Spring, Stuff & Yard Sales

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."  George Santayana

I have no difficulty finding something interesting about all the seasons, but try as I might; it’s hard not to play favorites with spring. Who can deny the magic of watching nature take daily, baby steps until the charming faces of flowers greet us, tiny buds unfurl into beautiful leaves, and sleeping grass sprouts lush and green?

It’s easy to be enamoured with such obvious joys of spring, but another perennial, yet not so obvious joy of spring is…Yard Sales! Finally, the chance to rid oneself of stuff that’s been accumulating for months, often years! George Carlin had an entertaining and enlightening routine about people and their “stuff.” It seems almost everyone has too much stuff – especially in our part of the world.

Although I love yard sales, my experience with them has always been as a seller not a buyer. I don’t have time to go to other people’s garage sales, and if I did, I’m sure I’d come home with someone else’s stuff. And even though I participate in a yard sale almost annually, every year I find myself letting go of more stuff I thought I’d never want to let go of. People change, styles change, lives change – stuff needs to change too.

 A wonderful decorator has been helping me pull together the eclectic (think chaotic) look in my home. I was chatting with a friend who will be using the same decorator, and told her that due to decorating changes, numerous accessories were headed for my yard sale pile. My friend made the suggestion that we “swap” accessories. How great is that??  Of course, it depends if our decorator thinks an item from my house will work in my friend’s house, and vice versa, but I think the idea is great.

 The idea of “accessory swapping” satisfies my recycling sensibilities as well. Usually after a yard sale, I pack up my stuff and take it to, or call the Salvation Army, Via, Good Shepherd or the Humane Society. I know my stuff will be reused or recycled at one of those places, but I like the idea of knowing my accessories will be repurposed – and I may see them again. I think it’s an idea whose time has come – a neighborhood swap meet.

 For all the yard sale fans, my subdivision, Valley Green, will be having a community yard sale on Saturday, May 21, from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. My stuff, along with lots of other stuff will be available for sale, and if you’re interested in a neighborhood swap meet…let’s talk. I like the idea, but can’t quite figure out the logistics!