Display

Today the weather is just gorgeous! The sun is bright and leaves are popping out everywhere. Jeffrey rode his bike to school today and I rode along to help him lock it. Then I went for a short ride on the path in the park on my way home, and when crossing from the park into our sub I encountered my neighbor's garage sale. I had been in her house once for a candle party and recall that it was a showplace. So I stood there in her driveway admiring her castoffs and how beautiful they all were and so artfully displayed on the tablecloth covered folding tables. She asked if I wanted her to hold anything for me, but I declined. I've always felt a little weird about the whole garage sale process, the exchange if possessions unwanted and wanted. But I am going to do it next weekend when I participate in the sub-wide sale. I don't have anything ready for it yet but I am planning to participate because I can. In the past it was difficult to do this when the sales started on a Thursday. It was once pointed out to me that if I took a day off and actually managed to sell every single object it would still not exceed my day's salary. When I worked part time (which really meant work all the time) I tried to do a garage sale and ended up sitting in there on my phone arguing with a supplier in Mexico about how they were conducting a run-at-rate and scaring away all my customers. And another time we decided that Larry would man the garage for that important first hour of opening day, and he called me at work to proudly announce that he'd sold our stand-up basketball net for $5. Except that it wasn't for sale.

Anyways, I'll let you know how our sale goes. I usually just either hoard or give away our extra things, but whatever I do find I will try to set out in an appealing fashion. I'm not a person who is naturally good at that like some people. My cousin Pammy made a career out of her talent with display. Since I'm a left-brained engineer I tend to like things lined up, tallest-to-shortest, like soldiers. I took a decorating class and learned that is not the most appealing arrangement, so I try. I noticed back when we had a cleaning lady who possessed this skill for display that when she had to move my things around she would replace them at jaunty angles instead of square to the wall like I did. I would study this and try to replicate her work, but eventually the troops fall back into formation if I'm not careful.

Tonight I am hosting book club so for my decorations I got back on my bike and went and cut off lilac branches from some bushes by the road. I also took a picture of the sign for the garage sale I was talking about, notice how she put flowers on it and the letters have little curly-cues. Gorgeous!