Boxes of Memories

This weekend was our last big garage sale. It was exhausting, but definitely necessary, and really quite a bit of fun. Set up was tiring, and the pessimist in me always fears that nothing will sell and I'll have to find something to do with all these things I've dragged out of the house and organized. But by Saturday afternoon, we were down to only a few boxes full of rejects, which I'm choosing to call a great success.

Aaron started the weekend with five tables full of tools and other manly odds and ends. We attracted quite a few men, and it was fun to watch them all bargain over things I couldn't explain to you if you paid me. I'm so glad he was home for the sale this time, because I wouldn't have had the slightest clue about ratchets, wrenches, and drills.

We only have one major regret from the experience. We decided to sell Aaron's classical guitar, since the neck is too wide for comfortable chording, and Spanish guitar proficiency is probably not in his future. It was difficult to part with, since it was my wedding gift to him a mere fourteen years ago, but we decided that a musician who would love and care for it was better than letting it languish at home. However, the guitar was purchased by a grandfather (for his grandson, maybe 10 or 11 years old), who handed the guitar over to the child to carry as he walked down the street on his way to more sales. Watching that guitar walk off into the distance in the hands of someone who will probably break it within the next week was heartbreaking.

That being said, though, we felt great about getting rid of so many things that had just built up over time. Some of them were used and then no longer needed, others were purchased because we were just sure they were exactly what we needed, only to discover we were mistaken and overly optimistic about our own industry and creativity. Many of the things were actually used constantly, and loved very much, but just too big/awkward/heavy to put into an RV.

Now it's time to take our sad little leftovers to the thrift store, where they will find loving homes soon, I hope. The books will go to the homeschool library for our friends and future Nevada homeschoolers to use. Several of the items will go to specific friends or family members. (Apparently Nevadans aren't interested in cookbooks about Sushi, Artisan Bread, or Sriracha, for example, but I'm sure we can find someone who would like those.)

This means we're one step closer to launch day, which is still unspecified at this point, but needs to be sometime in the next three or four weeks. It's a bittersweet feeling.