Garage Sale Report by James

 

Our garage sale was a big hit

 With barbie houses and building  kits

During the sale I sold some snacks

But some people thought the snacks were just quacks

 

We got a lot of profits from the sale

But we didn't sell food like Indian Kale

I liked the garage sale a lot 

And the weather was really hot

 

(Our garage sale was only a minor hit but everything else in the poem is true).

This garage sale was junky but cheap.  According to me it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.  I had a snack stand with gummy bears, chocolate milk, Austin variety packs, water, and Capri suns.   I made $17.64 (really I made $18.14 but took two quarters to complete my state quarters collection and shared the rest), mommy made a lot, and Peter made $2.25 .  

A lot of people came to our garage sale, my estimate would be 75 people were here.  

Stuff

I am experiencing a great aversion to stuff.  This is my garage pre-moving sale and there are even more piles inside.

My good friend and neighbor came over and helped me pack up my kitchen today.  She is Bulgarian and was able to share practical sense with me as I dusted out the cupboards deciding what would be wrapped and packed and what should be set aside for the moving sale.  She described the simple living arrangements in which she was raised and how it enabled her to focus on hard work and education.  

This was enough to give me the courage to let go of the fancy serving dishes I use only a couple times a year and even all the trinkets I picked up in China several years ago.  As I saw them sitting in the open box awaiting their unknown destiny I asked myself, "did they really enhance my life"? The answer was a definite "NO"!   

When one sister saw how much stuff we were unloading she asked if both Paul and I were experiencing a mid-life crisis.  Another one commented, "you're just cracking early".  I will argue it is just the opposite, we are wising up early.  But I'm not all the way there yet because I still plan on dragging 5 plastic bins of fabric and 10+ boxes of books across the country with us. 

Memorial Day

We joined our family brigade to visit the graves of our ancestors at the Salt Lake Cemetery.

Peter later commented to me, "Mom, graveyards are nice places to visit but it would be too sad to live there.  But if you did live there they could write on your tomb you lived there until you died".  

      

The girls traced their fingers along the letters and straightened all the flowers.

James sweetly asked if he could be buried next to his brothers because they never want to be separated.

I left with pleasant memories of my grandparents running through my head and grateful for the legacy and example of ancestors I've never met.  This was a great family activity.

More business casual baby clothes

This refashioned business casual ensemble was cut out before Easter but I never got around to sewing it.  I could have packed it but with all the sorting and packing I needed a bit of sewing therapy.  Henry also needed a new church outfit.  Other WIP may have to wait until we are settled in at point B. 

Lime summer slaw

I promised my sisters I'd post this before I closed up my kitchen.  This is our family's new favorite side and tortilla topper. 

1 head of green cabbage shredded

1 head of red cabbage shredded

sliced green onions

1-2 bunches of chopped cilantro

Dressing:
Juice of 4 limes
2 tsp fresh ginger grated
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TBS sugar
2 spoonfuls of garlic chili paste
4 TBS brown rice vinegar

keep in mind this makes a lot - I suppose this would be a double batch. Other variations would be to add carrots, sesame seeds, or fish sauce.  

Transition

Before I could get through the several piles of laundry from our National Parks trip I was once again packed up and off on another adventure of sorts, this time just with Paul and little Henry.  We spent 4 days back in MI searching for a new home.  Emily was kind and took care of not only the five other children but also our dog.  This enabled a very productive and focused search and we are now in the process of pursuing two very great options.

Transition is never easy though. A very wise woman I spoke to likened any change to what one experiences during childbirth. The transition stage of labor is where I always want to run away, give up, and ask myself "what was I thinking"?. The more I feed into these thoughts though the tougher and longer the pain. But as soon as I find the strength to stop resisting and just let it flow with slow breath the discomfort is soon over and the joy of a new baby has replaced any remembrance of pain.

Right now I'm in a transition of sorts. I feel pain for those who I will be leaving behind, I feel frustrated with stuff and clutter, and anxious about contracts and closings. To be honest I just want to hide under the covers or burrow behind my sewing machine, snap my fingers and have it all over and ourselves settled without the sweat. But this move is not going to happen without the focus of my mind and labor of my hands. It's time to take a deep breath, buy some packing tape and start cleaning into the deep dark corners of this home.

