Wednesday, March 21, 2007

i get around

we're pedestrians. we walk most places and sometimes catch a bus or ride a bike but typically we're dodging traffic and stopping to look, smell, listen to something every five minutes or so. sure, it isn't speedy but it is our way of life. occasionally someone lends us a vehicle and we drive to those places that are too far to travel to by our usual means. it's fun for a day but both jason and i always develop bad headaches when we drive and neither one of the kids are keen on being strapped into child seats. i watched a bus turn the corner while we waited in this week's borrowed van and i felt envious. when you catch the bus you get to sit there in the air conditioning for 75 cents , the kids never cry because they are held and can see what's going on around them, and you get to your destination when you are scheduled to, and on top of all of that, it makes al gore pleased. for the way that we are set up right now, not having a car is a luxery. we may not have lots of money, but we have time and we try to spend it well.
all that being said, one of places i never get to visit but really long to go to is the thrift store. two kids and the bus and bags of treasure are not a pleasant mixture. it turns out that if i remove public transportation from the equation, two kids at the thrift store is still no picnic but i did manage to bring home some good finds.

some pretty skirts perfect for the warm weather that seems here to stay.

a linen calendar for 20 cents from 1981 complete with horse and buggy (too small to see in the picture).

a garbage bag full of cotton yarns for two dollars. major jackpot.

now i can finally make use of this book


mr. pingi looks like he would fit in around here. sebastian's favorite show (besides for thomas) is pingu which i adore as well. i made a few amigurumi ducks during the long spring break last year when there were no classes but plenty of time spent sitting in an empty teacher's office. the penguin looks a little more difficult but a good evening project to do while i listen to the archives of this american life.


now it's time to gather my shopping bags and walk (gratefully) to the store. i finally updated the craft blog since i finally finished something so if you care to have a little look see...
hope all is well with you and yours.

6 comments:

GreenishLady said...

What a find! - That bag of cotton! I'm supposed to be de-cluttering, but I wouldn't have been able to resist that, either. Enjoy!

kayla said...

The walking and biking is one of the things I miss most from Japan. I've spent most of the rest of my life here in Jax, and it's not an easy place to get around without a car. But you're proof that it can be done!

momo said...

We do the same. Ride, walk and public transport sometimes we borrow my parents car but rarely and I love it this way so we can see things well and feel the cold and hot and so on.

Loely skirts!

nina beana said...

nice scores! i don't get much blog-surfin' time, but when i get to come here, i always leave happy! thank you for your wonderful and supportive comments...

amisha said...

amazing thrift scores... i love that calendar and $2 for all that yarn?! fabulous.
and the completely car-less life sounds so good. we are so close but still hanging on for grocery shopping :)

Anonymous said...

what great finds! I can't wait to see what little creatures you make with the cotton yarn. I admire you making do without a car. Tom car-pools to school and I walk with the double-pram as much as possible but we still use our car more than we would like to.