Life... as we know it: Garage Sale

This morning we had a "family" garage sale here at our house. Since Grandpa has decided to list his home for sale, that chaos of cleaning up years and years of memories has began... I must say, it is a wise decision to say good bye to the house on Bent Tree however it is one of the last places we have that still feels so much like "mom" (aside from the cabin...). The Bent Tree house was my Mom's true love. She absolutely loved that house and every inch of it reminds me so much of Mom. Not to mention, every inch of everything she had it filled with :) - Mom was a saver indeed. Which now translates into MEGA garage sales or the need for multiple boxes. We began today with our first garage sale. Since Dad lives in a gated community, we decided to move everything here to my house and hope for the best.

At the end of a very long day, we made out with just shy of $300.00. . . not exactly wonderful when I look at all the memories we watched transfer into strangers hands. Much of it was children's toys etc that Mom had used over the years when she did her in home daycare. There were still some items from the house that we all got a good laugh at when we were setting up for the sale. So many things that reminded us all of Mom.

Now, tonight, it is all gone. Either sold in the sale or taken to Good Will in order to hopefully become someone elses treasures. Sales like we had today once again bring me back to reality... of all the "stuff" we collect over the years, all the stuff we "save" our money for etc, is all left behind when we pass on. The memories come from what we "do" with the stuff and that those memories are far more precious to me than the actual "stuff" itself.

It is good to have a reality check every now and then I guess. I am definitely going to keep in the back of my mind when I am out buying more "stuff" the "memory" of how I feel right now, at the end of what felt like a very long day.... EXHAUSTED (wink wink).

Despite the chaos of hosting a sale, bargaining with customers that looked at me like I had 3 heads when I told them the 100.00 dress that they were holding in their hands was for sale for $3.00 (when they only wanted to pay $1.00), and listening to everyones stories about how they needed stuff for cheap because it was going to poor orphaned children.... Suri was on very good behavior. She definitely had her moments, but I think we all did :)

After the hustle and bustle of the sale, we all went out for mexican food... much deserved and enjoyed! Suri and I finished off the evening with some grocery shopping and after her tubbie, she was in dreamland by 6:45pm. I am not too far behind her, after I finish the 3 loads of laundry... clean up the backyard, mop the floor, and try to tidy up the INSIDE of my house that for some reason looks as though the garage sale took place here in my living room... sigh...