thrifty thursdays: holiday mugs and a priceless book

Spring has officially arrived in East Tennessee. The birds are nesting and the flowers are blooming. Even the doomsday winter heralds have stopped saying we can expect a freak snowstorm any day now. Life is as it should be.

I, for one, have never been much for seasonal decorations. I vow that I will never have trinkets for every season but, on one recent thrift store excursion, I happened upon the happiest holiday mug I have ever laid eyes on. 

How much would you pay for the prettiest mug you ever did see? How about twenty cents? Yep, even a poor college student has a couple of dimes to spend on such a fanciful little cup. 

There's something immensely fun about using mugs for cold drinks. Even when I was young, I would put in the extra work to climb up on the counter top to get a mug on a hot summer day. I think it's the handles I love so much. What can I say? I'm a rebel.

And, speaking of my lovely childhood... I happened upon something else recently that made my heart pitter patter. It was a soft backed something, that most people would have glanced right over. A book that took me instantly back to my childhood living room as I followed along to a book on tape. 

The tale of a young badger, "Bread and Jam for Frances" is the story of a mother who grants her daughter's dream. She is no longer forced to eat the meals her family eats and may enjoy her favorite meal of bread and jam. But after a couple days of bread and jam, Frances realizes that variety adds spice to life, and gives in to spaghetti. 

It might not interest you, but it reminds me of innocent days. I took it to the counter, expecting to be charged fifty cents to a dollar. The cashier picked it up in his wrinkled hand, flipped it over in examination and spoke a glorious sentence, "It's ok. You can have that." 

Free is the best price I've gotten so far. This calls for celebration! Bread and jam for everyone; hold the spaghetti, please.