Thrift and Thievery

Have you seen this criminal?

 Long post ahead. I'm still feeling the effect in my back of an hour and half of prep on Saturday and five and half hours on my feet yesterday for the annual Palm Sunday breakfast at church. We served approximate 175 people, selling 155 tickets (the youth will just grab their breakfast in a break) much better than last year, when spring break fell the same week and so many families were traveling, but I was hoping for 200. This year, we had over $100 in additional expenses as we didn't get the donation of dairy and eggs and pancake batter. Still, we covered costs once we hit 112 tickets plus sold and additional 40 meal tickets at $3.00.  

The final net is yet unknown as the free will donation envelopes get counted by church officials. Regardless, we fed each person for approximate $1.86, and sent two bags of leftovers home with a church member that helps provide for a couple families experiencing food insecurities. I had more help than needed as the sign up lines for help were ignored, and people wrote their name after slots were filled. Some families used one line for two or three youth. While having the extra hands was helpful at cleanup, I hope they won't be disappointed that a small amount will go in their fundraising account. All proceeds, after costs, are divided by the number of hours total, each worker works, and it goes in their mission trip and camp account. I had to laugh overhearing a conversation between a son and his mom, trying to get her son to pick up the pace during cleanup. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can leave." She said. His response, but if we take longer, that's more money earned."  She looked at me, and said, "I guess I have a lesson to teach." Really, though, these are great kids, a new crop each year as high schoolers give up their slots for younger kids.

Wow, so much on that topic, but it aligns with the Thrift part of my headline as does this. I had to do some careful timing to pick up cold items on Saturday to get them dropped off at church during a limited window when someone could unlock the kitchen for me. I had time to pop into the Salvation Army store, as I'm looking for extra queen size sheets for home and for the cabin. No luck Saturday, but did take a browse at dress pants, skirts and longer shorts. I hit the jackpot and found a perfect pair of dark gray dress pants, a black with white specks skirt, two pairs of brand new Gloria Vanderbilt cargo shorts, and a perfect condition pair of white shorts. All this for $21.97. However, when I got to the register, it turn out blue and orange tags, which all but the white shorts had, were 50% off, so my total was $12.47. I lauded my success with DD2 and DH. Neither were as excited as I was.

Yesterday, I was going through the bag to get things washed and ready for the week, and I couldn't find the skirt. It wasn't in the bag. I wondered if perhaps it had fallen out with all my car moving to make way for the groceries. Nope, not in there. I was questioning my sanity a bit when I could not find in any of the places I might have set the bag down. I gave up, and assumed it never made it's way into the bag at the store. Oh well, but I was disappointed as it was Cold Water Creek, a  good brand. I went to bring DD2 something in her room and looked down at a pile of stuff she had on her floor. Low and behold, my skirt was laying there. I exclaimed when I saw it, and pup came running. I was just about to pick it up when he moved quickly, laid down and put his paws on it. That little shyster had stolen it from the bag, either Saturday night, or earlier Sunday, and ran off with it to DD's room. What appealed to him, I have no idea. Perhaps he was just mad that I had left the house yesterday and was trying to send a message. He is a peculiar dog. A ransom of a dog treat later, and I had recovered the skirt. That was my tale of thrift and thievery. 

The stolen bargain at $2.00.