A Weekend Estate Sale

Last weekend I went to an estate sale in town. Several times a year there is a company that moves items from an estate and they sell them over the course of several days. I have probably mentioned it before. I go every time there is a sale. I don’t always buy a lot but I like to see all the different items.

A sale like that gives you a glimpse into the lives that the owners had. Their hobbies, style, memories. It sometimes makes me a little sad that they didn’t have someone to leave these things to. Or maybe they did and these are the things that were left that no one wanted. I see so many quilts and cross stitch pieces that I know so much time has gone into. I feel the need to rescue them. I don’t, always. I know that if that person who made it was like me the joy came from actually making the piece and admiring it or sharing it with someone at the time. I always come away from these sales feeling like I know the family.

So anyway I went to the sale on Saturday. The sale always starts on Thursday. On Thursday morning at 9:00 AM people are lined up to get in. Everything is full price on Thursday. On Friday everything is reduced to 25% off. On Saturday everything is 50% off. On Sunday and sometimes Monday everything is 50-75 % off except for items the family has a firm price on. I usually go on Saturday because that is when I have the most time to look. I sometimes go back on Sunday or Monday to see if anything is left that I might want and get it for a really good price.

On Saturday I went to the sale and got there around 10:00 AM I saw a few interesting things. The person who had these items loved to paint. And not just your usual flowers or scenery but some really funky colors in an abstract sort of way.

***Just look at these colors is that not cool***?

***This old farm table sold almost immediately.***

***I loved this old clock but we have an old kitchen clock and barely know where to keep it.***

***I loved this tray but I have several and no where to put them as it is***.

***Hand carved animal. Someone liked to carve wood***.

O.K. This painting I almost brought home. It is called Hippie Bus. Look at the colors. But I just couldn’t. I had no idea where it was going and until I finish the total decluttering of my basement I am not bringing anything like this back in. I hope it finds a good home. ***I showed this picture to my husband and he just shook his head no. He did not feel the same way about it. I think it’s all in the eye of the beholder.***

*I so loved this bench. And it looked great but it wa**s almost falling apart*.
***I guess that’s why it was still there on Saturday. I passed on it.***

***I loved this oil painting but it was really not for me.***

***The Halloween costumes and figurines were really old. This family must have loved Halloween.***

***Old luggage set. Loved them but I couldn’t really use them.*** ***I especially loved this color.***

***I did purchase this cake stand it was only $6.00 after being $12.00 and the 50% off. I love the really thin top.***

***I got six of these Early American Life magazines that have some fantastic articles in them. I got each one for .50 and I will pass them on to my sister when I am finished.***

But my absolute best find was this Margaret Smith Purse, the tag had Gardiner, Maine on the inside and it was brand new. It still had the plastic on the handles. I looked it up on EBAY and another one just like it was listed for $45.00. I got this one for $2.50 after the 50% of the $5.00 price tag. SCORE!!! I love it!!!! I will probably use it to carry knitting projects like socks or mittens.

Only three items purchased. I know exactly where I will put them and what I will use them for so I don’t feel too bad about bringing them into the house.

Do you like estate sales?

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!!

The Mountains Behind Us

Are you a mountain climber? Of course you are!!! I am speaking metaphorically of course. You may have actually climbed real stone mountains but I am talking about those things in your life that you have accomplished or overcome or struggled with, etc etc. They are just as hard to climb.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by things in my life that I feel that I need to do. You know those things you feel like you should do or feel like you have to do etc etc. It seems like when we look at the big picture with everything that needs to be done it looks like a mountain. I usually stare up at my mountain at around 2:00 AM on the mornings I can’t sleep. That mountain seems so ominous!!! It’s usually better once I get up in the morning and have had my coffee, it doesn’t seem quite as hard to tackle. But it’s still there.

But have you ever stopped to think about the things that you have already done in your life? The mountains you have already climbed? I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit for those things. Think about it with me for a minute:

You were born, you have learned so many things. You have helped so many people during your life whether you realize it or not. You’ve applied so many of those things that you learned to your life and to other peoples’ lives. You’ve climbed a mountain.

You have had relationships. Maybe you’ve married, had children, grandchildren, You have been a son or a daughter, a sibling, a partner, a mother a father, a lover a friend, you have loved. You have hurt, you have been joyful, you have lived. The things you have learned, mentored, and taught the people you have known and loved is astounding!!! There is no measure. You’ve climbed a mountain.

You’ve nurtured, fed, clothed, cuddled, survived. You’ve climbed a mountain.

You’ve overcome obstacles that limited you in many ways, physically, mentally, emotionally. You’ve climbed a mountain.

You’ve worked, supported yourself and your family. You have given your knowledge, earned money, helped your family, friends and co-workers. You have grown and matured. You’ve climbed a mountain.

You have been happy, you have been sad, you have mourned, You’ve lived. Each day that you are here is in and of itself a mountain that must be tackled and taken step by step. This is a mountain you have climbed and continue to climb.

So I say when you are lying in bed, or wherever you may be, and you have something weighing on your mind. Think about all the things you have done in your past, and all the things you are doing right now, and know that you will get through you are climbing a mountain.

And even though you still have a lot of mountains to climb you have so very many that you have already conquered. Those are the mountains behind you and they are to be treasured.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

This is the Berchtesgaden Alps in Southeastern Germany, near the border of Austria. 2019.

