it's more than just a good deal

Sugar and I went out yard sailing again the other day. I bought new dog beds for Jo and Gus, a huge heap of like-new clothes for the girls, a couple of cozy sweaters and a warm coat that could work for Shi or Stu. And for $1, a brand new $42 white Vera Wang shirt that I've nearly bought several times from Kohl's, once on sale for $29 and once for $19.

I also bought two framed prints that will probably end up on Shi's front room wall. Perhaps best of all were the two shiny, sparkly princess/witch/vampire costumes that I got for $1 each that saved Shi and me from attempting to sew a princess costume for Audrey for Halloween that, judging by our sewing skills, would have been finished by the time Audrey was 23.

There was also that cute caterpillar/butterfly costume for Ellie. And a wooden rocking chair and wooden rocking bench that the darlings can sit on until it's time to sit on my lap while we read my new old copy of Make Way for Ducklings.

So you might think that this yard sail business is all about hoarding and getting a good deal. But see, it's so much more than that. There's the part about finding everything you could ever want and more for incredibly low prices. Sometimes we see the same thing over and over and over from one stop to the next. Today it was little girl vanities and red glass stuff. Sometimes we see crap that our moms or grammas had in their kitchens or that we played with as kids. You never know what you will see at the next sale, but it's an adventure where the biggest risk is that you didn't notice the broken snap on a onesie that you paid .25 for. Oh well, you just bought a rag for a quarter.

I started writing this post yesterday, but pulled it because it wasn't turning out right. There were really only two things I wanted to say about yard sailing. First, I like to think of us a recyclers just out doing our part to clean up the world.

And second, there's the part about hanging out with Sugar. There are times when we see books or movies or music or weird stuff that makes us ask, who buys/sells this stuff? and then we laugh like crazy old women. Other times, we are touched by the stories behind the sales. But always, I am so glad she let me into her life and her Saturday mornings. Her listening and logic are lifesavers. Spending time talking and laughing together during our yard sail adventures are as freeing as the wind and spray in your face, as close to sailing, as I can imagine without fear of drowning.