DEAR SUN SPOTS: A recent item in Sun Spots sought a place to donate items for a garage sale. Anyone can donate items to the upcoming Woman’s Literary Union Garage Sale to be held on June 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Foss Mansion at 19 Elm St. in Auburn.Another way to help raise funds to restore Foss Mansion is to buy a bouquet of flowers at Hannaford at 95 Spring St. in Auburn during May as part of their “Bloomin’ 4 Good” program. Hannaford will donate $1 for each bouquet to the WLU.Thank you to all who helped make the Prom Gown Giveaway a huge success this year. Seventy-one young women received dresses. — Kathy, no town

ANSWER: What an informative letter — there’s so much to be proud and happy about here. The WLU is so creative in their fund-raising efforts and are helping some many members of the community.

The Woman’s Literary Union of Androscoggin County is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. For more information check womansliteraryunion.org or call Kathy Lawrence at 795-6134 or email at kathylawrence.maine@gmail.com.

If your non-profit is holding a yard/garage sale in this spring or summer and you’re looking for donations, please write in and I’ll make sure to broadcast it far and wide.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I used to love going to E Claire & Pastries restaurant in the Bates Mill No. 2. I would love to have her recipes for meat pie and those little ham and cheese quiches. Do you have any idea how to get them? — Diane, no town

ANSWER: I never had the pleasure of enjoying Emily Fournier’s pastries, but I know she had many fans and that she is missed. The bakery closed in February of 2020.

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I’m putting your request out to Sun Spots Land in hopes that she and someone who knows her sees it. I would like those recipes, too!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have many old shirts that either have small holes or stains or both and I hate to add them to a landfill. One can only have so many “work around the house” shirts. Is there anywhere to recycle old clothing? At one time Goodwill took them to make rags, but I don’t think they do any longer. — No name Auburn

ANSWER: Check in with Goodwill as different locations still take these items. The clothing may not be re-sold in the stores or made into cleaning and project rags but packaged up and sent to other countries to be re-purposed.

If you have the time, you could mend the clothing, cover the stain with an applique or embroidery, or go to YouTube to look up all the many ways to renew and repurpose these items. The DIY videos are amazing and full of ideas I never would have thought of, like making art. There are some fabulous ideas here: https://remake.world/ and here: https://brightly.eco/

If it gets to the point where you have to send your old shirts, etc. to the landfill, (the recycling center in my town has a special bin for textiles) perhaps you could remove any buttons, zippers and trims first and re-use them for something.

Readers, send along your ideas!

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name. We won’t use it if you ask us not to. Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.


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