Bronzed Shoes

I've seen bronzed baby shoes, but never bronzed size 5's.

When I spotted these shoes in a thrift store, I had to wonder what the story was behind not only the shoes, but the toy cars in the opening where the foot should go.

Were these silent reminders of a beloved boy who'd left this earth life at a young age?

Or did they belong to a young man who loved cars and grew up to fulfill his dream of becoming a race car driver?

Were they something of an annual tradition, like family pictures, but bronzed shoes instead, mailed to doting grandparents on the other side of the country? "Looky here, Arnold, Junior's feet are almost as big as yours!"
"Well, Ethel, you've still got us both beat!"

Perhaps they were some kind of unique trophy created for the ubiquitous annual Pinewood Derby.

"Hey, Mike, you won!"

(Mike staring doubtfully at the trophy) "Are you sure it was me? I'm almost positive that Pete's car was ahead of mine by at least the width of a toothpick. Really, he can have the prize. I'm just happy with some extra refreshments."

Perhaps it should be a requirement that thrift store donations come with historical background information...or we could just continue making things up!

How about you? Do you like to wonder "What?" "Why?" "How?"

Or are you content to accept what comes, because, "That's just the way it is?"

OBEHAVE!

Some custom license plates make me stop and wonder what they're trying to say. What do they mean? I don't like the ones I can't figure out, that are some kind of secret inside joke that only the nearest and dearest can decipher.

My sister's custom license plate reads: ACCEBER.

(Do you know what that means? I'll tell you below!)

I came across this handsome fellow a few weeks ago, with a pretty clear message.

"O behave!"

Even though I understand it at face value, it still makes me wonder...

Is the truck supposed to behave?

Is the drive of the truck the one who needs to behave, or perhaps the driver's passengers?

Or are the drivers behind the truck supposed to behave?

Perhaps it's the general population, anyone who sees the message, reads it, and asks themselves, "How am I behaving?"

What else could it mean?

What does it bring to your mind?

Oh, and my sister's license plate? Read it backwards...it belongs to my sister REBECCA!

Homemade

What if you long to hit the road, but your wallet has already been hit too hard to support travel expenses?

Well, then, make your own camper!

Get various pieces of material hard enough to make walls.

Hammer them together on your vehicle, adding what you need as you go, from a ladder to a milk crate to an air conditioner to a custom-width door.

Then hit the road, your style! 

I found this one-of-a-kind, do-it-yourself vehicle in a thrift store parking lot.

The thriftyness runs deep.

What about you? Are you thrifty enough to be okay with used items? Or do you like your things nice and new?

HAPPY NEW GIFT!

I got a terrific Christmas gift when Bob put new counters in our cottage. I didn't get pix of the old ones, made of boards that were separating, but you can see one of the old counter joints that had pulled apart beneath the new counter top.

This was the case in more than one place, so liquid leaked through to at least one drawer below.

My ever-lovin' fix-it husband watched many Youtube videos, (he calls it "Youtube University") got the necessary supplies, and made the countertops for us with his own two gloved hands!

I got a new sink, too, inspired by my son's new one! This is where it will go:

Can you see the beautiful hammered copper finish that Bob made with his trowel-y tools and paintbrush? Can you also see the wonderful silky smooth surface? (Our old one was rather lumpy.)

Bob even added sparkles for me! 

(Yes, this is the same countertop, only with different lighting so it looks like another color, but they're really the same.)

I wouldn't have thought of getting a sink with a large side and a little side, but it's terrific for washing big things like pans.

This project reminded me to be thankful for running water, and a place to wash dishes besides the tiny bathroom sink or bending over the bathtub.

How about you? Do you like to fix things yourself? Or do you like someone else to do it?