an estate sale {our new picnic blanket}
The sign was big “ESTATE SALE”.
I knew who was putting it on, and he told there would be linens I’d like.
I had forgotten about it until I drove past the big sign. It was in the same building my great grandmother had lived in decades ago. The building has changed over the years, but to me it always brings me back to being a tiny little girl visiting my great grandma. I’m pretty sure it still smells like it did back then.
I drove on past. There was milk and yogurt in the car. I have a slight obsession with keeping cold items cold. So, that meant no stopping in for a peek. I had to get groceries home. And, I was still in gym clothes from earlier in the morning. And..a certain little girl had a fast approaching naptime. Too much to do. No time for an estate sale. I drove home.
Groceries unloaded. Cute little girl was in a good mood. I looked around at the tornado that had been left behind in the house after the morning rush to get boys to school. Dishes in the sink. Pajamas on the kitchen floor. Laundry on the couch needing to be folded. Yep, no time for an estate sale.
Cute little girl in a good mood. Ann Voskamp’s words ringing in my ear, “Haste makes waste….Hurry empties a soul.”*
I loaded cute little girl up with a baggie of snacks and we returned to great grandma’s old stomping grounds.
The sign said “Linens $1.00 each”. I rummaged through the ugly ones and found 5 that seemed just perfect to begin some of the projects on my Pinterest boards.
Then I went to the next room. “Bedspreads and Blankets $5.00 each”
I saw a bunch of pom pom under lots of mauve & tan yuckiness. A buried treasure. I dug in deep with excitement over what could be attached to all that pom pom.
To my delight it I found a floral print full of retro colors…so ugly together that they were beautiful.
FireCracker finished her stroller snack so it was time to leave. When he rang me up, I heard him say with a smile, “$5.00 total. You get the deal of the day.”
I grinned from ear to ear.
Loaded the car with my girl and my goods. Went home and took a moment to fully enjoy our new picnic blanket…complete with pom poms I don’t have to add.
She liked it too. We lingered outside on her 70s girly blanket and I didn’t think about the chaos waiting for me inside. “Hurry always empties a soul”
If I hadn’t already tried a million times to get her to take a nap outside, I would have tried it again.
Droopy eyes told me she needed to get inside for her nap and I needed to take care of my stuff in the house. We went inside.
We’ll use this new old blanket until it falls apart and then I will find another new old blanket. This one will remind me that sometimes the best thing I can do is walk away from the laundry for a bit and take the time to do things that make me grin from ear to ear….the things that no one else may understand, but are just pure joy to me.
*Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pgs 66-67 (have you all picked up how much I am enjoying this book!)
