Have you ever had a garage sale? You get ready for about a week or so, cleaning out drawers, closets and cabinets. Then you set it all up in someone's yard (not a garage) and then you spend a couple of hrs. pricing each item. Then you make sure you have change in dollar bills and fives. If you are OCD like myself, you get a pad and pencil and put down how much money you start with, put your change in a box, get your comfortable chair (which you will not sit in) and you are ready to start your day. Then you gather with the other girls in the appointed area(not the garage) and begin. READY, SET, GO.
BUT... if the signs say the sale starts at 7:00 a.m., be prepared for the early bird to come at 6:30a.m. or perhaps the day before when you are setting up (or in my case, my sweet husband who kept calling me on the cell phone from cousin Judy's yard, not the garage, and asking me how much I wanted for different items, because I had not left the house to come over and price the items yet). Then when the sale actually starts, you walk around in the hot sun while people pick over your stuff (MY stuff) and decide if they want to buy it at the rock bottom price you have put on it and then they walk away leaving you dejected that they rejected your prized possessions. Did I mention it was HOT, really HOT. And besides, the Auburn ballgame is coming on at 11:00 a.m. and my sweet husband who has set everything up and will be tearing everything down is with me and a tad anxious for this whole thing to be over. (I guess he forgot that this whole thing was HIS idea after all).
However, the blessing from today was that I did get to meet some interesting people. A lady airplane co-pilot from Savannah, GA visiting a cousin came by. She bought a large boiling pot and promised to invite me to the next crab boil they had when she came up next time. I also met her cousin who just moved here from Louisiana. She works for the Sheriff's Dept and THAT could come in handy in the future (who know?). I also met this little old man who was a delight. When we were interrupted, he was telling me about his time at Iwojima (sp?).
We did sell a bedroom set and a few items of interest, but not really enough to warrant all the work that went into the preparation. So why have a garage sale? Why go to the bother? Why not just either give away the items to friends and relatives that want them or need them? Why not donate the items originally and get a tax deduction to begin with and go to the trouble of the garage sale? If you think I am going to give you a deep, philosophical answer, o.k. here it is.... As I have sat here this evening, pondering at my kitchen table, I could not come up with a valid reason, so I asked the smartest person I knew, my husband (DUH). He is a bottom line man. He does not like long explanations, just the facts. So when I said, "Honey why do you think people have garage sales?" He replied, "TO MAKE MONEY". (Seriously?) And there you have it. Kathy in the Kitchen
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