The Road To Hell Is Paved With Yard Sale Signs

I don't suppose I have to tell you that I had a yard sale this weekend; the title of the post says it all. This was the first sale that we've had since 2018 and we were well overdue, which, says an awful lot about my hoarder tendencies, now that I think about it.

Actually, no, hoarders can't bear to part with their possessions and I certainly had no problem with that; it was the gathering up and displaying said possessions for the masses of bargain-hunting, penny-pinching, "will you take ten cents for this item marked at ten dollars", yard sale hunters that make me hate yard sales.

Anyhoodle, 'tis over! We got rid of enough junk to make me feel slightly better about my life choices and I now have room to store the various High School collectibles that make up The Shrine in the Man-Cub's old bedroom. Success! 

The sale took place over Friday and Saturday. Hugh, Mom, the Man-Cub and I spent the time rearranging the tables, hauling out new items to fill in the empty spaces, and just enjoying each other's company. 

The Cub had done an excellent job of cleaning out his old closet, unearthing items that he had long-ago forgotten, including approximately three billion football cards.

We also came across Queen B's old CSI Forensics kit, which brought back fond memories of her obsession with forensic science. It's surprising that she didn't go into criminal justice, but, for now, her obsession with true crime documentaries will suffice.

When all was said and done, we'd made over $500, emptied out some storage, and had a chance for some seriously interesting people watching. Then, on Sunday, I treated Hugh and the Cub to ice cream from the parlor that just opened in Petticoat Junction. It wasn't a terrible way to spend a weekend. 

And, by that, I mean the ice cream. The yard sale part, not so much.

Zero stars, do not recommend (except for the $$$ it raised for banana splits, I mean, obviously).

What's Up Wednesday: May 2023 Edition

 

Here we are at the end of May, already. The days are getting longer and hotter and more enjoyable and I'm here for it! As always, I am capping off the month with another edition of What's Up Wednesday. Thanks to Sheaffer and Shay for hosting!

What I'm Eating

I've made it a point to try new (to me) restaurants in Hooterville, which is how Hugh and I ended up eating something called Bock Bock Fries at a new (to all of Hooterville) brewery. They were quite filling, which almost spoiled my appetite for the Mother Clucker, which is the chicken sandwich that I had ordered as my main course.

The food was pretty tasty, but Hugh was unimpressed with the beer, and I wasn't really a fan of the ambiance of the restaurant, so I don't think we'll make it a point to go back. I would do a pick-up order, however.

The second new (to me) restaurant that I tried was a taco joint on Main Street; I went with Erin and Kristi and we were all trying it for the first time. We started with the chips and queso, which is pretty hard to screw up, in my experience. No surprise; it was delicious. I had the taco salad, which was delish. Erin had a chopped salad and Kristi had the smoked pork tacos and neither was disappointed. We also got to sit outside, on their sidewalk seating and it was one of the first truly nice days of spring, so I may be grading on a slight curve, but, ten out of ten would recommend.

What I'm Reminiscing About

Six years ago this week, we hosted our last End-of-the-School-Year-Slip'n'Slide Party. We started the tradition at the end of Queen B's freshman year and continued it throughout both kids school careers. I don't think Hugh misses how messed up that plastic left his grass, but I have a suspicion that he misses having all of those kids over to the house. I know I do.

What I'm Loving

My garden is coming along nicely, which gives me hope for a better produce haul than last year. 

I've also been loving the flowers that are blooming locally, including the amazing variety of irises that Mom and I saw this past weekend at a local iris farm.

What I've Been Up To

Erin and Kristi are moving to the UK in September, so we have drafted a Bon Voyage Bucket List; things that we want to do before they leave. So far, we have a list of nine things that we want to accomplish, but the list could grow. We've already checked off the first item.

Hugh and I spent Memorial Day weekend with Shanti and the Man-Cub, 4-wheeling. It was a lot of fun and we made sure to get as dirty as possible. I love spending time with these two; they are a laugh a minute.

