The Garage Sale ....

Phyllis and Mom

Dad

Jill

Well, yesterday was the big day, the first day of Dad and Jill's garage sale. It will keep going through tomorrow, when whatever is left will be half price. Half price is really, really cheap, because Dad is selling things for practically nothing already. It's his stuff though, and he is having fun. Dad is a great salesman, and is making a lot of new friends.

They have been working for the past few weeks getting it ready. When they moved from Arizona a few years back, there was a lot of stuff that they never unpacked, and it was still sitting in boxes in the garage. So, there are a lot of really nice items that are being offered for sale.

Poor Jill pulled a hamstring in the middle of preparation, and was out of commission for a few days. I went over and helped them get ready on Tuesday and Thursday, and then helped yesterday at the sale. Dad and I got in a fight over the freezer on Thursday, and I left early, came home, drank some wine and read my book. I was just plain worn out and crabby. I returned in good humor Friday morning, and had a fun time helping. I handed out fliers on my Community Resources website to the customers, whether they wanted them or not. Only one guy left his in plain sight, but he was cantankerous on all accounts anyway. It was fun to visit with a lot of my family ... Dad, Jill, Mom, Mitch, Maria, Cary, and friends John, Ray and Phyllis.

As for me, I don't have garage sales, but I do enjoy going to them. I give my stuff away, counting on the karma idea of what goes around comes around. It usually works for me. Then, again, I have too much stuff and hold on to it for a long time. I think this comes from being too sentimental. I tell myself that this is definitely different than hoarding. I hope it is. At least there is no garbage on our floors and we can still walk inside the house. I remember things like who gave Nigel which stuffed animal for his first birthday, etc. If it wasn't a gift or handed down, it has a better chance of leaving our house at some point. Lucky for me, my best friend husband is also sentimental, and so is his Mom. They understand. And so do my kids. Kari always offers me Casey's old toys first, before she gives them to others.

This trait of mine helped me come home with a lot of Jill's Christmas ornaments and decorations from the garage sale. She wasn't worried about letting them go, but my heart dropped at the thought of some stranger going home with those tree ornaments. I couldn't do it. I scooped them up. I haven't even gone through them yet. Our tree is an artificial 9' one, so I know I'll find room for them somehow. Where there is a will, there is a way!