Garage Sale - Day 2

Saturday was my turn at our sale. I opened up the garage at 8 AM. It was quiet in the neighborhood and no one showed up until almost 9:15 AM.
However, it was busy from 10 AM - 12:30 PM with plenty of garage sale customers. I had help from Sarah, Rosa and Melissa with traffic and sales. Thanks everyone for your help and wonderful support throughout the day. Melissa brought lunch and she and Rosa both helped move items around and out the driveway.




Garage Sale Moments

Beanie Babies will have new playmates soon:
A women bought a couple small green pottery plant holders to match some others she has. Her son was in the car waiting but I thought I'd ask if she knew anyone who wanted Beanie Babies. (They were very popular years ago and my daughters collected several.) Her husband knows someone at his office who sends them to the children in Iraq. Bingo! We loaded two boxes of the adorable little stuffed creatures into the backseat of her car (free).
Afternoon Slump:
There wasn't much attendance for the afternoon session. Some neighbor children stopped by to search for treasures and chat with 'Jan' (me). By 2:00 PM we started bringing everything back slowly into the garage and closed up by 2:30 PM. I packed FINDS in my truck and headed home for a nap.

New friends; silly poses!

The Results:
There wasn't much furniture left after Thursday (see Garage Sale - Day 1 from earlier this week), but with additional craft supplies, books, pottery, glassware, toys and sports equipment, the day was well worth the effort. Next step - give that stuff away. I have pick-ups scheduled soon to pass our family heirlooms on to the next generation.

Medical Update

Here’s the Scoop
Results from my first visit to the 'KNEE' Specialist this week:
I have arthritis in my right knee. (I have tripped and bruised it badly twice in the last year.) I may need a knee replacement in a few years. But for now I will get cortisone shots two or three times a year along with diligent exercise of walking, swimming, stretching and eating healthy food. A strong body is a healthy body.

The news was shocking for me, but only because I was thinking muscle tear and healing with PT in the next few months. My MRI from a week ago did show as abnormal but the orthopedic doctor (after reviewing the six new knee x-rays taken at his office that day) showed the knee wear and tear. It's a good thing I have a DESK JOB.

Sarah was there for moral support and helped ask questions. Thanks so much, Sarah. Physical Therapy may not help but strength exercises are good – stretch to be flexible and keep moving! There is no cure for arthritis but hopefully it won’t get worse too fast.

Life is hard and getting old is not easy either – but what is the alternative? No more birthdays?

Successful Garage Sale - Day 1

It was Bill's shift for the garage sale today. He unloaded lots of extra furniture - chairs, roll top desk, dressers, hutches, tables, the lawnmower and the buffet serving cabinet. The stationary exercise bike left the garage too. Craft stuff was sold so I'm packing up more to sell on Saturday. Bill even sold the neighbor's tricycle within 15 minutes of drop off and delivered the consignment money to G across the street all in the same afternoon.

Bill had Sarah's help late morning and early afternoon and they reported the ongoing results throughout the day. I would say it was a very successful day. Having a garage sale with the neighborhood is certainly the way to do it.

I have the Saturday shift with a couple of friends and we will see if we can do as well. I still have books, DVDs, glassware more craft items - cheap. I'll be pricing and setting up what's left Friday evening after work so hope to have a better idea of Saturday items soon.

UPDATE: I have my new e-mail address in my profile so you can get my new e-mail address from there even if you prefer not to leave a comment on the blog. Of course, I have the right to delete any e-mailers I do not know.

An Update From Me!

I have been very busy this last week. We have been packing clothes, dishware, books, and many other useful household items in the process of moving to our new home here in Minnesota.
My son and his family drove up from Arkansas for the long weekend to help us pack and relocate items. It was great to have their help. Thanks so much W and E!
Special thanks also to Sarah, Becca and Melissa for all their excellent help. Bill and I couldn't have done it without you.

In the mist of all the moving, our eight-year-old PC network decided to crash. Bill has been busy reconstructing our Internet access, Windows programs, e-mail software and restoring lost data. We now have a new Dell PC with updates and memory galore. Still no e-mail account, but it's a work in process. I haven't decided on photo storage yet so you'll have to patiently wait for recent family and home snapshots.

We have another garage sale this weekend - May 28 and May 30 as part of a large neighborhood effort. We should be rid of lots of recycled stuff and cozy in our new location by June 1st.

