My silly story for today is regarding a large Colonial Mist mixing bowl I found at a thrift store this past summer. I stumbled upon it at a volunteer-run thrift shop that supports the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). This place has quirky volunteers, and quirky customers. It's also a bit of a dive - very cluttered store, messy, dusty, and stuffed to the max. When I first spotted the bowl, it was filled to the brim with dried macaroni pasta that looked like it had been sitting out on display for weeks. There wasn't anywhere to dump the noodles, so I brought it up to the till and asked the price. She said "So, do you want the pasta?" I stifled a smile, politely said no, and she quoted me $4. I wonder what it would have cost me if I indeed wanted the noodles ;)
The reality is, it made me a bit sad that there are customers who might need to take the pasta home. While I know it was the right choice to toss it, I guess I have a bit of guilt for wasting the food. It's experiences like this that make me realize that for many of us, every piece has a story. For me and my Colonial Mist bowl, it reminds me that sometimes people thrift because they need to, and I should appreciate the fact that I get to do it for fun. I like to think that thrifting keeps me humble; if I need to scrub an old pot that someone has tossed, it's worth it to put in a bit of hard work and get something useful and rewarding. I guess that's the beauty of stories. Keep em coming, Pyrex Collective!
Feel free to visit me at SixBalloons to say hi sometime!
You are so right! Every piece of Pyrex has a story behind it.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky indeed to thrift for fun.
my most recent post on my blog touched on the reasons why i like pyrex so much, and one of the reasons is that each piece has a story, like you said.
ReplyDeletethis is a great story, and a good reminder. thank you for sharing.
I love the stories. Dried macaroni, eh? That is pretty strange. It's a lovely bowl though! This story reminds me that I haven't shopped our local Humane Society thrift store in quite a while (it's every bit as quirky). I think I'll have to fix that soon.
ReplyDeleteWell put! I feel equally fortunate that thrifting is a choice rather than a necessity. They are some thrift stores that we go to that make my children uncomfortable and sad. It is an opportunity to see a different part of life than is their usual and I hope develops their compassion. Unfortunately, my children's great eagle eyes for spotting pyrex have yet to find good pieces at some of these quirkier stores.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and great story! I love your bowl and yes its good to remember we thrift for fun.
ReplyDeleteSuch a poignant post! It's so important to step back and take a look at the bigger picture every now and again! And if it takes Pyrex for us to remember that- so be it!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! Much better than just buying a new boring bowl, isn't it? :)
ReplyDeleteOh I have some DOOZY thrifty stores I visit. But those ones are the ones that have the best deals and best vintage.
ReplyDeleteI do love a good behind the scene Pyrex story.
What a good post! I think it's very important for us to remember that we thrift because we want to and like it, and not because we have to. And you are right, it's much more fun than buying a brand new boring bowl!! BTW, love the Colonial Mist bowl!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder--great post! enjoy your bowl!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention! Great post :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the story! It's a great reminder.
ReplyDeletei still love this post and i think of it often.
ReplyDelete*thank you* for sharing it with us.