Trash and Treasures? I gots 'em!

The goldenrod is blooming. The pine straw is littering the drive. The black gums are beginning to show their bright red leaves. A baker's dozen of cardinals came to feed at dusk yesterday. Today we have temps in the 70s and that old grump humidity is at 33%. This is weather I can live with. I was in California for two weeks; got back to the land of honey and magnolias late Monday evening. California was a hot and fiery place. Unseasonably hot. Seasonably fiery. A lovely place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

I arrived at Ontario airport with one suitcase. I checked two on my return trip. TSA left a kind note in my heavier bag. I don't think they disturbed the duct tape on the older one! Yes, I secured it with duct tape...you just never know when those locks are gonna pop and the Spanx explode all over the airport...plus various newspaper and bubble-wrapped treasures. I had a good time on my thrift circuit around Diamond Bar. Goodwill in Covina, Azusa, and Brea; Community Thrift on Arrow Highway; and one last thrifting trip down the coast as an excuse to get some really good guacamole. And a really nice Fiesta platter!

These are a few of the things I found during my excavations (yes, that's the correct word because I had to dig for a few of these items):

• Shulton Old Spice shaving mug
• Anchor Hocking Hobnail lamp base
• 2 Fire King Lustre punch mugs
• Tupperware pepper mill
• Anchor Hocking Forest Green short vase
• 2 interesting bottles for a bottle fiend that I personally know and love dearly who shall remain nameless!

These aren't the least of the neat things I found. Somewhere along the way I've become obsessed with red tartan plaid. It began with the vintage McGregor Scottish Drizzler windbreaker and has become a major neurosis. I think I'll take two aspirin now and call the shrink in the morning.

Homer Laughlin Oven Serve Pie Baker Pattern OS88

Some women's eyes sparkle at the mention of diamond baubles or gold jewelry. Me, I'm a bit more pedestrian than that. Old dinnerware does it for me. And, no, I wasn't a cheap date when I was 21 and cute as a bug. Now, it's a cheap piece of old American dinnerware that makes my eyes light up. Priorities change, people!

This 1930s Oven Serve 10-1/2 inch pie baker is almost pristine. I couldn't believe my good fortune when I picked it up from the trolley at one of my favorite resale shops. Bright, shiny, no utensil marks; excellent! As far as I can tell from my research, the pattern doesn't have a name but is only known as decoration OS88. I've darkened the bottom picture so that the beautiful embossed detail can be more easily seen.