Show me your Rummage: A Reflection on Rummage Sales.

     I will admit, there is something alluring when you see a sign that says "Rummage Sale." It's all in someone's perspective...either you view a rummage sale as people getting rid of their ratty old, dated belongings or you view it as a rare look into the items that someone once dearly treasured but is now getting rid of. It just might be your lucky day to find those hidden treasures and give them a new home. You can either have something in mind that you are hoping to find for a sweet deal or have nothing in mind at all. I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of gal when it comes to visiting the occasional rummage sale. Truth be known, I can probably count the number of rummage sales I've been to on two hands. The easiest rummage sales to go to are the ones right next door.

     My parents always said that people want to pay something instead of getting things for free. My mom loves to tell the story of setting a big pile of records out for "free" and no one getting any but when she labeled the pile "5 cents a piece" the records immediately started selling like hotcakes. People aren't looking for a handout, but they are looking for a killer deal. If you hang around long enough at a rummage sale, there just might be a "stuff all you can in one bag for a dollar" special going on. It is a quick way to get rid of your stuff at the very end. 

     If you want to get fancy, you can go to an Estate Sale. If you want to take a road trip, you can find some awesome flea markets with new and used items. As you grow older, you often remember when you participated in a rummage sale as a child, helping parents price items or learning how to make change. Also, waking up at the crack of dawn and learning that is when the most serious shoppers start sauntering in. The experienced sale-goers carry exact change and are skilled at talking you down on the price. An at home rummage sale or rather a garage sale involves Dad making some cinnamon rolls for the early morning while Mom is all in a frenzy trying to get everything done. Prop out your lawn chairs to sit in, and one can really make a day out of it. 

     No matter who you are, you might have fond memories or not so fond memories of a rummage sale that you have been involved with in one way or another. Keep the strong muscle men on standby to carry all of the heavy items to people's cars and trucks. Also, enjoy the conversations you might have with the other shoppers. I've always been a people watcher, so next time I attend a rummage sale...I will be watching for the true rummage sale junkies and the beginners...and those somewhere in between.

2015 Commence Forth!

     Well, it's a New Year! Like sands through an hourglass, these are the days of our lives...that keep on coming! You can't postpone the years, and you can't postpone the days either. Things might not be tied up with that neat little bow just exactly how you might like, but that shouldn't stop you from living life to your fullest and finding the joy that you might have missed otherwise. We can't always get what we want when we want it (or what we think we want), but more often than not--I find that we do get what we need. And sometimes the patience and time that is necessary for that next surprising thing to come along...is just what we need. There's nothing like a twist in the road or a sudden turn of events to give you more perspective, sometimes a better perspective. Keep being persistent to chase what you really want, and don't let the bumps get you down. Don't let your struggle become your identity. And don't get trapped in the plot of a sappy, dramatic, endless novel. Be your own writer of your own story. Spread your wings--embrace love, be there for others, be silly, be loving, look in the mirror and smile at yourself. For you are strong, beautiful, important, smart, and you have a journey that is meant for you. So keep on trucking and keep on dancing. :)