Garage Sale Report by James

 

Our garage sale was a big hit

 With barbie houses and building  kits

During the sale I sold some snacks

But some people thought the snacks were just quacks

 

We got a lot of profits from the sale

But we didn't sell food like Indian Kale

I liked the garage sale a lot 

And the weather was really hot

 

(Our garage sale was only a minor hit but everything else in the poem is true).

This garage sale was junky but cheap.  According to me it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.  I had a snack stand with gummy bears, chocolate milk, Austin variety packs, water, and Capri suns.   I made $17.64 (really I made $18.14 but took two quarters to complete my state quarters collection and shared the rest), mommy made a lot, and Peter made $2.25 .  

A lot of people came to our garage sale, my estimate would be 75 people were here.  

Stuff

I am experiencing a great aversion to stuff.  This is my garage pre-moving sale and there are even more piles inside.

My good friend and neighbor came over and helped me pack up my kitchen today.  She is Bulgarian and was able to share practical sense with me as I dusted out the cupboards deciding what would be wrapped and packed and what should be set aside for the moving sale.  She described the simple living arrangements in which she was raised and how it enabled her to focus on hard work and education.  

This was enough to give me the courage to let go of the fancy serving dishes I use only a couple times a year and even all the trinkets I picked up in China several years ago.  As I saw them sitting in the open box awaiting their unknown destiny I asked myself, "did they really enhance my life"? The answer was a definite "NO"!   

When one sister saw how much stuff we were unloading she asked if both Paul and I were experiencing a mid-life crisis.  Another one commented, "you're just cracking early".  I will argue it is just the opposite, we are wising up early.  But I'm not all the way there yet because I still plan on dragging 5 plastic bins of fabric and 10+ boxes of books across the country with us. 

Memorial Day

We joined our family brigade to visit the graves of our ancestors at the Salt Lake Cemetery.

Peter later commented to me, "Mom, graveyards are nice places to visit but it would be too sad to live there.  But if you did live there they could write on your tomb you lived there until you died".  

      

The girls traced their fingers along the letters and straightened all the flowers.

James sweetly asked if he could be buried next to his brothers because they never want to be separated.

I left with pleasant memories of my grandparents running through my head and grateful for the legacy and example of ancestors I've never met.  This was a great family activity.

More business casual baby clothes

This refashioned business casual ensemble was cut out before Easter but I never got around to sewing it.  I could have packed it but with all the sorting and packing I needed a bit of sewing therapy.  Henry also needed a new church outfit.  Other WIP may have to wait until we are settled in at point B. 

Lime summer slaw

I promised my sisters I'd post this before I closed up my kitchen.  This is our family's new favorite side and tortilla topper. 

1 head of green cabbage shredded

1 head of red cabbage shredded

sliced green onions

1-2 bunches of chopped cilantro

Dressing:
Juice of 4 limes
2 tsp fresh ginger grated
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS sugar
2 spoonfuls of garlic chili paste
4 TBS brown rice vinegar

keep in mind this makes a lot - I suppose this would be a double batch. Other variations would be to add carrots, sesame seeds, or fish sauce.  

Transition

Before I could get through the several piles of laundry from our National Parks trip I was once again packed up and off on another adventure of sorts, this time just with Paul and little Henry.  We spent 4 days back in MI searching for a new home.  Emily was kind and took care of not only the five other children but also our dog.  This enabled a very productive and focused search and we are now in the process of pursuing two very great options.

Transition is never easy though. A very wise woman I spoke to likened any change to what one experiences during childbirth. The transition stage of labor is where I always want to run away, give up, and ask myself "what was I thinking"?. The more I feed into these thoughts though the tougher and longer the pain. But as soon as I find the strength to stop resisting and just let it flow with slow breath the discomfort is soon over and the joy of a new baby has replaced any remembrance of pain.

Right now I'm in a transition of sorts. I feel pain for those who I will be leaving behind, I feel frustrated with stuff and clutter, and anxious about contracts and closings. To be honest I just want to hide under the covers or burrow behind my sewing machine, snap my fingers and have it all over and ourselves settled without the sweat. But this move is not going to happen without the focus of my mind and labor of my hands. It's time to take a deep breath, buy some packing tape and start cleaning into the deep dark corners of this home.

Biking Yosemite

We spent the last couple of days discovering the Yosemite Valley, it is spectacular.  There we were surrounded by waterfalls, rushing rivers, forests, meadows and boulders that reach the sky and able to enjoy it all on bikes.  

The only draw back to this park was we were are also surrounded by huge crowds of people.  But our Yurt neighbors, who were seasoned climbers and campers, reassured us one mile beyond the paved paths of the valley there is a completely different feel.

Besides biking the kids enjoyed a chilly dip in Mirror Lake, a guided nature walk with a ranger, and completing another Junior Ranger program.  This park is definitely worth revisiting.