WEEKENDS ARE KILLING ME!

Well, things have been a bit hectic to say the least. The last weekend in Sept. our orchid society hosted a regional orchid show. It was somewhat smaller than our usual shows, but it didn't mean less work for those of us who do . . . the work. It was not well attended by the public, so that was a disappointment; we had fewer vendors, but that was a mixed blessing. If we'd had our usual number they would have been disappointed because of the light turnout; as it was those there did a decent business but did not sell out as they pretty much did two years ago. Asi es la vida. I think we had a lovely display which you'll see below. No trophy for me this time, but I did win a blue ribbon which is right in the center of the display. My work this time was not to set up the display but to prepare the plant labels (the green ones on the little sticks) the night before set-up. On set-up day I was in charge of plant registration meaning I received the little billets which each society or individual submitted for each plant or exhibit. My committee then had to organize these in folders for the judges to use the next day when they judged plants and exhibits. I had the process in hand, and my terrific committee polished it off in record time. It was a long, hard weekend because there was also maintenance of the hospitality room, schmoozing of visitors, takedown of everything, and those of us who worked it spent at least the following Mon. and Tues. recuperating. Here's our display.









The next weekend Jazz and I finally had our often postponed yard sale. The first tentative scheduling was in April, I think. It's hard to remember anymore. We ran into other events, bad weather forecasts, and personal illness/malaise. Then we ruled out mid-summer as just too hot and found the same problems haunting us in the fall. Persevering though we finally placed the ad and launched our endeavor; unfortunately when I arrived to start setting things out the first day of the sale Jazz came to the door looking like death on a stick with a migraine headache. She mustered in though, and we went through with the sale. Although we planned to start the sale at noon she'd had a doorbell ringer at 7:00 a.m. Go figure. We didn't make as much as we did on previous sales, but we did gain some space, and we managed to unload two items we really wanted to get rid of---a mower for her, and an edger for me. Just like the beginning of the sale the purchaser of these two items came after we "officially" closed the sale and were putting things away. However, he had cash and came close enough to our prices, and we couldn't say no. Would you?

This weekend was supposed to be the downtime weekend. I went on my usual round of estate sales on Friday morning and bought a couple of 45's---you know, for that turntable record player I bought last month. I thought they might be of interest to my grandchildren when they come to visit. One is "Does the Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" Now where can you hear that anymore? Interestingly, it has the same song on both sides of the record. Does that tell you what a hit it was? Or did this guy only have one song in his repertoire? (Probably.) The other one was "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night. I had this previously, but it was on eight-track (remember that?), and the eight-tracks are long gone as well as the means to play them. Anyway, I loved that song and its infectious good cheer. When I went upstairs to the bedroom that had been made from part of the attic I saw a most unusual very sturdy double bed with a cedar lined drawer built into the footboard and a matching desk/chest of drawers. Both pieces were quite unique. Oh, well.

Well, I went back this afternoon when prices had dropped to 50% off to try to get the 45 record I didn't buy yesterday---"I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy and to see if they had either of the record racks they had yesterday. I didn't really have any way to take care of/store the 45's I bought yesterday. DUH! Unfortunately, Helen was gone (Damn!). However, when I went upstairs to look for the record racks I saw yesterday one was still there. YEA! And it fits in my alleged entertainment center. But guess what! The unique bed and desk/chest were still there too. But not anymore; they are now in my carport.

Are you ready for the miraculous part of this story? Transport of these purchases is always up to the purchaser. Of course, my first instinct was to go to Chillax (he with the truck) to see if he might be able to go to the house on Sun. when the buyout people came to haul away whatever was left. The operators of the estate sale didn't know when they were coming yet, so that was "iffy." I left his store with the understanding we would try to work that out. Thirty minutes later he called and said he was going to put a sign out and close the store, and he and his friend Mark would go pick up the furniture, so I should call the Magnolia Estate Sale people and let them know he was coming. You can bet I did. I met them there with quilts, etc. to act as furniture buffers. (Wish I had time to tell how we almost killed a woman with a bed spring.) You in the family know that this is probably a once in a lifetime event . . . that Chill would close the store to fetch estate sale purchases. MUST HAVE BEEN A REALLY SLOW DAY! But I am eternally grateful for his benevolence, and neither of us has to go to bed wondering how we're going to negotiate all this tomorrow. I haven't mentioned that tomorrow afternoon we have the orchid society picnic/auction, have I? If it weren't for the business meeting where we really have to do some serious business I would blow that off. I don't need more orchids. On the other hand, the guest bed has been a source of concern for a long time. It was originally (?) my parents' bed, then my Aunt Janie's, then mine. And for the past 16 yrs. the guest bed. It is very wobbly. The new/old bed is not, and it will match another piece of furniture in the room. WooHoo!

No doubt, you see where this is leading. Now I have two pieces of furniture for the next yard sale. Maybe we can put "antiques" in the ad. And I have major work ahead of me to clear out the old and bring in the new. It looks like the circle is unbroken.