One Man's Trash...

You know the saying...'One man's trash is another man's treasure'. Oh! How true this is! My most favorite Aunt, Judy, came over early this morning that we could go GARAGE SALE SHOPPING today! Oh! Oh! Oh! There were garage sales in abundance today! How I love to drive and see those neon yellow, green and orange poster-board signs announcing GARAGE SALE, YARD SALE, and my most favorite CHURCH SALE!!!!!!!!!!!!! At the very first sale I got a set of 40 paper punches - all in a carrying case for $4.00. I nearly fainted when I found this, because I have paid upward of $6.00 each for paper punches! (Judy spotted it first, but I convinced her if she would let me buy it and keep it at my house, she could come over and use it anytime. So now we have a scrapbooking session planned for one day next week!). Next, I found a perfectly gorgeous metal plant stand for Arthur's front entryway (now gotta get her a plant) - $3.00! Then, I found two cookbooks for 25 cents each (I made banana bread from a recipe in one of my new cookbooks - using very soft bananas given to me by a friend) - a box full of brand new plastic drink stirrers adorned with pelicans, pineapples, etc. for 25 cents (if I never use these, no big deal, they were 25 cents) and a replacement lid for a casserole dish for 25 cents. I got a tabletop, pre-lit, Christmas tree with gold ornaments for $2.50. (Rarely can I pass up a good deal on a Christmas deco). I got a BRAND NEW, tags on and everything, excercise bra for $1.00! I got an almost new pink t-shirt with sailboats for my Momma - 25 cents. Oh man! Those were my monetary treasures.

I also received treasures of the soul today. My best friend's dad, who is 88, said he liked my 'beehive' hair-do, that it made me look pretty. Had to hug and kiss him for that! (We stopped by his house in route to garage sales). An older couple (young 80's) commented to us in the Hardee's parking lot if we had 'left any food for them to eat'. I replied we left two biscuits and a few tater tots. We all had a good laugh. My father law, whom we also stopped by to see, who is 89, told us to watch out for the 'crazy B@$t@%#s' on the road (hey, he's a transplanted yankee, and he's Catholic on top of that - he curses like a sailor (actually he's a retired Airforce pilot), but I love him regardless). Yes, I love old people. (and Catholics. I am married to one, you know) The oldsters remind me of my granny, who is my angel soulmate.

We met all sorts of people today, who were doling out treasures of the soul in helpings of all sizes. One couple sat in there carport under a fan, hawking their wares (cast off household items); they had the sweetest shy smiles. One mother and daughter selling team who had the best dispositions even though some customers were trying to chew down their prices to near give-away. The worker at Hardees who called me 'sir', then we both laughed when he realized his mistake. So many wonderful people.

But, I did have a few episodes of Garage Sale Rage (yes, there is such a thing). Once at a sale with NO price stickers. I refuse to go up with an armload of stuff and have to ask 'How much is this?' I mean, what if they quote and outrageous price and I have to lay it back down??!! How embarrassing is that? Buy some pre-printed garage stickers folks! At another sale, Judy found a food processor before I did - $4.00!!!!!!! Brand new!!!!!!! But, that only lasted a few seconds. After a moment I felt all warm and fuzzy for her that she had found such a great bargain.

Then, there are the freebies. One lady wasn't having a yard sale, but she had a Jenny Lind type crib in her driveway marked FREE. I made an illegal u-turn to go back. My church needs a crib for the nursery. It was clean and mostly complete and in working order. Perfect! Now, I couldn't get it in my car. But this lady said she just HAPPEN to be coming to my neck of the woods later that day, she would deliver it to the church! When I gave her my phone number so she could call me to meet her at the church, (I ripped out a deposit slip from my checkbook, tearing off the account number of course) and she looked at my name on the slip and declared - 'we have almost the same last name' - was pronounced the same, but spelled differently by two letters. This woman so graciously gave away the crib, delivered the crib and provided an amusing story as to how she met her new husband. (She was walking around at an outdoor fundraising function looking to borrow sunscreen when a sweet, shy man offered her his!) Sometimes the freebies are the best treasures found!