Memorial Day Weekend Adventures

One Year Ago
W and family (then living in Utah) along with Sarah, Becca and I (from Minnesota) met in Colorado over Memorial Weekend, 2008. We had a lovely time with all of my family there.

 

This Year - 2009
(Two More Days)!
Now one year later we are having another family weekend, this time here in Minnesota. It's too last minute to get my family here from Colorado, but I wish they were coming too. You know what they say, 'the more the merrier.'
Will is coming to Minnesota with his beautiful family to help us in our downsizing adventure.
Yes, it will be a busy weekend but with all the help and smiles, the work will be completed quickly.
I plan to make time for playing with my granddaughters and helping the guys grill a meal or two.
Note to Family:
I wrote an e-mail or two PRIOR to this post with all this new information but alas my Outlook 'out box' is holding my wonderful newsy messages captive without a timely release. Who got the woman out of the Iranian prison? Do you think they could release my e-mails?

Moved In - Almost

We are moved into the townhouse and continue to get settled. I love the new space and we have more storage then we thought.
I have some photos but need to load them to the PC. I now have the Internet and e-mail on the premises. Yeah!
I'll load photos later this week when I find the camera loading devise.

Today

Bright and early Saturday morning:

Sarah, Capone, Austin and friends - volunteer movers. Thanks so much.
Thanks also to the White family and furry pals Gracie and Baily for entertaining Capone during the furniture move.

We picked up Capone and brought him back to the house to rest while we packed up dishware. He's at his favorite spot in the dining room but without the table he likes to hide under. 'Where did all the furniture go?'

He's at the townhouse tonight and adjusting to the new place (but staying close to family).
I'll post more photos when we're a little more settled.

The Move is On

We are getting ready to move to our new location. The previous family is almost moved out. We have movers coming tomorrow morning to load up the furniture and unload it at our townhouse not far from here.
Step one is to move the furniture in, set up the kitchen and make the beds.
Step two will be to make it lovable and cozy.
No photos yet but hope to have some to share later this weekend.

What are you doing this weekend?

Best Present Ever

Mother's Day is usually a forgotten event in the Holman family. My husband thinks it's a Hallmark holiday. It's just after my birthday so hard to think of something new for Mom and since it's in May, my children are usually hitting the books hard for final week to end the school year.
I think it's an honor to be a mother and we deserve all the 'appreciation' we can get.
This year my son and family mailed a card and bracelet and made me PROUD. (See my post on Saturday.)
Best Gift Every:
Sarah enlisted the help of friends from work to help us move furniture in May.
Becca and her roommate are coming to help with the move too.
Last year for Mother's Day my sister asked her three grown children to sort through all their childhood belongings to get them out of her home. It was kind of a success (50% participation) but a great idea.
So now my children have stepped forward to help and they make me proud to be a mother!

Best Mother Award

No one could have a better daughter-in-law who is the mother of my granddaughters and wonderful wife to my son.
She is a wonderful mother and the greatest wife. We are all so lucky to have her in our family. She has the cutest and best-behaved little girls in the world. I know she would rather have a Target gift card than a big production here on my blog; but it's coming in the mail a little late.
Happy Mother's Day, E!
E and daughter LG
E reading a book to M.

Mother's Day Present

I received a package in the mail on Friday from Arkansas. Exciting!
I found an adorable homemade card signed by E and W (my son) and their two daughters. In a little red box was a present just for me.

It has two charms, one for each baby girl, and it's yellow (my favorite color). It has gold and silver - a mother can never have too much glitter! I love it and I love my family.
I saw them a month ago but I miss them so much. Becca or Sarah will be going down South for a visit soon and I'll have to go too.
As M says, 'I'll see you when I see you!'

Another Jetta Day

Good Deed for the Day:
I traded cars with my daughter this morning to get the oil changed in the Jetta and pick up new 2010 tabs - all on the way into work.
Eight hours later, I got into the car to drive home and the engine light was ON. This should not be happening! We just had the timing belt and engine overhauled in March.I stopped at Goodyear on the way home to make sure there wasn't a problem (after all, I had just had the oil changed, filter and liquids checked that morning).
After a computer diagnostic test (over $100 just for the analysis) they found a couple problems - leak in the fuel line to repair and something about the air flow into the engine (can you tell I am not a car person). They have to get parts, so I am back to car pooling with family members for a few days.
Hers's a photo of the 'little beast' after it's first visit to Goodyear today.
What is it about me and this car?