I Hate Computer Hackers. But I Love Salt & Pepper Shakers!!

I finally got my computer back on Friday and now feel secure enough to start posting.  There's nothing like getting attacked by about five or six computer viruses to seriously consider departing the blog world.  And here's a word to the wise: DO NOT EVER EVER EVER GO TO THE "FINALLY FAST" WEBSITE!  It is a scam, they take your money and trick you into thinking they're fixing your computer. 

OK, now I have that out of my system.  No, I'm not going to buy a Mac, however wonderful and virus-free they are.  I'm just going to be really really careful about where I go on the internet and run my brand-new malware and anti-virus software about every fifteen minutes.  Oh, yes, I had Norton protection but apparently whatever attacked me also attacked Norton and crippled it enough to where the 'pooter docs had to remove it.  When they told me this, they said, "Oh but you can just re-install it with the codes you got when you bought it."  Codes?  What codes?  I don't got no steenkin' codes.  I may have had codes at one time but that was probably before my office started looking like a tornado used it for target practice.

OK.  Enough.  So this weekend I'm cruising around eBay, inspired by Miz Atomic Ranch and her ashtrays.  Without knowing why, I veered into the dinnerware sector and won a cute pair of  Vernonware "Gingham" salt & pepper shakers to go with some tumblers I bought recently.  When you sign off eBay, they're quite reluctant to let you go without a last attempt at getting you to buy something more, and so up pops little pictures of all kinds of salt & pepper shakers.  One pair, in particular, caught my eye so I dutifully signed back in and visited.  I am SUCH a good eBay customer!

These were described as having been found at an estate sale (oh, la de dah) and from the 1940's.  BUT WAIT!  Wait just a blame frickin' minute there.  I REMEMBER seeing these somewhere!  

Voila!

 

Back in 1957, you could buy them from the Mrs. Dorothy Damar catalog for $1.98 plus 15 cents shipping.  In 2010, I paid $6.99 plus $5.48 shipping.  Let's see, the actual product went up 3.5 times.  The freaking SHIPPING went up 36.6 times! 

Now if I can just find one of those Enchanting Candy Ranch Houses I'll totally be in heaven . . .

Oh, and one more thing: thank you SO MUCH Miz Atomic Ranch for the blog award!  Of course I received it when I was dead in the water, computer-wise, but my thank you, though late, is still very much heart-felt! 

I'll pass it along tomorrow after we get through this latest spate of bad weather.  We're under a tornado watch again.  I feel very Dorothy Gale these days.