Blair parent ISO quillow?

PTSA Silent Auction co-chair Donna Beausoleil stands at the ready, yellow highlighter in hand. There are fifteen seconds to go in section B.

"The weirdest thing I've seen here?" she says, scanning the room. Then, leaning forward and uncapping her marker, she settles on "fishing with Mr. Gainous – that's pretty weird."

At the sound of the buzzer, she's gone; Beausoleil won't tolerate last-minute scribblers at Blair's Silent Auction, and her handy highlighter makes winners of flower-painted boxes and a basket from Trader Joe's final.

For PTSA President Deborah Stoll, the answer is easy. "I had to ask Susan Madden what this was," she says, pointing to what appears to be some sort of flotation device. "It's a quillow. Half quilt half pillow." Aside from the quillows and fishing trips is a beer-brewing book (which includes a free delivery of six home-brewed beers), a free nail-trimming consultation for your dog, or, if you have the time, juggling lessons.

Beausoleil says the influx of peculiar items and services isn't the only change this year; this time around, there are 120 fewer entries. "I've been pushing for less items for a long time," she says. "This isn't supposed to be a garage sale."

That may be true, but it doesn't mean auction-goers aren't celebrating great deals; Blair parent Joan Flaherty clinches a beach-house for her book club for just over $300, while her husband, Blair parent Charlie Garlow, overlooks as his offer to "clean your refrigerator coils!" is the subject of a fierce bidding war. But the clock doesn't stop for slow writers; time is up, table cloths are torn away, envelopes are sealed and names are highlighted faster than you can say "bargain."