Yard Sale!

Happy Shoppers at Gillenwater Manor

It's that time of the year...YARD SALES in abundance. Yes, today was the day of the "Neighborhood Yard Sale" of which I have been busy sorting through and purging the utility room of inventory for this sale. (Note: the attic and closets will provide the goods for the "Fall Sale" the last Saturday in September. Mark your calendar now.)

Today, I was joined by two friends, Beth and Carol. Georgeanne was going to join us but her sister is visiting from out of state and she wanted to spend extra time with her before she heads back to her home on Sunday. (George, you'd better be here in Sept. It just wasn't the same without you!) They, too, brought their wares and settled in for the long, hot haul. We found ourselves trading 'stuff' with each other! I think the best part of the day was getting to visit with friends on the porch with the ceiling fans cooling us and sharing stories on a variety of subjects.

Now I ask...

Host a Yard Sale...Why? Bottom line for me, (1) make a little bit of money for my belongings which I at one time purchased because I thought I 'needed' them and (2)getting rid of said needed items. I did have a rather disturbing thought today....if a person was of a very sensitive nature, he/she might have their feelings hurt because strangers, and possibly friends, shop at your sale and then walk away empty-handed! Do they not like your stuff....stuff that you paid 'good money' for and now feel the need to pass on?

To quote Richard Rubin in his article in the July/August '09 AARP magazine: "For as long as people have owned things, they've also found cause, from time to time, to get rid of them. Someone somewhere near you, seeking simplicity and following the spirit of karma or cosmic oneness or casting one's bread upon the waters, will decide, for a mere pittance, to pass some of his or her most treasured possessions on to total strangers, one of whom may be you. At the same time, someone somewhere near you, looking to clean out their hovel and make some quick bucks, will sucker total strangers, one of whom may be you, into paying for the privilege of caring off their trash. These two disparate events may actually be happening at the same house, on the same lawn, or in the same garage,. Which one you attend may become clear to you only the following morning, or week , or month, or perhaps only when you show someone else what you bought and tell them how much you paid for it. If it was the former, congratulations and welcome to the club: but if it was the latter please accept my condolences. And welcome to the club."

Yep, I've been on both sides of the fence, errr, yard.

I'm proud to say that I "made" $80 today. I could have made more, but I had the pleasure of giving some things away. As you well know, money isn't everything--even at a yard sale.