherings in front of the huge, cast iron
heating stove in the den, enjoying the old-fashioned front porch or huge new wrap-around deck--these are things that make a home.

"It's just as well," I said to the cashier, "we probably would've only used two rooms if we  had bought it."  She laughed, but I felt a twinge of nostalgia for our own old country farmhouse where we had raised our children.  It didn't have an upstairs (we always talked about finishing the attic), but we made plenty of memories there.  May the new family be as blessed as we were!  (Oh yes, the robe is a Christian Dior and the copper is Benjamin & Medwin.)