Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Garage Sales--What's In It for Me?

Garage sales have been a part of my life since I was a little kid. Every spring, my mom and two other moms in the neighborhood collected all their stuff and brought it together in one of the neighbor's garages for a big sale. The garage was filled with tables laden with children's clothing, housewares, and toys. I absolutely loved it! One of the families, the Leitchliters, had two daughters who were just a little older than me. So I had first pick of the clothes and toys they had outgrown. This yearly event got me hooked and I've had to deal with the addiction ever since!

Through the years, I've enjoyed rummaging through other people things looking for the treasures that would bring me and my family pleasure. I've got so many wonderful memories of discovering items at a garage sale! Over the years, I've found a She-Ra castle with all the accessories for my daughter, my ceramic top kitchen table, a dining room table, eight chairs, and china hutch for my sister, a set of china from Germany, Fisher Price toys of different eras, artwork that hangs on my walls in both my kitchen and family room, bicycles, books, music, and so much more!

My husband, Roland, has started going with me in recent years. One of the questions he used to ask me is, "What are we looking for?" I'm very seldom actually looking for any one thing in particular. But I always know it, when I see it. And while Roland sees different items than I do when we're garage saling, it seems he definitely understands the spirit of the event. He's always on the lookout for fishing and camping gear. Though these items aren't any where near as plentiful as exercise equipment, he's found some good stuff, including several nice backpacks. He's kept one and given others to family members and to scouts in our church troop.

This year I hadn't felt as much enthusiasm for my hobby. But out of habit, Roland and I have ventured out. The last trip, I found a collection of children's books by Leo Lionni; a cd with the soundtrack of "What Women Want" (it has music by Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr, and Bobby Darin on it!); a dvd of Mona Lisa Smile (I love that movie!); a matching kitchen set that includes a napkin holder, salt and pepper shakers(already filled), a banana hanger, and bowl; several really cute and unique stuffed animals--monkeys, a cat, a horse, and a couple dogs (My 5-year-old grand daughter loves stuffed animals--she has never played with dolls, but she loves each and every one of her stuffed animals.) All were good bargains that I was able to purchase with my quarters, dimes, and nickels that I collect for just this purpose. Roland found a couple of good, sturdy fishing poles and reels, plus a flying fishing rod that is worth a bundle, for which he only paid $10. That is a legendary bargain!

And now, I remember what's in it for me. It's that gentle surprise of a find and pleasure that I didn't even know existed. It just comes into my life unexpectedly--no planning necessary! Oh boy, I can hardly wait for Saturday! Only question is: Will Roland go out with his fishing equipment or me?!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Can I be honest with you?

Can I be honest with you? Oh, those are the dreaded words! Recently, one night as Roland and I laid in bed waiting for sleep to overtake us, in the still of the night he said, "Can I be honest with you?" My resting heart rate was no longer resting, and my mind began racing. What could it be that he needed to be honest about?! With some hesitation, I responded, "Of course. What is it?" He began, "You remember those deviled eggs you made? Next time you make them, I think you should use garlic powder and not substitute with garlic salt. That salt changed the texture." I burst out laughing and replied, Now you've done it! I'll never make deviled eggs again!" But I thought, "What a relief!"

Monday, April 20, 2009

Visitin' Emily


We had a great time over the weekend at Emily's. It was Dad's first time, so he was very excited and fell in love with the area. He especially enjoyed the agriculture of the area. We went up to the Stone Door hike that Emily and I did last spring. On the way up, Emily spied the sign above. I must confess that it seemed like we might have driven onto the set of Green Acres. How many places do you know of where they sell produce, prom dresses and land? We had to stop and check it out. It turned out to be a second hand store. The prom dresses were quite nice and inexpensive--like $10!




But the real treat of the store was meeting their cat. Truly, it must have been a descendant of Scout's. She looked a great deal like him--only smaller. She was so very friendly. When you pet her, she sometimes would stand on her hind legs, wrap her front ones around your arm, "play bite" on it--just as Scout would! She was amazing : ) It was good to pet her and took me back a few years! We asked about other cats around that might be like her, and the lady who owned the place asked for our number. Emily obliged. We'll see if any kittens appear! The picture isn't the best, but it was the best I could do with my cell phone--and I forgot my camera at home on the dining room table.
The hike we took was short, and mild. We had to get back to get ready to go to the benefit for the House of Hope, an organization that serves the community as a safe house and helps those who are victims of domestic violence. But there were beautiful views all around and when Dad went out on a ledge, my cell phone proved useful once more. Most places that we visit have railings, so to see this natural view without one is quite dramatic. We thank Emily for a splendid visit!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Paw Paw Trees in the Springtime




See the lovely blossoms on our paw paw trees!?

Here you can see Dad caring for the paw paw trees. He's using a fine paint brush to assist the two trees in polinating.

The first tree has are 27 blossoms. On the second tree there are 147 blossoms! (Dad counted them . . . he says he may have double counted a few of them, but the number is pretty close.)

Friday, April 3, 2009

Bird, Butterfly, Eel

My grand daughter, Naomi, is a nature lover. When I found the book, Bird, Butterfly, and Eel, written and illustrated by James Prosek, I had to share it with her. The pictures are beautiful and the story is true! Migration is a very curious thing, especially migration of eels! I sent Naomi the book, but since she lives far away, I can't read it to her in person. So, below is a video with Nana reading it to her. What a great book!


Sunday, March 22, 2009

The Obed Hike





Roland and I enjoyed our first springtime hike this week! I appreciate the Knoxville News Sentinel reporting on hikes in the area, and that's where we learned about this hike. The Obed Wild and Scenic River is usually thought of as a place to go canoeing or rock climbing, but it also has some interesting hiking trails. We took a couple. The first was called the Point Trail. It's destination is a point in which we were able to view the meeting of Obed River and Clear Creek down below as we enjoyed our snack sitting on a rock. If that were to be the highlight of the hike, however, we might have been disappointed. It was cool, with the buzzards circling overhead! But we really enjoyed taking off downhill going to see the Obed River up close. We met some rock climbers who were visiting from Canada. And after exploring the river, scampering back up the hill was quite a work out since it was so vertical that I used my hands as much as my feet! We also took a short hike to Boulder Meadow, which was fun to explore. I hope Roland and I can share this place with you some day!