Biking Yosemite

We spent the last couple of days discovering the Yosemite Valley, it is spectacular.  There we were surrounded by waterfalls, rushing rivers, forests, meadows and boulders that reach the sky and able to enjoy it all on bikes.  

The only draw back to this park was we were are also surrounded by huge crowds of people.  But our Yurt neighbors, who were seasoned climbers and campers, reassured us one mile beyond the paved paths of the valley there is a completely different feel.

Besides biking the kids enjoyed a chilly dip in Mirror Lake, a guided nature walk with a ranger, and completing another Junior Ranger program.  This park is definitely worth revisiting.
  

Birthday brownie lava cake

My third attempt at dutch oven cooking didn't turn out as I expected but it tasted great!  It was basically just a brownie mix but the oven got tilted thus creating a half baked brownie cake with "lava" oozing from one side.  We topped it with a flaming marsh mellow for Paul to blow out and served it with a roasted marsh mellows on top of each serving. I should have just stuck a few on top during the last 2 minutes of cooking but that may have ruined my oven.

Even though the cake wasn't cooked evenly Paul noted that this year's birthday was way better than last year's.
       

Blogging from a Yurt

All of us are comfortable (only a little cold) in this 20 ft yurt.  There is no bathroom or running water and there was no time to run Clara up to the bathrooms.  Instead I convinced her to use a paper bowl as a bed pan - now that's roughing it.

Besides the bathroom situation, living in a yurt wouldn't be so bad.  I don't know if it is the shape or the lack of stuff that makes it so soothing, or maybe it's the allure of living a nomadic life because Paul is outside admiring all the neighboring  RV's, either way I'm ready to start cleaning out and hoping to execute a huge yard sale in the coming weeks.  

What we've been up to

1. Rustic cooking


2. Driving


3. Dragging the kids on hikes



4. Spotting wildlife


5. Negotiating a contract on our house

Everybody Poops

And now we have a field guide to tell us who done it.

Pictured here is what we think is bobcat poop. Or it could have been a bear because we actually spotted one not too far from where the droppings were found.

Junior Ranger Program

There is no better place to take children than National Parks. These are our favorite vacations because they are relatively inexpensive, educational, active, and awe inspiring.

The kids especially enjoy participating in the Junior Ranger Programs. They are given a booklet with games and assignments and are then rewarded with a Junior Ranger badge after they report back to a ranger. Upon receiving their badge they pledge to respect the nature and help protect the National Parks.

Look who joined us

Flat Stanley came all the way from a 1st grade class in South Philly to join the adventure. We hope he has fun.

Take II

My very kind and experienced sister took a look at that previous post and declared through the cell phone"Whoa - that is a ton of coals! You broiled it".

This time I used less coals but maybe not enough. The cornbread was cooked but not browned. It was good but not perfect. I'm running out of ingredients but have what is needed for a breakfast casserole. Should I go for it one last time?

Apple CRISP!!!!!

There are a few dutch oven gurus in my family so I thought it was time to give it a try.

Not only did I burn it badly but I also forgot to add the sugar. What a great flop! We peeled off the black crust and tried serving it with honey but it could not compete with the S'mores.

I've saved it though and am just hoping someone will eat it for breakfast. The best thing about a flop is it makes the success that much sweeter. The apples are running low but I'm ready to try cornbread or a breakfast casserole.

Country Kids

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We made it to my brother Rick's mountain cabin in CA and it is fun! So much fun that the kids are covered head to toe in dirt by bedtime.

There was a community yard sale and of course I couldn't resist. Each child got a few items of clothing that they could wear out by week's end. I particularly love these handmade Amish outfits for the two youngest, there were even some size 4 black leather keds for Henry to complete the look. Clara's dress has a pocket that is now full of smushed flowers and pine cones. Both children were literally rolling in the dirt but the clothes don't look so bad, what a great uniform!

Speaking of uniforms the older boys begged me to buy them these camo bibs from Cabellas. I didn't give in but now I'm thinking it'd be nice for even me to have a pair because rustic living can get messy.

Off on an Adventure

8 hours of driving down.....6 more to go.  So far so good.