Sometimes we go to estate sales to see what we can find. Last year, I was in the basement of a home on the far West side, and I found a tall stack of thick three-ring binders. These were filled with cut, paper snowflakes pasted onto black construction paper. That whole basement, actually, was testament to a person self-medicating through craft. There were piles of materials and supplies on shelves lining the walls. I knew nothing about the two men who had lived in this home except what you could glean of their interests and taste. Estate sales are interesting that way. They liked Lena Horne and The Frugal Gourmet, they’d travelled in Italy… but what can that really tell you? These snowflakes say more.

I was tempted, of course, to buy one of the binders. They were a dollar, which would have been a bargain considering the work that went into 100s of snowflakes. But Linda was right to remind me that our house isn’t infinitely accommodating. So, I took some quick snapshots instead. It occurred to me to share them. I’m filing this post under sustainability because it’s about personal resources and resilience.

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