The trip is over, and I glass my way home - for 6 1/2 hours*

It was the last day of the trip, and we had to be out of the unhospitable condos by 10am. Mom always likes to go out to breakfast one day of the trip, so we decided this would be it. Surprisingly, she wanted to go to IHOP. I avoid chains when I travel if I can, because I can eat at IHOP at home. But Mom and Rod had been to IHOP earlier in the trip, and she wanted to go back since they had these sweet potato pancakes on the menu that she just loved. I tried hers, and they were really good. They had a mushroom and spinach omlette with hollandaise that was calling my name though.

We had a nice breakfast, and then hit the road.

Mom was going to bypass around Florence, but I usually go through. I told her I could follow her on the bypass, but didn't want to stay behind her all the way, since she drives a lot slower than I do, and I thought I could save some time. Yeah right.

As I passed Florence, there was a big flea market right off of 76, and it was obviously still booming. I couldn't help but think of the Sirens as I pulled in. But it was a beautiful day. Most of this flea market is just inside stuff - cheap crap sold by people who are there every week, but there was a small yard sale section, which is what I live for. I found only a Raindrops cup though, and paid $2 for it. By the time I got there, I'm pretty sure everything had been picked over. Still, I bought it from some nice people, who seemed pleased that someone who knew what it was and would value it had bought it. That's my favorite kind of purchase.

Raindrops cup in green by Federal Glass Co., circa 1929-1933

I spent about 45 minutes, at least, wandering around that place, thinking I might unearth something else, but no dice. As I went up the road though, I saw an even junkier place, almost deserted, and pretty much closed up for the day. There were a few vendors left though. I just couldn't resist.

Most of the inside part of this one was converted into a furniture place, but there were a few intrguing booths left in one corner. Sadly, they were all closed and locked for the day (it was about 12:30 by now) because they looked like rich hunting grounds. But on a small table up front I found an old Glasbake pie plate lid (again for $2, interestingly enough) and bought that. Apparently they were trying to clear that stuff out, because the woman was like "Are you SURE there's nothing else you want out there?" The rest of it was pretty much crap though.

Glasbake pie plate lid by McKee Glass, circa 1917-1953

As I went leave though, there was one more row that had two vendors on it outside. Obviously people who were there every week, who just covered over their tables and left them from week to week, since there wasn't anything valuable on them. But I decided to nose around anyway. I peeled back a canvas cover, flapping over a table's contents in the the wind. There, under a stack of crap, filthy, but still miraculously unchipped, was an amber Sharon bowl. I don't usually like amber glass, but I had just bought the platter to go with it a couple of weeks ago for a quarter. I also thought that my friend Terry might like the set, since he really likes the Amber glass. I bought it for $2, which seemed to be the magic number today. The find was all the sweeter, since I had looked at one in North Myrtle yesterday and didn't buy it because it was priced too high. This is not a particulary expensive pattern. There was tons of it made since it was very popular and you can find it everywhere. But it is pretty. I was pretty tickled with it, and finally was able to settle in for the ride home.

Sharon or "Cabbage Rose" bowl in amber by Federal Glass Co., circa 1935-1939

I did make it home, about 4:30. Yikes. I had so much to do. I unpacked and cursed permanent stickers most of the afternoon. Happily, none of the old glass had the perma-stickers on it, but several of the souvenirs did. I damaged the wood on the clapper of the wind chime I bought from the Gay Dolphin trying to get the %^%$#$@!** sticker off.

I put my white sweet potatoes in to bake to take for lunch this week, turned on Turner Classic Movies, and watched Sunset Boulevard while I unpacked. I was way too beat to cook, and didn't feel like going out. I ran to the store and got a frozen pizza. Sadly, my Old Cafe mint dish had some sickness on it when I cleaned it up, but everything else was fine. It was very gratifying to put my Coronation berry bowls all together in a set. There wasn't a chip on any of them.

After mucking out the overflowing cat box and doing my regular bedtime stuff, I went on to bed. I love going away for short trips, but I always love coming home :)