Treasure Hunting

This morning I awoke and saw the day was dry, so I stumbled out of bed, dressed warmly and was soon ready to set out for the nearest car boot sale. David teased me about this and I grumblingly complained about getting up early and heading out into the cold. "Go on, you love it"  he replied. As I drove to the sale I started to ponder and this post is the result.
I have realised the truth in what he said. Some of my greatest moments of enjoyment and pleasure are when I am treasure hunting. I love the search, the intense contemplation and the feeling that I have to have all my wits about me and my senses alert, to spot that wonderful, hidden gem. It is in essence a solitary pursuit, and in fact I get quite grumpy if I'm interrupted and am expected to talk to somebody whilst on the prowl. I'm only sociable after the hunt when I'm proud and ready to show off my finds!

Flea markets, charity shops and car-boot sales call to me and I will spend hours rootling and delving.

I also love to beach-comb and field-comb, so my home is filled with the little piles of delicate shells, unusual pebbles and sea glass I have garnered.

Another unfailing joy is the chance to wander around a garden, snipping a bud here, a blossom there, a scented leaf or sprig and make myself a perfect little posy to place by my bed or in the little book-room. I then have many hours of pleasure looking at the individual flowers and sniffing their scents.

I don't only search for physical treasures, I try to celebrate with friends and family whenever I can so to create a treasure trove of happy memories which refresh and delight. Last Solstice we held a small party for my local friends. I was not due to spend Christmas with my children and I was trying to be brave but missing Emily, as she now lives away from home. There was a flurry of activity and arrivals and suddenly there was Emmie, with some of her best and dearest friends from her childhood, all here to surprise me. I love this picture of her greeting my friend Terri (who was in on the secret). It's the joy on both her face and her friend Clare that makes my heart lift.

I feel lucky in that I live in an age when I can have a camera always with me. Recently we were having a family pub lunch and I snapped this shot of Sam and his beloved camera. When I look at it, I am reminded of the great surge of love and pride I felt as I watched him: his quiet and dexterous movements and his happy absorption in his art.

Wherever I am, I like to look for treasure. Whether it is in the smile of one of my guests at the day centre who arrived feeling sad from a week spent alone

but left us happy and refreshed by our friendship and fun, or when I spot some tiny quirky thing of beauty, hidden from many people's passing gaze

If you stay hopeful and keep looking, you can usually find a cloth of gold.

Perks of the job

Stock-hunting for 'Kiss the Book' is one of my greatest pleasures and I have come across many treasures. They are not always the most valuable but they are the ones that please me most.
Every so often I let myself keep something I have found.
I am afraid I must not be truly spiritual as I cannot say honestly:
 "If I was to loose everything, I wouldn't mind much"
I do have belongings that I would miss, which I find useful and beautiful and give me pleasure every day.

I was enjoying my first cup of tea today and I decided to look around and show you the some of the things I couldn't quite bring myself to sell!

Shelley- Utility Ware from the 1940s and 1950s. The simple lines please me

This plate is a perfect size for two pieces of toast and I love its hand-painted moss roses

I'm fond of green glass am now tempted to start a collection of old glass bulb holders...

The little green pot usually lives on my kitchen window sill and is perfect for holding a bunch of fresh herbs. The primrose is in the picture merely because I bought it today!

My bedroom is full of my favourite things. I collect old eiderdowns and couldn't resist the rich colours of these two. They are so cosy too, on winter nights, I just keep piling them up on my bed.

The painting is from a car boot sale. It's been re-framed and I look at it every morning with pleasure. It dates from the 1960's and is by a fairly minor artist but to my mind it completely captures those sultry late summer days.

And finally, I have to include some books. There are really too many to mention but then I don't consider books a treat, more of a necessity! However, I shouldn't really have kept this set- it is so eminently saleable! It's in full leather, published in 1887 and they are still called Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell on the main title page. How could I resist a set of my beloved Bronte's?

Jane Eyre, my favourite  Bronte novel

Although needing a bit of work, they are still beautiful-

I shall mend them, feed them, read them and love them.

I'm so glad I kept these treasures!