The snow squeaked under my boots as I exited the car. The hairs on the inside of my nose started to freeze almost instantly. Damn it’s cold out here.
I pulled my scarf up around my face, hunkered my head down and started walking. It’s all you can do in a situation like this. Just put one foot in front of the other. And walk.
My feet started to get a little numb after just a few steps. My fingers were aching from the cold. And each breath felt like it was shooting spikes into my lungs.
Had I made a mistake? Was it safer to just stay put? Should I just turn around and get back to the warmth of the car?
No way! I had an estate sale to get to 🙂
In reality, I only had to walk from the field to the barn and it was only about 40 yards. But still, way too long to walk on a cold January day.
I probably wouldn’t have gone to the sale at all since the temperature was hovering around 0 degrees, but the estate sale people had enticed me with photos online of some really cool stuff and mentions of “things in the barn”. And we all know that if an estate sale mentions a barn, I’m going to be there.
And there was a photo of this guy here. I like to call him Skippy.
I seriously have no idea what I would have done with him, but I thought he was cute in a scary sort of way. But, sadly, he was already gone by the time I got there.
And it’s not like I was unprepared for the cold. Oh, no!
Before I left the house I had outfitted myself with:
- Two pair of thick boot socks (a double layer of socks makes for very tight boots, BTW)
- A pair of knock-off L.L.Bean duck boots
- A set of those newfangled high-tech long underwear (top and bottom)
- A thick, long sleeved t-shirt
- A bulky sweater
- A barn coat (they did mention a barn in the ad, you know)
- Two pair of gloves
- A long wool scarf
- Oh, and a pair of jeans. I wasn’t going bottomless.
And I was STILL freezing my bejeebers off!
As I’m scouting out the stuff in the barn, I notice there’s SNOW on one of the tables. Snow. Inside the barn. Yep, it’s cold.
I keep seeing box-lots of stuff, but I don’t dare take off my gloves to search through the boxes for fear of frostbite. And if you’re not going to dig around in the barn stuff, then what’s the point, people?
After all that, I only end up buying two things. There really was so much more that I wanted, but the cold was just numbing my brain and my wallet and all I could think of was getting back to some warmth 🙂
So I end up spending $1.00 for a big glass jar.
It’s the large glass jar that I showed you in my How Not To Make A DIY Pom Pom Wreath.
I’m sure it used to be a pickle jar or something like that, but hey, I wasn’t going to go home totally empty handed.
And for $2.00 I found this very small stoneware (yellow ware?) bowl.
I put a small mason jar in the photo so you can see the scale of this bowl. I have some larger ones in this design, so I grabbed this one to go with them.
So if you’re wondering how to survive a winter estate sale? My advise would be to . . . NOT GO!
Unless you’re pretty sure Skippy will still be there when you get there. Then, by all means, put on your double layer of socks and get there early!
ThrifterSisters
At least you had an estate sale to go to! But what a bummer that it was too cold to dig. That jar reminds me of my grandparents. My grandpa used to save those and use them in the garage to store bits and bobs and other little doo dads. I’m pretty sure he never put pom poms in them though 🙂
Erica
Melissa
Let me tell you what I do – and it will help you out a ton for these freezing sales! I use boot and hand warmers! They seriously work so well! I had to use them for an outdoor auction at the beginning of November where it was around 32, but with the wind, made it closer to 0. But, I was toasty with my layers and my warmers. My boot and hand warmers lasted me over 8hrs each. It cost $2.50 for both. Well worth it for all the awesome junk I came home with.
Musings from Kim K.
I have to admit that my husband and I will go to an estate sale, no matter the weather. Maybe its the fact that MI isn’t going to be warm and dry anytime soon. Hand warmers are definitely a life saver! Digger sales with barns are my husband’s favorite kind of sale. I think if he could crawl around with Mike and Frank from American Pickers, he’d be in heaven.
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
They should have been selling hot chocolate…probably would have been their biggest money maker! Love the cute little bowl…
Junkchiccottage
OMG Pam Skippy seriously!!!!! Didn’t he star in a few movies of his own!!!! Creepy!!! I think I had a nightmare or two about him lol! Glad you found a few things.
Kris
Sue AtTheLittleShack
Hi Pam! You are a brave girl! Here in Canada your 0 F converts to -17-18 Celsius. When we are up on our trapline on the BC/Yukon border we are that cod or colder on a ‘normal’ day. Try a -40 celsius trip to the outhouse first thing in the morning! You can literally freeze your butt off! Hey, did you know that by the time the temperature gets that low both Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same? Both -40 C and F are equal. Temperature trivia for yuh! Take care, Sue
Sherry@Back2Vintage
I don’t blame you for leaving quickly… Brrrr! The little bowl is darling, though…. Glad you rescued it!
Curtains in My Tree
I can’t believe there would even be an estate sale in this weather,
I have never seen an estate sale in this central Missouri town in the winter when it’s this cold, not that I wouldn’t go LOL
Glad you didn’t get frost bite
Debby
Oh I love Skippy. I would agree to just stay home. It’s too cold.
TARYTERRE
When it’s cold I stay put, cup of chai, good book. Not even Skippy could lure me out to an estate sale. You were a brave soul out there in the cold. Glad you found a couple things you liked.
Melinda
Yea, I’m thinking i would have stayed home.
But at least you came away with something for your troubles.
M : )
Ida
Yes that sounds mighty cold. I tried taking pictures one day on a really cold day last year and my fingers were so numb I could hardly click the camera shutter. Skippy was a bit “creepy” looking for me and I like clowns.
lynda
You have at least two things…unoccupied barns are not warm, and barn coats are not for cold weather…I own both and know. My occupied barn (by animals) is still not that cozy…..
Kim Smith
Skippy would give me nightmares! But I love the jar. I would get it too if I had been there. Love estate sales….in warm weather.
Ashley
Ditto — Skippy would creep me out to no end! But I love the glass jar — I have one from my Aunt, and love that the paint on the lid is rough around the edges and a little worn. I just have no idea where to put it or what to put in it.
LivingVintage
Your post reminds me why I do not complain about winters in Texas very much! It does just not get that cold here (usually), at least compared to most places!