Finally Success

One of my friends called me the other day with good news. She thought I would be excited, but she wasn't sure. There were some issues, but she thought I could handle it. It had happened while she was at a swap meet. She had stumbled upon a sale and saw a vintage typewriter. I was ecstatic.

I have not been quiet about wanting a typewriter. Whenever the kids and I are out, we look for one. I am a bit particular though. I don't want to pay too much and I want it to work. I now have what I wanted.

The typewriter she found is a Royal from 1951. The original sales slip was included in the case. The price on April 5, 1951 was $85.95 after a 15% discount. My friend picked it up for $5. Talk about a bargain.

It has just a few issues. Benton and I worked on it for a bit. He brought out most of his tools, but we only really needed the brush which came with it. I removed a little bit of rust in the inside and the cobwebs from the bottom. Then we worked on the keys. A few of the them are a little sticky. The next step is a bit of sewing machine oil. Once oiled, it should work fine. The ribbon is old though, so I will buy a new one this week.

The kiddos have already started pecking at the keys. They are very pleased with our new acquisition. I think they like being able to type and see the result. There is a level of instant satisfaction to a typewriter that a computer and printer don't have. I can't wait until we have a new ribbon. Don't be surprised if I type you a letter.

Finding Treasures

Recently Aine and I went treasure hunting. Our destination was the local Goodwill. We were mainly looking for a manual typewriter. Of course, we had to check everything out. We didn't want to miss any hidden treasures. The store was crazy, since it was half price Saturday. We looked at the electronics first hoping to find a typewriter or perhaps a vintage sewing machine. Yes, I like old sewing machines. Yes, I have a couple. Yes, this may indicate a problem.

We checked out the books from there. We found a paperback copy of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. It made its way into our basket. Aine wanted to look for toys. This particular Goodwill lacks a good toy area. We checked the toy rack without success. I then led Aine to the sheet and fabric area (another one of my weaknesses). As we were looking around the vintage sheets, I noticed a large hat on the top of one rack. I pulled it down for Aine. She has wanted a straw hat for a couple weeks. She always has a particular idea of what she wants, and not just anything will do. This hat was perfect. It even had a pink ribbon to tie it on her head. She loved it.

Aine decided the hat needed flowers. She thought she saw some in another section of the store, so we headed that direction. That child sure knows her stuff. I always tell her she has really sharp eyes, because she can find treasures that others miss. Sure enough, there were a couple bags of light pink roses. Perfection! She quickly snatched them up. As we were celebrating her finds, I noticed a loaf pan on a nearby shelf. This wasn't just any loaf pan, but a Pampered Chef stoneware pan. I grabbed it.

We checked out spending a whopping total of $3. Aine checked the display case on the way out. A sparkly ring caught her eye. She asked the attendant if she could try it on her finger. It was a beaded ring with a flower. She was desperate to buy it despite the very long lines. With her money in hand, she marched back into line. Aine bought herself that ring for $1.

When we arrived home, Aine immediately started decorating her hat. She showed the rest of the family modeling it with pride. Eamon was quite impressed with his sister's finds. He dressed up, and escorted her around the front yard. Aine and I proclaimed it a good treasure hunting day.