You got it where?

A few years ago, my husband’s boss was horrified that his daughter had gotten something from the dump. Apparently, he kept repeating over and over again. “She got it from the dump! Do you believe that? She got it from the dump.” I guess he imagined her climbing over piles of garbage, not just picking something up from a table where people put discards that are too nice to throw away. My husband was pretty amused by his boss’s disbelief as he was used to me occasionally bringing things home from the table at our regional recycling center. Here in Chicago, there is a table like that next to our dumpsters, and the other day, when I walked in the door, my husband suggested I go down and take a look at it.

And when I did, I saw why because there was a little house that clearly went with the ones on one of our Christmas house shelves. It’s the red one in the back. It was originally from World Market, and it still lights up!

I also took the white Santa on the left to add to the Santa display on one of our speakers. I’m not sure why that little mouse Santa I bought to peek out of my husband’s stocking last year looks so huge in this picture.

I don’t think I ever wrote about our best “dump” score. I couldn’t believe it when I saw this drum sitting on the table a few years ago. I left it there for a while, so someone who would actually play it would have a chance to see it. But when it was still there a few hours later,  I knew it belonged in our collection!

I don’t check the table constantly because I think that would lead to disappointment or perhaps to acquiring too much stuff. I think it’s more fun to just happen on the perfect thing occasionally!