Well, what a day yesterday was! I went to SAVERS for the first time. I love thrifting. I often go to the Salvation Army Store in Saugus, MA and to the Lifebridge Thrift Store in Salem, MA and any others I pass by when I have a little time. Not too much of that going on these days to be honest. Yesterday, I forced Dan, my husband for those who do not know, to come with me after work to the Salvation Army Thrift Store. I was looking for quilts for CAMP DIRT. I found one! But nothing else of value for camp. There were some beautiful crystal goblets that reminded me of some my mother – she had taste - had when I was a kid, but those would hardly be useful at a camp called Dirt. I bought the quilt it will go nicely in one of the wall tents or the bedroom in the structure when it is completed. So now I have three quilts, two from Facebook Marketplace and one from the Salvation Army Thrift Store. All of them smelled weird, so they were washed, each twice in lilac laundry detergent and dried on a super, hot setting. I will have to sniff them again in a week and see if they need a third wash! – for now they are in a black plastic tub on hold and waiting for sheets and pillows (those will be NEW, albeit inexpensive) to accompany them, and new mattresses and bed frames to put them on. I will continue the hunt for bedside tables and lamps, small bureaus and big baskets to hold children’s toys and the like and all the other things that make even a wall tent feel cozy, homey and happy.
At SAVERS though, I found 4 bank chairs!!!! I am so excited! They were filthy, rotten, dirty and scattered all over the furniture area, of which they had much less than I expected. When I realized there were 4, I was elated! Thankfully, Dan was there to pluck them all off the pile and we each dragged two of them to the register, which is mostly self-check-out and works amazingly well. We had my car, so, of course we looked like the Clampetts on the way home (Let me tell you a story bout a camp named Dirt…) but I am excited to refurbish them for the eat-in kitchen area (which of course it slated to be the LAST area we make work- oh well). I also found a fantastic pillow for one of the beds. I might selfishly keep it for me; my girls have both said they do not care what their wall tent bedrooms look like and I absolutely care! That pillow will sit in the shed until I figure out how to be sure it is clean. It looks clean, but is it really clean? Not sure. Hey, Toomey’s Cleansers, I might be seeing you a lot in the next few months.
As I mentioned, Camp Dirt needs a lot. Windows, new – level – floors, a toilet that does not wiggle when you sit, a new on-demand propane water heater, paint, a new propane stove, two 12 x 14 four-season wall tents on platforms, all the furniture, and so much more! We already bought a new grill it was the cheapest one at Lowe’s, and on Facebook Marketplace we got a really fancy 36” Blackstone Griddle and a couch and two chairs, for very little money. The griddle is nicer than the one we have at home! The fridge works, and the sink works, but the kitchen setup could be better and the vibe could be less dreary. I have a vision and 8 months to gather the stuff I need to bring that vision to life. Then, Dan has the month of May 2026 to begin renovation. It will, for sure, not be completed and perfect, but I have faith he can make huge improvements in a month’s time. NOTE: we can only build and make noise in May and September. In between anything you do cannot need power tools or make annoying noise which is fair, everyone is there to be with family and relax without listening to everyone else’s noise. I am off to prep and freeze the bushel of fresh corn we bought yesterday because I do not want to let the summer tastes go, and Thanksgiving is coming. My favorite holiday! Have a great day, everyone, hope you’ll continue to follow along! J
