Saturday rituals ...

Marlene Terry

Summer Saturdays in our town, other than coming every week, also bring traditions that are so ingrained in the culture of the area, that the chances of them not happening are as likely as the sun failing to rise in the morning. ... In other words, it's a given. 
And you might as well get used to it because IT WILL OCCUR.

In our cul-de-sac the ritual begins around 7 a.m.

For some time prior to the day, neighbors gather many miscellaneous items, that other than dusting them off now and then, and finding a place to store them, have discovered they absolutely have no beneficial use and the time has come to part ways.

That's when plans for a garage/yard sale are born.

Successful garage/yard sales are on any Saturday and depending on the weather ... nothing worse than trying to keep your junk dry and looking attractive in the rain, the determination of the shopper to find a parking space exactly AT the location of the sale, and no matter what, find the best bargain EVER, the sale will probably be finished around 7 that evening. However there are times when things extend into Sunday and once in awhile even Monday.

... That's when all that's left on the tables are parts of things that look familiar and scream to potential buyers "I'm ugly. Please take me home!"

Last weekend our next door neighbors hosted a big one ... a garage/yard sale, that is.

They advertised it well and the "stuff" offered, much more than just old clothes, was plentiful.

It's important for you to know that I'm no prude. In fact, I hoped from the first, that the experience would be a good one for them. But I just hadn't counted on the attitude of some of the shoppers themselves.

The photo you see today of what appears to be a used car lot was taken from where my car was parked INSIDE my garage ... right after I raised the door thinking ... foolishly ... that people who come to that kind of a sale would surely recognize that there were several other non-garage/yard sale houses around and would never, and under no circumstances, block the way for homeowners to leave!

Silly me.

In defense of those shoppers I was able to sneak out around noon to do some grocery shopping. But when I returned home my driveway as well as the entire cul-de-sac was filled to overflowing with vehicles.

I pulled up in back of the car parked in my driveway and waited patiently. And after a few minutes I pushed the button that opened the garage door. "Certainly," I thought, "that will be a signal that I need to be able to drive in ... someday."

That's when the gentleman who was parked in front of me, waiting for his wife to finish her shopping next door, walked back to inform me that it was going to be awhile before he could move and I might as well park where I was.

After all, he added, "We were here first!"

... As I said, might as well get used to it because I promise ... IT WILL OCCUR!

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.