Fred Sanford

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That darn Facebook Marketplace gets me every time. It has a way of dangling the coolest, most unusual finds right in front of me... and somehow I just can't resist.

When this glass-top side table with a base that looked like tree branches, complete with a monkey climbing up the trunk, popped up in my feed, I immediately sent a message to see if it was still available. Not that I need another side table, we all know I don't, but I somehow knew this quirky little piece would fit perfectly into my eclectic home décor.

To my delight, it was still for sale, and my friend Betsy agreed to come along for the pickup.

The adventure started when we found ourselves winding through the wooded back roads of East Greenwich, searching for the seller's house. And oh, what a house we found! We turned onto what had to be the longest driveway I've ever seen, surrounded by wide-open fields leading to a massive estate. As we made our way up the driveway, I told Betsy how grateful I was she had come with me. I'd hate for a Facebook Marketplace pickup to end with me handcuffed in someone's barn, and for some reason I figured Betsy being there would somehow save me.

The driveway passed beneath an archway built into the house and opened into a beautiful courtyard that looked like something straight out of the Gilded Age. We just sat there for a moment, taking it all in.

A young woman came out with a friendly smile, not appearing to be a serial killer... but then again, who am I to judge? Thankfully, she disappeared into a side building and returned carrying my table, which was every bit as unique and beautiful as the photos promised.

We loaded the surprisingly heavy table into my backseat and headed home, alive and well, still wondering how an estate like that had remained hidden all these years.

It just goes to show that there are still hidden treasures everywhere, sometimes they're tucked away at the end of a long country driveway, and sometimes they're the quirky little finds you bring home to make you smile every time you walk by them.

Tim, of course, wanted to hate the fact that I had brought another piece of furniture into the house, but the moment he saw it, he loved it just as much as I did. I simply reminded him that my kindred spirit has always been Fred Sanford, (added a link for the youngsters)  so he should never be surprised when I show up with another "treasure."

Life is a little more fun when you're willing to chase the unusual, laugh at your own imagination, and come home with both a great story and a one-of-a-kind find. Sometimes the adventure is worth just as much as the purchase itself.

"Collect things you love, that are authentic to you, and your house becomes your story." — Erin Flett