I Hate Rummage Sales

I worked the church rummage sale all day today - and I do mean all day. Since I retired I'm a firm believer in getting up when I wake up naturally, which is not 5:30 a.m. But I set the alarm, dutifully arose at the appointed time, took a shower and off I went. I arrived a little before 7:00 to see a long line of people waiting outside the doors. Now let me clarify a little. This is not your ordinary church rummage sale. "Stuff" is collected and stored all year and overflows our large gymnasium. You want a three wheeled bicycle...we have it. You want an antique bedroom suite...we have it. You want a twin sized sheet with holes in it....we have that, too. You can learn a lot at a rummage sale. First of all most people think their "stuff" is worth a lot more money than I think it is. Second, people will steal even from a church if they think no one is looking. And third, the food at a church rummage sale is homemade and you can count on it being delicious. When you have only three of Mrs. Jones' coconut cream pies for sale even good church goin' people will scratch your eyes out if you get in their way.

The volunteers were served a wonderful bean soup and cornbread for lunch and I told my husband I sure hoped he ate plenty because his dinner was going to be a slice of the sweet potato/pumpkin pie I bought at the sale. Before I retired, when I was working a real job, I used to work all day and then come home and cook. It's too bad you have to get to be this age to figure out that you don't really have to do that. Now if you have children at home you can ignore this piece of advice because they have to be fed and I know that. But if it's just a husband you're worrying about....don't. Even when you don't cook they manage to eat. It might be peanut butter and crackers or a bowl of cereal, but they eat. And if they skipped a meal that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

I made it out of the rummage sale only spending $30. Since I was there all day I was able to figure out who had priced stuff low and who had priced it too high so I got some real bargains. I came home with six throw pillows for 25 cents each - I didn't like the colors but they were great to take apart so I could use the pillow forms for some of my redwork. Then there were 3 pairs of clip on earrings that can be used to decorate some notebook covers I make for gifts. And someone had donated a wonderful beaded black jewelry box - at $2 I couldn't pass that up! One of our pastors has a large garden every year and cans wonderful pesto, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc. I picked up one of the pestos and a birdhouse gourd that he grew (along with his sweet potato/pumpkin pie). Oh, I almost forgot the quilted paperback book cover - my favorite find. Now if I want to take a racy paperback with me to the doctor's office I can put this on and no one will know what I'm reading!

As I was wandering around the sale I came across a hideous, scratch that, stunning metal sculpture that was marked "not for sale." When I asked why, I was told there was one just like it on EBay for $5,000 so they were planning to auction this one. No one knows who donated it or if they knew what they were giving away but to tell you the truth if I were them I'd have given it away, too. I've never found a "bargain" like that at a rummage sale but then I hate rummage sales....maybe I don't hate them but they sure are a lot of work.