Garage Sale Chaos

Today I finished my first ever Garage Sale.  I can't tell you exactly how I managed to get to my age without EVER having held one before but this was really the first.  I have never liked going to garage sales pawing through other peoples stuff.  I certainly could not imagine having people pawing through my treasures.  Many of you, my readers have told me how freeing it is to let go of all of the things that have accumulated in my life.
I must confess, I remained an unbeliever.
So I approached doing a garage sale with apprehension.
                         
 How did I ever get so much stuff!!

•  Maybe it has been my need to keep everything, as I might need it someday. 
• Maybe it started after I was divorced when I became convinced that I would never have enough money to take care of myself.  
• Maybe it was due my buying into the worlds view of commercialism and the need to have the next best thing.  
• Maybe it's been due to my ability to sentimentalize objects therefore making it impossible to part with them.    
• Maybe it is all of the above and more.....

 Help me do the math..... 1, 5 bedroom house , 1 double car garage, 1 barn,  2 outbuildings + One very small travel trailer = chaos.
      
One thing became glaringly clear.... I couldn't take it all with me full timing.

The calm before the storm

Well, that is what brought me to preparing for this garage sale.  For two days my two helpers and I drug out a lifetime of  accumulated treasures (well, mostly junk).  Mostly we formed two piles, a garage sale pile and a dump pile.   One helper became the master sales person.   (It worked out so much better thr that person was not me!)   She did an awesome job!!  I became the mistro, "Take that, away with that, Out it goes to the dump pile"  We worked so fast that sometimes I didn't even have time to think about each decision but still I made them.

We sold two large items, but mostly the sales were smaller items that added up to a big payday in the end.

Did I forget to mention that with all the best intentions, I forgot to take any picture during the sale???

I remember a line out of the play and movie "The Miracle Worker" where Annie Sullivan was teaching Helen Keller table manners.  The dining room was totally destroyed but Annie calmly stated, "but she folded her napkin."   I can certainly identify.  There is not a clean space any where in the house or garage.
But this sale is done.
The next sale will be the barn sale..... Then the moving sale.... Then I am done.... except for the trips to the dump and donation centers.
               

Whew.... I am tired!!!

I found a wonderful article on downsizing your home to an RV.... If you are considering full timing, this is a must read!!    http://stephaniehenkel.hubpages.com/hub/Full-Time-RVing-Downsize-Your-Home

Well that is it... till the next sale.