Yard Sale Joy!

My youngest daughter Emily wanted to have a yard sale this week and wanted to have it at my house.  I am always game for a yard sale.  I have had quite a few over the years. Tom does not like them.  I think he feels a bit violated at people coming to our house and glancing at our things and then either rejecting it or asking us if we could take a dollar for a particular item. It is a bit humbling, but I like it. So I decided to sell some stuff too.  

   I have enjoyed many a yard sale, sometimes bringing home with joy an item I felt was the greatest deal.  If you think about the concept of a yard sale, rummage sale, attic sale, tag sale, or whatever you like to call it in your part of the world; it is really cool but strange.  We spend hard earned money for things we have to have at the time.  Keep it for however long and then decide we don't need or want it anymore. We will part with the no longer loved item for $5, $3, $2, or possibly $1, or maybe even the dreaded 25 cents. (a mere fraction of the original cost) If you have never had a yard sale, let me tell you it's HARD work people!! You gather all your things for however long, you price items, make signs, advertise, get change and get up very early the day of the sale. (not early enough for the crazy avid yard saler's who are driving up when it's still dark and want a deal before you even set out half your things) It's WORK. 

  After a few hours of customers, sales, drive by's (the ones who scope out your stuff by driving by your house, slowing down but not getting out) and when no more cars drive up, the decision is made that we're done. We have sucked all the money there is to get from our treasures/junk. We pack it up, count our money, and feel like we have won the lottery.  We're tired, but we feel good because our home seems cleansed of unwanted things.  Joy fills us as we have a bit more padding in our wallets.

  Now, if you are crazy like me you go out shopping after lunch and spend most of what you made on a few groceries or even a new outfit from Target, or even worse something from Goodwill! 

  We had a beautiful day for our sale.  We had lots of customers that seemed blessed by the deals they got. JOY  We hung out with our family and laughed and bargained. JOY  We had a beautiful time enjoying lunch together. JOY  In my eyes it was a huge success! 

  Emily is a planner, worker, organizer.  She had the best looking yard sale signs ever!  She was up early and looking like she stepped out of a magazine. Nothing got her frazzled.

 Kindness was beaming from her smile. Maybe that's why this yard sale was the best one ever for me.  My favorite part was seeing her and her boy sitting on the lawn enjoying the whole thing.  JOY is everywhere.  I always want to be looking for it. Even at a yard sale.