Church Yard Sale time

It's that time of year again when I'm totally taken up with our church's yard sale. For the first time in, like, forever, I'm not in charge. I think forever is sixteen years.

I refused to do it. The sale is generally in May. But when no one stepped up to volunteer, and I figured I was home-free. Sigh.

But, a new member finally volunteered to do the sale. She's so new that she'd never even been there when we had the sale. She was totally naive about it. She has two kids and she's in law school. She actually thought it was going to be no big deal.

I couldn't just let her sink. She'd had the courage to try. So I've been working as hard as ever on the sale.

August is too hot for a yard sale. We have it mostly inside which is a good thing. I don't know if shoppers go to yard sales in 90 degree weather or not. I'll find out tomorrow bright and early.

It doesn't feel as bad as it usually does. I'm not in charge, so I feel no pressure about the whole thing. And this woman is sweet, after you get to know her. In fact, she's one of those people who you have to work hard at getting to know, but then it turns out to be worth it.



I think one of the funniest things that happened at the sale (so far) is that a guy named Bruce B. (the daughters will know who) came in to make a donation to the sale. Now, we had already closed the donation period at this point, but no one ever pays any attention to us on times, dates, etc. We're Unitarians. Not afraid of God or nothin'.

But that's not funny, or even unusual. While Bruce was talking at to me there, he decided to donate his canoe to the sale. That Bruce. 'Course, he has no way to get this canoe to church.

So, my husband Niks calls the *little old man that he takes care of, Dave P., and asks if he can use Dave's old beater of a car with a roof rack in order to get this damn nice canoe to the church.

Keep in mind that these three guys are at least 240 years old between them.

Well, Bruce had physical therapy in the morning, Niks had a doctor's appointment and Dave also had physical therapy, so they agreed to meet at Bruce's house at 2:15 PM the next day to get this canoe, which at this point Bruce is calling "beautiful," with tears in his eyes and everything.

Bruce has to lean heavily on a cane, and so does Dave. Niks has Parkinson's Disease and every other thing too. I wish I could have been there to see them messing with this canoe.

Not to worry. Without them knowing it in advance, I had a much younger guy just happen to show up at Bruce's house and help them. That way I don't have to cook for three memorial services and also I get the skinny on what happened.

Mike, the younger guy, told me that the canoe was full of mud when he arrived.

"Bruce said it was beautiful"! I told him.

Mike told me that it was a nice canoe after he hosed it out for an hour. And it was. We priced it at $150.

Y'all should come on over to the church. Good stuff cheap!

* Niks is old. He has lots of physical problems, but he actually does "take care" of an older-than-he-is man, who has even more physical problems. Niks has a heart of gold.