Pit stop at Goodwill, Main Street and Recker, East Mesa. Mission: to see and see quickly. Okay, it's never quick to go into one of these places, but I managed about 30 minutes, somewhat of a record. Findings: cat nap salt and pepper shakers, violet colored prom dress in my size, tomato red, broccoli green and robin's egg blue speckled pottery. What I walked away with:

Set of 4 glass coasters, clear but speckled with what can only be described as eye-like, colorful glass inserts or a drug-tripped kaleidoscope of colorings - $2.99

Ikea blue glass vase, short and stout, to match 2 tall and thin Ikea glass vases, same color, sitting in my livingroom - $2.99

I wasn't in the mood for looking at clothes. Only wanted to stare at glass and pottery. I did go to the back of the store and look through some of their "plastic bag bargains"--bags of miscellaneous items thrown together--more like a crazy little treasure chest.

You never know what you will find . . . last time I was here, it was a bag of eighties era pins, including The Breakfast Club and Cyndi Lauper. Quite a steal for $.99. I've seen odd colored soaps, the kinds you might not want to put on your body for fear of breaking out in old soap rashes, greeting cards from bygone eras (think the 70's and Holly Hobby), nipples for baby bottles I would never put near a child's mouth for fear of poisoning them, paper mache fruits and veggies that my cats would truly enjoy picking apart. A cornucopia of odd and useless, but simply fantastic, stuff. Makes me want to go out and take notes . . . or buy a few surprises.


Article from The New York Times Magazine on Goodwill Industries:

"Goodwill Hunting" by Rob Walker
October 31, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/magazine/02wwln-consumed-t.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=Consumed&st=cse&oref=slogin