A Productive Lunch Hour

Last week while at work, I decided to stretch my legs at lunchtime and walk over to the nearby Goodwill and Antique stores. Luckily, they are right around the corner from the hospital and when the weather is nice I love to get some exercise and fresh air whilst hunting down something for my studio.

It was a good day alright... at Goodwill, I found a small green wooden box sitting by itself on a table at the back of the store. I unclasped the $7.99 item and found it was an oil painting kit! Inside was a very nice set including mineral spirits and most of the tubes of oil paint never even opened. The box seemed rather heavy and the tubes set high inside, so I lifted off the tray they were sitting in to find an instruction book, an unused palette and a whole set, save 1 of UNUSED brushes in a second tray underneath! Not a bad find for $7.99!!!

I still had some time left so I went over to the Antique store. I don't usually find too many things there, but that day they were just packed with newly acquired items. On the floor near the door, propped up on a chair leg, was a large 16" X 13" photo album with black paper pages:

With that beaver on the front, it must be a Canadian album... I love the title: "Snaps and Scraps". I thought it was empty, but after a quick peruse (I had to get back to work), I found there were a couple of photos still in it! So I laid down the $15 for the album and got back to the office.

It was only when I got home and had time to really look at it, that I realized it probably was a Canadian's memory album from either a trip or when they lived in England. It had 112 photos and postcards still in it, most from around England and Scotland!

I had intended on using the album for my vintage postcards; so I think I shall reorganize it to keep the existing filled pages all together and use the many blank pages for my own vintage post card collection.

Now THAT was a great way to spend a lunch hour!