Minding the minutiae of the recently deceased.

The estate sale season is coming to an end. I suppose this means my Sundays will have to become more productive. Although, I did make enchiladas today. I did the dishes too--and I wasn't even avoiding anything! I don't mean to be self-congratulatory, but being proactive about dirty dishes (when there isn't some sort of deadline to be avoided) isn't really my strong suit. Anyway, I did make it to a couple estate sales. Without further ado...


An overview of my finds.

Item 1. Giant vintage picnic basket.
Item 2. Paul Bunyan postcard.
Item 3. 1930s ledger, blank.
Item 4. Metal tape measure.
Item 5. Handkerchief with ghost ship.
Item 6. Lot of vintage and antique postcards.
Item 666. A chandelier in pieces. (Actually, that would be Lot 666, and I was reminded, of course, because I just wrote lot. It doesn't take much. I'm pretty simple.)
Item 7. Two small square tablecloths, one embroidered and one printed with crazy Norsk flower names.
Item 8. Hem-Rite tool. It helps you hem stuff. Fabric. (I am determined to learn how to sew this winter. Very. Determined.)
Item 9: Gargantuan topographical map. (This thing is the size of my bed. For reals. I mean, it's a twin bed {because I'm obviously not an adult?}, but still. HUGE.)

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Bemidji is in Minnesota. Paul Bunyan lives there.

There's a ton of wilderness in the East Half of the Umatilla National Forest. I know because this map's national geodetic datum of 1929
told me. I think it's showing Oregon (the Umatilla covers WA and OR, right?), but I'd probably have to remember how to figure township
and range to be certain, and who wants to do that? Not me.

I won't be sending this to an uncle, dear or otherwise.

Right now, this is a ghost ship. I will make it a real ship!

One of the things I love about estate sales (other than going into a stranger's house, which I do love {but only under non-terrifying and voluntary circumstances}) is finding things that people have used often and loved and sometimes left unfinished. I'm all about the Umatilla map with the red circle drawn around the Keeney Mine and the big red X over S13-T8S-R33E (Township 8 South, Range 33 East, Section 13 {It is Oregon, the Willamette area, specifically.}). I will write those postcards. I will embroider that ship onto that handkerchief (and then I might turn it into a pillow, but that's my business).


I like the idea of picking up where a complete stranger left off. I like to think that these people (who are, most probably, recently deceased) would be pleased to have someone completing all these little tasks.

It's a little covenant between us.

Yes, let's.