Hurricane Irene

As I indicated in a previous post, Hurricane Irene was headed our way and I knew Saturday was going to be a hunker down and get through kind of day. And as we all know, it certainly was. Here in Greenville, NC, we started out with wind and rain early Saturday morning. I woke at 8am (still can't believe I slept that late!) to find Irene was well under way here in eastern NC. And the day continued with wind and rain well into the night. We  lost one tree, a small red bud, but all over the neighborhood and city, large, old, hardwood trees came crashing down, wreaking havoc and damage to homes, powerlines, etc... I know this storm affected so many in oh so many states. I could post pictures of the downed trees, damaged areas, but I believe we have visited those scenes enough this week. 

However, on a lighter note,  I am sharing a picture of a hummingbird that stayed with us throughout the storm. I had taken down my two hummer feeders Friday night knowing Irene was coming. But when I looked out the window to watch the wind I saw this little one flying up to where the feeder is usually hung. I couldn't believe it! When I realized the wind was coming from the north and our porch and the feeder was protected, I filled  and hung it up. She was right there immediately and continued to stay the day. Most of the time she just sat on the perch, hanging on and looking up. When the gusts shifted, she flew into a nearby bush and stayed a while. I watched her all day, amazed at her perserverance. The next day was bright, beautiful and brought 3 more hummers. And since then, there has been heavy traffic at the feeders. I know they are migrating south and am keeping this feeding station filled and available to these dear travelers. I have spoken to several friends who had the same experience I had with hummers feeding through the storm. Love the hummers!

Scrappy the hummingbird

So, not having my yard sale "fix" on Saturday, I checked out Habitat For Humanity ReStore and Goodwill this week. And these hunting grounds did not fail me! I am a confirmed coffee lover but also a notorious travel mug misplacer. So anytime I can find a decent travel mug for my caffene habit I grab it. But it has to be rock bottom price since I will lose it eventually or a certain daughter of mine "borrows" and never returns. I scooped up these three Starbucks brand for yes, 69 cents each!! Whoohoo!!

Let me tell you, the one on the left is AWESOME!! The coffee I poured in at 7:15am was still piping hot at 9am. I am very impressed. I haven't tested the other two yet cause  am still in the honeymoon phase with the black and red.

Starbuck travel mugs

Next find was this blue bumbo seat for $2.99. Great deal, I knew. In near new condition, they run about $25 on Craigslist. I had already secured one for the newest addition to the family unborn and eagerly awaiting, and figured I would sell this on Craigslist for a profit. Best laid plans...

Unfortunately I was not able to remove the permanent marker price on the bottom. I googled this before I started the process. Tried nail polish remover, alcohol, and Goo off. The nail polish and alcohol reduced the mark but did not remove completely as they have with other items. The culprit is the foam material the Bumbo is made of, making it permeable to the ink. My last attempt was a little bleach. Bad idea, I know. The bleach not only didn't remove the ink, it made a slight green stain around the area. Not going to be selling on Craigslist with the price and stain. Hopefully someone I know can use this great seat so if you know someone.....tell them to call me!

Bumbo seat

$2.99 permanent marker price that I could not remove.
Note the stain I made by trying different removers. Aggghhh!!!

 Next I found this shirt at G'will. Love, love it! With the long sleeves, it is still a little too warm to wear now, but Sept. is here and I will be sporting it soon. Looks brand new (picture really doesn't do it justice), navy blue, light weight and I like the Talbot brand. Good quality.

Love my thrift store shirt

Our kitchen clock needed to be replaced so when I spotted this at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore for $2, I snatched it up. Popped in a new battery and it was up and running. I like the blue color against the yellow wall. Nice pop of color.

$2 at Habitat For Humanity ReStore...needed a clock....it works!

Picked this up at G'will for 99 cents. Glass is really pretty and now it hangs in a large window in my livig room. 

So deals were found, treasures discovered and I am a happy camper. I look forward to reporting in on this Saturday's return to yard sailing and will bring you the updates. 

Good night and happy bargaining!