What I'm Working On

I am hosting several events this summer, including a bridal shower (Miss Mia's), a diamond anniversary party (Oscar and Emily), and a vintage-themed Bon Voyage party (Erin and Kristi). So, I am printing invitations, planning menus, buying decor, and working on special touches for each event. This includes refinishing an antique ironing board of my grandmother's; I rescued it from the garage when we moved Mom. It was a hot mess until I sanded it and Hugh brushed on a couple of coats of clear polyurethane. It turned out great, and, will be used for holding glass drink dispensers at both the shower and Bon Voyage party.

For Mia's shower, I decided to make rose ice cubes for the mimosa bar. They were pretty easy and turned out great. I can't wait for Mia to see them.

What I'm Dreading

Our first big fundraiser of the year takes place in seventeen days and things are not quite falling into place as they usually do. The band that we have coming in for the concert has been quite a bit more demanding than bands that have provided the entertainment before and it is driving our costs up to the point that we will be lucky to hit the lowest estimate of proceeds we anticipated (proceeds go to our non-profit as well as another organization in Hooterville). It's not the end of the world, but I'm left to wonder what else could possibly go wrong (I don't really want to know, Universe; I'm just saying).

 

What I'm Excited About

Queen B will be home in 22 days! She is the Maid of Honor when our Katie Girl gets hitched on the 23rd and will be my right-hand man the following day, when we have Oscar and Emily's anniversary party. I love doing events with that child of mine; she's the yin to my yang.

What I'm Watching

I binge watched the latest season of The Great. It was, well, great. Elle Fanning is an amazingly talented actress.

I also watched the final season of Firefly Lane. I may have cried.

I most definitely cried at Guardians of the Galaxy, but that doesn't count because I was crying on the inside.

What I'm Reading

I ordered this cookbook on Amazon, but it's so much more than a cookbook; it's a cultural guide to Italian cuisine, region by region, ingredient by ingredient. The recipes are almost a bonus.

What I'm Listening To

Birds are chirping outside my window. It's a sweet sound, until I remember that the little bastards have been snitching seeds out of my garden. I'm pretty sure I lost an entire row of lettuce to those assholes.

What I'm Wearing

It's finally nice enough for sandal wearing, which I have embraced (following the first pedicure of the season, naturally). I am also wearing this jaunty hat that I made at a DIY hat bar at a boutique in Hooterville. Hat making was #1 on Erin and Kristi's Bon Voyage Bucket List, so I was required to participate (I'm not mad about it).

I'm also "wearing" my gray as proudly as I can bring myself to. It's been a rough adjustment but I do not miss getting my roots dyed every four weeks, so, there's that.

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Assuming we don't get rained out, we will be having a yard sale. It is a necessary evil but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

Katie's wedding, Oscar and Emily's anniversary party, a gender reveal for Kaley (Jana is secretly hoping for a boy, since Darren and her daughter-in-law already have two girls), having the concert fundraiser behind us, and maybe carving out some time for laying in the sun with a beach read. That would be nice.

Favorite Amazon Find This Month

I bought these silicone ice cube trays for the rose ice cubes that I am making for Mia's shower. They worked well and the price was reasonable.

Memorial Day Weekend: Sunday Edition

Despite having gotten to bed quite late the night before; I was up with the sun to go 4-wheeling with Hugh and the kids. In this case, the "kids" were the Man-Cub and Shanti, but that still counts.

Also, Hugh acts like a kid, so, there's that.

Since I was on call, we only went as far as I was able without losing cellphone signal. That was plenty far enough for a decently long ride and a brief tunnel excursion.

 

Let me draw your attention to the matching shirts; Hugh got them on sale at Sam's Club and, oh my goodness, was he proud of himself.

Then, we stopped for a picnic lunch before turning back towards home, where a nice hot shower awaited. We were filthy and ready to grill up a few steaks for dinner with Mom, Oscar, and Emily.

This is Shanti, choking out the Cub while flashing gang signs. Just kidding! She loves him, she really loves him.

It was a great way to spend our Memorial Day weekend. On Memorial Day, itself, Hugh and I did a ton of yard work; he had sprinkler heads that needed to be changed out and I had flowerbeds that required my attention (in this case, said attention amounted to not much more than assessing the bindweed situation and determining that I am going to hire someone far younger and more energetic than myself to get the job done. We're not telling Hugh).

I hope your Memorial Day weekend was awesome.