We don't have cable or satelite t.v. by choice. We have had it in the past and decided we watched way too much t.v. We turned it off and got reaquainted with one of our favs - Antique Roadshow on PBS. If we miss it on Monday - we catch the rerun on Thursday. So that's what we are doing right now. We are oohing and ahhing with the amazed and excited people on t.v. and saying "it could be us one day!" For those who have never watched this program, it's where people bring various items to be appraised. They tell stories of the item being passed down generation to generation or sometimes they just picked it up at a thrift store. Most of the items that make it on the show are worth amazing amounts of money.

I love to yardsale and S enjoys estate sales. We don't get out to these often but when we do we are looking for that "amazing find". I actually think I have found my first one. The story goes like this: A friend of mine paid around $500 for a painting from a local artist several years ago. It is one of her cherished treasures. The artist, Margaret Hand, was a local woman and the wife of one of her and my husband's teachers. She has a few paintings in our state capital - her work is beautiful. I have always admired my friend's painting, too.

One day, I was out alone and stopped at a yardsale. I was drawn to a large pretty painting leaning against a tree. I love farmhouses and this one was especially lovely because it was a snow scene. I stood admiring it but thinking S would never let me hang it in our house. We have such different tastes. I looked at the signature but couldn't quite make it out. I walked off but kept coming back. I knew my mom and sister would love it so I had a back-up plan if S said no way. I picked it up and took it over to the lady. She started talking about how her mom had had it painted for her because she loves snow scenes. She said it was done by a local artist and was of her childhood home. I started getting really excited at that point. She then went on to say the artist's name - Margaret Hand. I nearly swallowed my tongue but was cool as could be when I asked how much. When she said $20 I nearly fainted. I quickly pulled out the money and rushed carefully to the car. Since I was only a few blocks from my friend's house, of course, I ran by to show her my find. After 20 minutes of admiring the painting and my friend trying to buy it off of me, I took my prize and went home. I pulled into the yard and carefully got the painting out of the back of the van. S met me on the sidewalk saying" Where do you intend on hanging that? I quickly said " It's a Margaret Hand!" He said " Why not in our room?"

A week later, we spoke with Mrs. Hand's husband- one of S's favorite teachers. We shared our story although we deleted the exact price I paid. He told us we were lucky to have found it. His wife was commissioned to do most of her paintings and they had very few left in their possesion. She also had cancer and was not doing much painting anymore. Mr. Hand said because of that they were not going to sell any of the ones they had and that the value of mine could go up considerably when she passed. He said we had a great investment.

Well, sadly, Mrs. Hand has passed on. I am not sure of the value of my beautiful painting but I do know this. I love my painting whatever it is worth. I still hold to my original thought - I found a treasure. Maybe it will be one of my grandchildren on the Antique Roadshow, hmmm.....