Buddhas and birdies and books, oh my!

This morning, Papa, Mama, big B and little b piled into the car to enjoy a few of our favorite family treats. We started by indulging in our community's newest hot spot, downtown's Buddha Belly Donuts (slogan: eat donuts, be happy). Buzzed with sugar, coffee, and the mid-morning breeze, we set off to find yard sale treasure. Encouraged by the bargain hunter's trifecta of perfect weather, imminent holidays and a weakened economy, families on nearly every city block we passed offered their wares today.

FIND OF THE DAY FOR BIG B :: Stack of children's books ($6)
Big B typically scores huge on days like this. Today's bounty: eighteen books, two board games, a monster truck, a bat and ball, a brand new football, rocket balloons, and playdough with cutting tools. Several of these items will be stowed away for Christmas, as I was able to sneak them into the trunk by playing hand-off with Papa.

FIND OF THE DAY FOR little b :: Wooden whale pull-toy ($1)
Little b has, until today, benefited from yard sales simply by the experience of attending them, with perhaps a functional find here or there (clothing, a stroller, etc.) . This morning, however, we found a cloth activity book, some nesting barrels, and this adorable wooden pull-toy, which he loved immediately and held the whole way home.

FIND OF THE DAY FOR MAMA :: Vintage creamer ($0.50)
This little birdie chirped right to me. I was also thrilled to find a wooden puzzle for my niece, a package of retro Christmas window clings (which might appear in a future post), and several gently loved Christmas ornaments. My mother and I have developed a tradition of exchanging wooden or cloth ornaments that we've found throughout the year at yard sales and thrift stores.

FIND OF THE DAY FOR PAPA :: Belly full of Buddhism (free)
For Papa, outings such as these always have one singular goal: garden art. Oh sure, statues, fountains and birdbaths catch his eye, but ultimately rummaging has evolved into his quasi-spiritual quest for the perfect yard buddha. So you can imagine his nirvana when we walked into an estate sale, just blocks from our house, which included this room full of buddhas. Eastern and western, heads and bodies, reclining and praying, standing and sitting, wooden and gilded, ornate and simple. As we looked at each figure carefully, trying to manifest some spiritual connection with one of them, we realized that in their collection they lost a bit of their magic. For Papa (an avid fisherman), choosing one from this room would have been like fishing in a farmed pond.

We watched as another customer found connection with this buddha, seemingly praying for its pickup truck journey. After all, in the words of the Buddha himself, "It is better to travel well, than to arrive." And so, the quest happily continues.
So what was the find of the day for Papa? The glazed croissant from Buddha Belly Donuts. For as the Buddha also said, "Peace comes from within; do not seek it without." (Eat donuts. Be happy.)