Busy Weekend

Spring Cleaning is amazing.

In a Herculean effort, I packed 10 boxes of books and four bags of linens and clothes yesterday. I lifted nearly every book I own. It was ten boxes worth and there's still more. The house is trashed and the worst part is still ahead: schlepping this stuff to storage or to donate.

It feels great to clear this space, but it wore me out yesterday. I fell asleep on the couch. That never happens. By the time I lay down, I needed a two-hour nap in order to put myself to bed.

This morning I went to Home Depot to set up the storage unit I rented yesterday, bought more boxes and some newsprint while I was there. I need to pack the kitchen and my papers and get that stuff squared away in storage. Winter clothes too.

Pats called late morning and we went antiquing. I was feeling the good-shopping mojo, but the day got off to a slow start. We ended up crusing West on 72 almost to I-39, finding nothing in terms of antiques. On the way out though we stopped for a snack at the Chick 'N Dip in Hampshire, Illinois. It was in the low 80's today but windy once we got outside the suburbs. Pats had a hot dog, I had the first ice cream cone of the season: vanilla soft serve with a butterscotch dip.

After our drive we hit some antique shops in Elgin. Got some fun linens: a hand embroidered pillow case and a laundry bag, and a "new" linen dishtowel with a 1973 calendar on it. I've started to collect 70's linen dishtowels. They're cheap, abundant, and wildly varied. Oh, and useful too.

The best find of the day though was at 4pm --- when the last shop was closing right as we pulled in. Pats had seen a white bistro table with two chairs outside earlier, and I was able to grab the set! White wrought iron, and the two chairs have a red and white striped vinyl cushion and back. SO FRENCH! It's exactly what I wanted for that corner in the kitchen. They wanted a hundred, I got it for eighty. I'm keeping it forever. It's tiny, charming, and works both indoors and out. I'll get some pix to post.

So the country-drive-antiques-hunt was in fact successful, as I imagined, and the road therapy was just what I needed. I'm ready for the week.