Yard Sale

On Saturday, I dragged out all the unwanted and unused stuff from our basement and shed to the driveway, and practically begged people to take it off my hands. Selling things that are still useable, not totally outdated, or at the very least worth $1.00, is not what it used to be. I wasn't out to make a lot of money - I wanted to GET RID OF STUFF.  I was hoping to sell my treasure to cover our family vacation expenses and allow for a little spending money. I ended up with just enough to buy lunch. To be fair, I gave Erica all the money from anything we sold that had once been hers; the play kitchen, clothes, and toys. She made about $80, which put me to shame. The last time I had a yard sale it didn't do well either, and I swore (swore!) I would never have another. But it can be easy money and people will literally take it off my property for very little effort on my part. Except the "very little effort" turns out to be 45 minutes of bringing box after box up the stairs from the basement, assembling the contents in my driveway, taking it all out of the shed (most all of it, a few things were "missed") and I didn't even have time to price anything before people were sniffing around. Maybe we put the signs out a bit too soon.....

People are funny about what they will pay at a yard sale. Some come with a certain item they are searching for, and others are just browsing to see what's there. Some people don't even get out of the car, just doing a slow drive by and looking to see it it's worth getting out of the car. I get that; it's easy to see most of what I had since it was in four long rows down my driveway, from the garage to the sidewalk.

I enjoy talking with people, convincing them they want various items from my sale. Sometimes it works. You also meet some interesting folks who share with you the excitement of a yard sale, and finding some treasure they never knew they needed! I let things go for dirt cheap, which is why I didn't make a lot of money. I was just glad someone else could use the stuff.

Erica had lemonade and iced tea for a donation to the Wildlife Sanctuary in Keensburg, CO. Of course the mess in the kitchen from the preparation of said lemonade and iced tea is still waiting clean up. Sigh.  But I am proud of her for doing nearly all of it on her own, from the signs to the selling. She has a generous heart of which I am very proud.

Friday was a rainy mess, so I missed the chance to have a sale two days instead of one. Fridays are good as you get women with kids and that's what I was hoping for to take away all the toys and clothes. But I did have Mark's help on Saturday so it worked out. Now today, it's a different story. I have to deal with all of it, hauling it to ARC or Savers before the rain ruins it. Plus, my house is a disaster. Can't anyone besides me see this mess!!??? I honestly think that is the real reason I don't want to do a yard sale - I get stuck with cleaning it all up. ALL of it.

If you ever hear me say I want to do this again, TALK ME OUT OF IT - please!! 

Crochet Me a Heart

I never had the chance to ask the questions of my mom, like why her handwriting was so beautiful, or what really happened when she met my dad. As my life progresses and I feel the weight of growing older, I think of so many things that she also lived through, dealt with, or wished never happened. I know she loved to dance (but married a man who didn't) and she never finished high school. But I often wonder where she learned to crochet.


She seemed to turn out doilies and tablecloths in a flash, and if ever there was a baby coming she would whip up a snuggly soft blanket just for the baby shower, and of course a pair of booties. She crocheted flowers and hats and slippers. Much of her creations were off a pattern that she purchased at Woolco along with the multiple skeins of yarn and were given as gifts. She made several bedspreads and throws, pillow covers and a few rugs. One day she found a slipper pattern that she made over and over, altering it to fit better each time. I have one pair stashed away that I can't bear to wear - I want to preserve them like a talisman to the past.

Mom's doll baby 

She crocheted me several dresses when I was a kid, and I remember them being both hot to wear and breezy, with all the gaps in the pattern and the weight of the yarn. I was surprised that she kept them, and for a moment I thought about putting one on Erica. She didn't agree to that (and I totally understood why). She created a Barbie wedding dress, and several other dresses and tops that I know took mere minutes to make but added a lot of fun to playing with my dolls. She made baby doll clothes, but the baby dolls were hers! She got a kick out of making the fun stuff, and I remember a crochet Easter bunny pin, Halloween pumpkin, toaster cozy, and even a pair of crochet earrings. Everything that mom made by hand is a treasure to me, and I can't fathom letting them go.

Pinterest would have kept her busy, with a new project every day. My cousin Jeri is keeping the tradition going, and I love that she wants to do something that many think is "old fashioned." there is something wonderful about making something that is creative, unique, and lasting. I think about learning to crochet, and my mother-in-law has shown me how to get started making a pot holder. I have at least two rows done (one row a year!).  I know I will never be as good as mom, and I know I won't have the lifelong interest, but at least her creations live on.