On... Blogging in the Rain

It is 2pm and I've been up since 6am (and I am no early-bird).  Sitting in the garage looking out at rain, beating down on the ground causing mud puddles and gray, gray (that is double-gray) skies.  I'm ready; I've worked hard. Everything is all set up and we've got good stuff, but no buyers.  The neighborhood garage sale event was supposed to start at 8, but my guess is that everyone at 8 was saying "no way".  Everything is labeled, all good prices, we've got the "topless" blender...for a low, low $2.....what better deal could you want? 
Might even be that you could find the top at one of my neighbor's garage sale...maybe I left it at the last potluck...there is the umbrella that needs a handyman and a milder climate so it won't spend half of its life falling over and hitting the fence or the window - it just needs love.  How about the pet igloo which has not been used until today by my Scottie Dog - practically brand new.  The free-standing basketball hoop is perfect if you are 5'2" tall or shorter, and if you are handy and taller, you could fix the height adjuster.   Antiques?....got em!  Will even include the wood glue and the new hardware.

Cheryl came by at 9ish to drop off a dresser.  Up to that point, she was my only visitor.  Her dresser was adorable, so we upped the price to $75 from her $50 price tag...still a bargain.  She also brought an old radio cabinet.  The first group (yeah!) arrived while Cheryl was there - 3 vans, traveling in a bunch.... encouraging!  They were looking intently at that radio cabinet, which I was also.  Cheryl had not yet put a price on it.  "It would make a great end table," she said.....   Well, what do you think of that...I don't need much, but I was looking for an end table for my couch....The pack of vans left hands empty :(  and thus ended the excitement for the day.  I traded Cheryl two baskets for the end table.  We moved it right in, and it "ends" the couch beautifully!   I think I got the better deal, but she walked away happy, so it was a win-win.  Isn't that what it is all about? Just one big trade - furniture for money, money for food, food for survival... There you go, life in a nutshell.

Two more visitors came around 10:00.  One actually bought something - a computer desk that had a tag of $15 on it, and of course, yes...it ended up going for $7 - it was a one of kind, too...no other desk had been marked up and dented exactly like this one.  Another lady took my phone number to give to her friend who needed a dining table.  Someone came by later, but I realized it was just the people picking up the computer desk so I don't think that counts.

I don't like to sit and do nothing, so I have had to keep busy during this cats-and-dogs rain.  Right after Cheryl left, I thawed and peeled a few of the dozen or more bananas that I had frozen for potential bread-on-a-whim.  While I did that, I left the dog to guard the sale.  She didn't sell anything.  She just occupied her $50 pet igloo looking as if she was about to be evicted.  I also left my guy with the sale while I mixed and baked the bread...he didn't sell anything, but he did find speakers and wiring in the kids' "go through" box and proceeded to put music in the garage.  I polished my nails and ate some of the warm, delicious banana bread (highlight of the day, next to the radio cabinet), took pictures of everything so that I could try selling it online, chatted with two girlfriends, reorganized the tools, read Better Homes and Gardens new issue...would have been good to find a "double your garage sale profits" article, though if I doubled mine, I'd have a whopping $14!  Read some of my book club book - "Still Alice" - an excellent book, couldn't put it down and so, it was a good thing there weren't any customers!

Three hours to go, I wish I could add "I quilted" to my list...but, it is really cold and I don't want to quilt with gloves on....plus, my garage is not a real quilt friendly environment (unlike every other room in the house, including the front porch).  Starting that blog that I've been meaning to do just might work!
As I sit shivering and watching the rain drop like bullets into the soft ground below, I begin to think about the merchandising of the garage sale.  I've got nice stuff and good prices, but without customers no amount of clever merchandising is going to sell....you just can't sell to nobody.  So, I need customers.  I can't put the items in the driveway to attract because it is way too rainy out there, so maybe some plastic kids toys in the driveway...they would withstand the rain, and maybe bring in the younger crowd.  I could go buy some up at some of the other garage sales, and mark them "not for sale"....or, more honestly, "bait".  Or, better yet, maybe I could keystone my cost and actually make some money at this garage sale thing.  But I am more for just getting this over....toooo cold for April!!!!  .... then it hits me.

New sign wrapped in plastic:  Hot fresh-baked banana bread!

Smiles, and a warm sunny day to you!
Mattie

Here is the recipe from my mom....just in case you need a banana bread lift in your day!
Banana Bread
Cream 1/2 cup of margarine (or butter) and 1 cup sugar.
Add 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, 3 ripe mashed bananas.
Bake at 350 degrees for 55 min.  (large loaf pan)
I have found that muffins or a smaller  pan, like an "8 x 8" takes about 25 min.
Tip: Muffins are easier to disperse at a garage sale! Enjoy!