My dad was a garage sale expert. His van braked automatically at every GARAGE or YARD SALE sign. He always stopped and wasn’t afraid to ask about other items that might be for sale. (Garages are interesting places for someone looking for tools.)

Over the years he bought wood items to use in his woodshop or fix up to resell. Once he even bought a pipe organ! Although most purchases were useful, he sometimes bought on impulse.

After he died we had a big auction — his last request. Boy, did that man have tools (and about a million other things) — all neatly put away, oiled and sharpened. (I did NOT inherit that gene from him…)

There were some surprises that turned up from his impulse buys. In a small trunk at the bottom of a cupboard were three ornately ornamented boxes entitled: Magick talismans, magick amulets & charms and magick spells & rituals. My dad! Who knew?