A TORNADO HAS HIT! (sort of...)

Okay, my darling friends, take a look at this picture:



This is my kitchen island, and this morning it did not look like this. Tonight, however, is another story. And here is the story's title:

MY DAUGHTERS ARE HAVING A GARAGE SALE!

Okay, so today after dinner, Kendra and Krista were sitting at my table making plans for their upcoming sale. I am not in on the planning, nor did I ever ask to be. I do NOT have time for a garage sale. I was standing at the sink, one ear to their chit-chat, when Kendy said, "Mom, what do you have to contribute to the sale?"

"Uh, nothing," I said. "I don't have time."

"I'll help you," she so generously offered. But see, that means I have to get involved. Ugh.

"Well...I guess I have some stuff." Why did I have to go and say that? I have stuff all right. Too much!

That's when the idea hit. "Tell you what, if you guys want to go through my closets and cupboards and organize and do all the pricing, etc., etc., you can have the proceeds."

Whoa! You never saw anything like it. Quick as lightning, cupboard doors started flying open. They see dollar signs. "What is this?" Krissi asked, bringing out the ugliest, oblong, glass serving dish you have ever seen in your life.

"That? Well, that's a wedding gift." (Um, I got married in December 1975.)

"I've never seen it before," she said.

"That's because I've never used it." Garage sale.

(Giggles and laughs proceed.) "Mom, why do you still have an olive green crockpot?" Kendy asked. (See it in the picture?)

"Because--because, you never know when I might need it, and because, well, it was a wedding gift." I actually received 5 of them, as that was the year they invented crockpots. Garage sale. (Think anyone will buy it?)

"Mom, why do you have 8 bazillion glass platters?"

"Well, for all my entertaining!" I said. You have to know my small-group dinners never require fancy glass platters. Half a dozen of them are going to the sale.

More giggles and laughs. (I think my daughters are making fun of me.) "Mom, do you really need all these coffee pots?" "Why do you have 257 bottles of vitamins, all expired?" (trash basket) "What an ugly vase. Look at all these vases. Why do you need all these vases?"

"Well, for all the flowers your dad keeps bringing me." That really got a laugh. I should have said, "For those bunches of flowers I buy at the grocery store." About 10 vases went to the sale.

And so it went -- mirrors, clocks, radios, bedside stands, mismatched dishware, lamps, shelves, coffee pots, tablecloths--and on and on. I really didn't have to lift a finger, either, just hold my grandbaby while they made fun of my stuff. haha.

Here's the sad part. All that stuff you see has to sit in my kitchen till Friday when they haul it all away to their block sale. Ugh.

Why did I hoard it all these years? It's just STUFF. I must remind myself after they take it away NOT to replace it with MORE stuff! Otherwise, in five years we'll be going down this road again.

At least I have clean cupboards and closets now. And I didn't have to do a thing but take a little verbal abuse. Haha. Good thing I can take it.

I love you all! Have a happy week!