Goodwill (Wardrobe) Hunting

I found this silk baby-doll top and white "skort" at Goodwill to add to my retirement summer wardrobe in July of 2020. The necklace was also purchased at a used clothing store. Both items cost $6.29 each. The necklace was purchased several years ago, but goes nicely with this outfit. I didn't keep track of this cost, but it was likely under $10.00. The clothing was $12.58 total, and in perfect condition. I'm prepared to make alterations or clean stains, but that was not necessary for either of these pieces. The top is 100% silk and will need to be handwashed.

Suddenly Poor When I was fourteen, my parents divorced and my mother, who had full custody of me and my two younger sisters, moved us to Piedmont, a small enclave inside of Oakland, California. Don't be surprised if you've never heard of Piedmont - it's only one square mile big and almost entirely residential. However, it was (and still is) home to some very wealthy and successful people in the San Francisco Bay Area who made their money prior to the tech boom. A quick Google search of images of Piedmont will show you the mansions of the families I went to school with. My mother had gotten a toe-hold into a "poorer" area of Piedmont, choosing the town over Oakland so that we kids could walk to all of our school activities--something that would have been impossible for us to do in Oakland. It didn't occur to her or us that we had suddenly become drastically poorer than our new friends, and that this would have social (and financial) implications for us. The ten...