charity shops and home

I have been away from the keyboard looking after a poorly son, post Hinchingbrooke hospital visit for asthma and pneumonia. He is ok now, and the hospital were great. I, however, am still getting up all night to check he is still breathing.

But onwards...I made a pledge to myself to be thrifty this year. (Hence the slowly evolving scrap quilt, right,which is the first and LAST I will ever sew completely by hand).This weeks' meal plan got three meals and a stock from a chicken, and the suet is coming out for those filling puddings. In part this is due to utter necessity, with spouse cutting down to 4 days a week and the general economic future looking less than shiny. But it's also down to a feeling that now we live in the back of beyond, with nary a posh shop in sight, it should be easier to cut back on unecessary spending and impulse buys, and live a tad more sustainably. To that end, I made a vow to try to buy all my clothing secondhand wherever possible, and to make do and mend in every possible circumstance. I also promised that I wouldn't buy anything that wasn't needed. This is made infinitely easier by not having a credit card or a card that works on the internet, necessitating a request to borrow spouses card if I want to buy anything. Asking "Can I have your card to buy myself this glittery frippery?" tends to keep one in check.

I hadn't counted on "needing" fripperies, but I do. Spouse and kids and I lived in rented houses for years that came with all the plates, knives etc, plus furniture. So when we moved into our own house, we purchased the sofa and entirely necessary stuff, but nothing flippant. We had no knick knacks, no ornaments. Aside from books and the usual crap kids make. And, I want some. But I promised not to buy any.

Except I modified my promise, and it now reads "except for a fiver a week at charity shops". I am blessed and cursed in equal measure in that Chatteris has no shops to browse in apart from charity shops, unless you count the newsagents. This is my booty thus far....

1950's Butlins moneybox. Probably the best find, I am tempted to sell it as I ebayed it and one came up for £25.00, but I like it too much I think. 90p from the shop.

Weird vase made of palm or something? and two glass receptacles that spouse says look like urinary sample bottles but I like, because in the morning they throw nice colours on the walls. 25p vase, quid the 2 bottles. Cambridge Ware vase and bowl, approx 1950's, 2 quid. I love these, they are of an age with our house and all wood is good, I think. You can see Ely cathedral from this window.

Portmeirion "Totem" coffee cups and saucers, X 12! For the princely sum of 3 quid the lot. Worth about 5-20 pounds each. Gosh! I am selling half, keeping half because they really are very nice things to have, I like to sip black coffee from them whilst surrounded by screaming children and feel a little bit 1960's. A Codd Bottle, probable 1850-ish, 10p. In negotiation with buyers of these things for some quite good money, any ebay funds will go to Hinchingbrooke hospital as a thanks for saving my blue-tinged boy.

A little pot for holding ailing parsley, 25p