Blessings

This morning, I went to Walmart to wire a small sum of money to someone who needed it. On my way there, I saw a yard sale on the left side of the street. As much as rummage sales of any sort pull at me, I kept on my way, knowing that I could stop on my way back. I did of course. Actually, I do not love yard sales. I seldom find anything really good. But, today was different. Right away I spotted several things and made a mental note of them before approaching the homeowner to ask about prices. I asked about three or four items, and the answer was the same each time: $1. I smiled, and said, "I like your prices." I spent about $7 with her, and as I was heading to my car, she told me that I could in fact have anything that I wanted. "I'm getting too old for this," she admitted. She obviously was trying to get rid of everything. I added three more items to my loot. I could have added much more, but, as I told her, I was beginning to feel greedy. As it was, everything I was toting away she'd actually or practically given me for free. I am now the proud owner of a Turkish Kilim bag (by Yun Art)and, more impressive, a wooden caddy on the bottom of which someone wrote: "This box is more than 100 years old as of this date June 18, 1985." And it was signed R.I. Moore. I hadn't turned the "box" over while I was still at the yard sale although I often do this--being a seasoned junker. I did make the mistake of cleaning the item as soon as I got home because I wanted to place it at the center of the kitchen table. Since the box had been sitting on the ground, I wanted to clean any dirt off there as well. My heart leaped when I saw the handwritten message. I am very analytical, so I began thinking about the message right away. I decided that the shaky handwriting was definitely that of an elderly person--perhaps an octogenarian. I did a quick Internet search for R.I. Moore then stopped, realizing that the name was too common, and although I'd purchased the box in the town where I live there was no telling where the person who sold it to me had gotten it. True, she may have gotten it from her own home. It may have belonged to a relative of hers but then I figured that if it had been a family heirloom she might not have sold it for so little. I can always go back and ask her. Do I dare? I remain intrigued by R.I. Moore because he or she bothered to leave the note. A very intelligent person, I thought, who knew the value of the item, the cultural and historical value--not monetary. And if the box was in 1985 more than 100 years old, would it not date to the slavery era? My guess would be yes. More than 100. In 1985, slavery was 120 years in the past. That would be about right. The person who left the note could have written: this item was made by a slave. It is in fact a caddy, more than a box but the language is important. A slave would not likely have called it a caddy. In fact, come to think of it, it may be a tool box, only it seems too decorated to have served that purpose. The handle has a carved detail. Then again, the wood is not rare, not imported. It would then seem to be a utilitarian item of a lower-class person if not a slave. It's joinery is dovetail, but it's center piece, the partition and handle, is attached with square-headed nails to the bottom. There is an appraisal show coming to town soon, and were it not for the $75 fee I would take this item. I may still, but my intrigue goes far beyond monetary value. I'm, rather, interested in how I got so lucky today. Why me, and why was the proprietor of these items so generous on this dsy when I decided to stop at her sale when there were a half dozen others that I didn't stop at? Anyone who has been reading this particular blog knows that I take notice of serendipity all of the time now. I love to watch how the universe just opens up sometimes, and, as some would say, pours out blessings. I need these kinds of affirmations. We all do. They let us know that we are not alone in the universe. There are always so many other things at work besides our mundane doings. And I so appreciate R.I. Moore for marking this item. He or she definitely is or was a historian in his or her own right.