Saturday, July 9, 2011

Gale-Force Winds of Change are Blowing!

I broke the news at work this week that I am going to retire.

Next month!

I vacillate at least hourly between excitement and terror. Oh boy, I get to go live in my MCM house in Oregon now! Eeeek, will we be able to make ends meet?! And on and on. But when you decide to make a huge change in your life, you have to accept that all the ducks will never line up beforehand. You just jump in and work things out as you go.

Sounds wise, yes? Which is why I was able to pass up this item at a yard sale this morning. Figured I have sufficient wisdom already.

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Right now yard sales feel like an ocean of stability in my life. Safe, predictable, comforting.

Inexpensive! I spent a total of $2.60 this morning. Probably the best deal was ten cents for 8 Georgia O’Keeffe cards.

IMG_1499They were at a semi-crazed sale with a ton of stuff belonging to three different women. Every time anyone asked how much something was, one of them would say it belonged to someone else and start hollering for whoever. I’m glad the only thing I found that I wanted was a simple buy that only required one holler for a price.

Bought some white things. A trio of canvas boards for an artist friend from some twenty-somethings. One of the young ladies told me rather grandly that it was the first sale they had had in twenty years. I refrained from telling her that few preschoolers hold yard sales, which is what she much have been twenty years ago.

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This roll of white Con-tac paper will come in handy at the new house.

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Couldn’t grab it fast enough when I saw that it is repositionable. If you’re old enough to remember the stickum that used to be on this stuff you know what I’m talking about. It must have given them idea for Super Glue. Man, that stuff could stick – and woe betide you if you got a wrinkle in it or it stuck to itself!

A couple of driveways up the street I met little Lucy at another sale.

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Isn’t that a wonderfully goofy face? I think she thought the camera might be food. Not so Riley the Pomeranian; he was having nothing to do with a camera.

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I missed a good shot at another sale, perhaps because there was no dog involved so I didn’t think about grabbing my camera until it was too late. A family visiting from Norway was being taken to yard sales by their host and were having a wonderful time shopping. Evidently the host agrees with me that they could have no experience more quintessentially American. The teenage daughter found a pink feather boa, and they asked the lady having the sale to take their picture. Then they had someone else take a picture of them with the sale lady.

My last buy came with a terrific story.

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As I paid the young woman having that sale, she smiled when she saw what I had and said, “I went to that movie on my first date.”  This is the kind of remark that makes my heart go pitty pat. “Your first date ever?” I asked. She nodded. “The very first. I went to this movie with Tim Dufor, and we went across the street for ice cream afterward. My mom took us, and his grandma picked us up. Then he spent the rest of the summer coming to all my baseball games and watched them with my mom.”

I asked if she was still in touch with him, but no. “I knew him all the way through high school and he just got handsomer and handsomer. But after that we lost touch.”

I think I’m going to keep an eye out for good looking guys of the right age named Tim. If I find one, I’ll see if he remembers On Golden Pond.

12 comments:

  1. congrats on retiring I am sure it will be fine. we live 1 mile from on Golden pond. It is a beautiful pristine lake called Squam. While I am sad we didn't live here when it was filmed we have heard many stories and seen many a personal photo collection of the stars. We watch it every winter to remind us why we live here:)
    Cathy

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  2. I keep this on the wall of my work space - 'Jump and the net will appear.'
    And I have found, most times it does. But occasionally it doesn't and you get a little scratched and bruised, you get up, dust it all off and readjust your plans. I find I learn the most about myself in these times so I have learnt to appreciate the fall. And here is another favourite quote -'Fear and appreciation cannot exit in the same space.' I can't wait to hear about your new adventures!

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  3. Congratulations on the retirement! you're going into it with the right ideas. I'm sure you'll have the time of your life!

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  4. Congrats on your retirement! I am retired now and I am really happy! It's hard sometimes $$ wise but it is the right thing for me. You really got some fun finds for little money...that is my kind of shopping always.

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  5. I will miss you terribly, but will be looking forward to Oregonian blogs about yardsales up there and the storyteller workshop business!

    out to the doggie beach today....beautiful, but very crowded for the first time I can remember. maybe lots of tourist doggies.

    ugh, On Golden Pond for a first date?? how depressing!! see ya Monday!

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  6. Enjoy retirement. It'll feel like a holiday at first and by the time you're ready to think 'I miss work' you'll have an exciting new routine to keep you occupied.

    Love On Golden Pond just for the relationship between Katharine and Henry. 'It's me you old fool' still makes me chuckle. xx

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  7. Congrats on your retirement! Have a great move, and a wonderful time in your MCM house!
    but, before you move...I'd LOVE it if you'd have one more yard sale seminar at the library! I found this blog too late to go to the ones previously. Pretty pretty please? I'd love to learn your tips, meet you, and learn how to meet dogs! (I rarely see any and those I do see are always shut up...) Also, how do you figure out which yard sales are "good" from a CL ad? thanks!!! please have a seminar!

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  8. I am so happy for you but bummed for us! You've done so much to keep our jobs from getting too complicated. I hope you will stay in touch. What are you going to do with your house in Santa Ana? It's gotta be worth a lot what with the beautiful garden and expert decorating you and your hubby have done! Good luck to you Sharon!

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  9. Thank you for the awesome tip! I'll be trying some vinegar forth with! It's a good thing you told me about that because my first try was going to be bleach and it would not have been good to try the vinegar after the bleach =).

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  10. Congratulations! I retired from my library job in May. Like you, I'm not sure about the money and how this will work out but I am so glad I took the leap. I'm a professional storyteller and loaded up the summer schedule, and I've added some eBay and Amazon selling to bring in a little more $. Whatever happens, it was the right move to make, and the right time to do it. I am sure you'll find the same is true for you.

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  11. Yes, retiring IS scary, but believe me, it all works out in the end. Sure, money is tight at times, but no more stress from work, more time for the family and all the things you never had time for working! I've been retired 6 years now and sure am glad I did it! Besides, more time for garage and yard saleing! Congrats and ENJOY.

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I really love your comments. Thanks for coming along on my thrifty adventures!

 
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