Life is like a Jigsaw Puzzle

Forrest Gump says, or his mama says, that life is like a box of chocolates and you never know what you are going to get. I do agree with that. But I also believe that life is like a jigsaw puzzle.

I love working jigsaw puzzles. I have probably worked hundreds of them through the years. But the other night I was working one and I thought to myself, life is like a jigsaw puzzle and you have to put all the pieces together to see the full picture and it can take awhile. A lifetime to be honest.

You usually start working a puzzle by separating the outside pieces and then start working on the middle. You aren’t supposed to know what it will all look like until you get to the end. But as you place more and more pieces you will notice a picture taking shape. There will be missing pieces or pieces that don’t seem to fit anywhere until the very end. In the beginning it’s hard and it takes time to understand. As you progress the puzzle gets easier and easier to fit the pieces into place. You will see parts of the puzzle that didn’t seem to work and then they just do. ” Ahhhh I see now”.

If you could see the completed puzzle, without looking at the box, would it be as interesting, fun or as challenging as working through it and putting those pieces into place. No of course it wouldn’t.

I would also compare this to starting something new or breaking a bad habit. At first you are fumbling around, much like a new baby, and you aren’t sure what to do next. It’s hard it’s really hard. But as you progress and time goes by it gets easier to understand. It gets easier to do.

Just my thoughts on this Sunday morning when I have to remind myself that I am not supposed to know all the answers or know how to do something perfect in the beginning or even in the middle or ever.

Happy Sunday, Have a wonderful week!!!!

Always remember,

Love your day your way!!!!

Another Sister Trip In The Books. 2020

The last few days have brought a wonderful kaleidoscope of color to our little area. The trees, which I thought were turning color rather slowly, have suddenly popped out in color like you wouldn’t believe!!! Orange, red and golden leaves are everywhere. I almost can’t drive down the road without stopping to gawk at the beauty. There couldn’t have been a better time to take a Sister Trip.

I think I have mentioned before that my sisters and I take a sister trip every year. We usually go to a condominium in Gatlinburg Tennessee, which is just about seventy miles from us in the Smoky Mountains. We stay at the same condo every year. Baskins Creek Condominiums, we love this place it is just perfect for us. Our sister trip was supposed to take place about six weeks ago but that was the same time Mark had a stay at Vanderbilt Hospital for the dreaded Shingles virus. So we postponed until this past week. We checked in on Sunday and left on Wednesday. The weather was perfect. We did a few fun things and ate at some wonderful restaurants. But we mostly stayed around he condo and enjoyed each other’s company.

I have mentioned my sister Sandy to you a lot. She is my go to for everything. She helps me take care of the babies when I have to be out of town. All I have to do is call her up and say “I need your help” and she is there. She is my rock. My niece Tammy who we also call our sister goes with us every year and just rounds out our group. We don’t get to see her as much and when she is with us it is so special. But this trip sort of focused on my oldest sister Pat, well she’s the oldest since my sister Carolyn, Tammy’s mom, passed away, Pat is a hoot. Everyone that she meets loves her. She is almost seventy years old but she has such a childlike youthfulness that you would never know it. She always makes the best friends no matter where she goes. Pat is the real deal. She will tell you exactly what she thinks and doesn’t try to impress anybody. Her husband passed away many years ago and me and the other sisters have sort of taken over helping watch out for her. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. O.K. you get the picture, the sisters are incredibly close.

Pat told me that she wanted a cell phone, not a flip phone or anything like she had had in the past. She wanted a phone like me and Sandy had. A phone that she could text and get FaceBook and watch TikTok videos. I know, I am a bit ashamed about TikTok it was my doing. I introduced her and she loves it. Sooooo I got her a smart phone. She is not techno savvy at all and she will be the first to tell you that. She had never texted in her life.

I got the phone a day or two before our trip so that we could help teach her how to use it. And I knew her neighbor and good friend Kathy would help her once she got home. I have to tell you she loved the phone and within thirty minutes she was saying “was that my phone?” to see her so excited over something and learn something new just did my heart good. We set up the texting and calling first and got her used to that and then I introduced her to FaceBook. When we started going through the list to see who she would send friend requests to she agonized over many of them. She said “well I don’t really know them that well should I be sending a friend request?” Isn’t that an age old question? We had so much fun just watching her discover all of this. I am afraid we may have overwhelmed her a little. I talked to her right after we got back from the trip and she was using it, and then I got a text from her yesterday so that is a good sign.

While we were on our trip, we went to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, it was very interesting and I could have spent hours in there. We so wanted to visit Anakeesta Theme Park, but the line and the crowds were crazy and we chose not to wait to get in. Another time for sure. We walked across the street from Anakeesta and had nachos, chicken tenders and Bahama Mamas at the Daiquiri Shak. It was so yummy!!! We sat at an open air table and enjoyed the river running right beside us. It was perfect. And of course we did a little shopping. Pat and Tammy are not big on shopping.

***The Sisters, From L to R. Sandy, Pat, Tammy and me.***

And as always the Sister Trip seems to end almost before it gets started. We headed home on Wednesday and went back to our day to day. We still laugh over our time together and will until next year.

But as I mentioned the colors in our area are absolutely beautiful!!!

***Sunrise from my back yard on Friday morning.***

Remember the link party I did a few weeks ago and Linked to The Weekly Smile? I am asking what made you smile this week? For me it would be teaching my sister how to use her first smart phone and getting to spend several uninterrupted days with my sisters.