Christmas in May

M and I were hitting the tag sales a couple weeks ago with my friend D. I think I told you a little about that day. I got most everything on the table for less than fifty cents.


But I didn't show you the cute little snowman M found for me at one particular sale. He's tucked in the back in the photo above.


We pulled up to this sale, in a not-so-pretty neighborhood in a nearby small city. Paper and junk littered the sides of the streets, along the curbs. Cars that looked abandoned, or at least missing parts, were scattered along the street. There were no birds singing in this neighborhood.


But that did not deter us.


We saw three rows of banquet tables set up in a back yard, right off the sidewalk, and a tent with some people sitting under it. We hit the tables, splitting up  to look at different things. Within a few minutes M was calling me over to look at something.


The little snowman. 


I grinned when I saw him. He had to come home with me. Er, but M found him. No, no, I want you to have him, she said. She's such a dear friend. Love her. She doesn't get between me and 1960s Christmas decorations.


Um, I wonder how much he is? 


I wander over to the tent, trying to figure out who's in charge and not look too eager, hoping to get this little guy cheaply.


How much? I mouth when I spot someone who seems like they know what they're doing.


Twenty-five cents. Everything is twenty-five cents.


ACK! That's all I had to hear. I ran back to M and D, told them the good news, and we started shopping.


$1.75 later we were on our way with a box full of goodies.


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Fast forward to dinner that evening. The Man and I joined M and the Hammer at our favorite Asian restaurant. We were entertaining the guys with stories from our tag sale adventures that morning and casually mentioned the street where we found the little snowman.


The Hammer looked up and said, "You mean where all the shootings are?"


Gulp.

Found this set over the weekend while I was out with the younger ones. They were laid out flat on the lawn, off to the side, forgotten.

I asked the guy how much and he said, "For all three pieces?"


Yup. I love them all. "One dollar." 


Sold.


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Watching "Mad Men" that night, I saw the big snowman, and Santa, and the two candles displayed at the office Christmas party. 


I can't wait for Christmas.