YARD SALE SATURDAY

~It is said that a test of a person's character is how they deal with adversity (or lost luggage). Well...I'd like to add that it's how they deal with a massive rain storm in the middle of a yard sale. That's what happened this weekend when our youngest daughter, who lives just around the corner from us, attempted to have a yard sale on her front lawn.
~An awful lot of work goes into properly preparing for a good yard sale. Everything should be priced. Buyers don't like having to ask "how much" each and every thing is. Stuff should be clean and well displayed. It's better to put furniture pieces right out on the lawn rather than ask folks to come inside. All this and more had been done over a two week period. She was well prepared.

~I got up early this Saturday morning to bop over to help only to find that she already had everything out and ready to go by 6:30am. I was impressed. While she showered, I had my coffee and sat relaxed on the front lawn waiting for customers. Several nice folks stopped by around 8am and we sold a few things. But then I heard it...the long, low rumble of thunder.
Hmm...Should we panic? Would it just pass overhead? How much risk was it to just leave everything out?
~Instinct sent me back home to grab some tarps. By the time I returned, the raindrops were starting to fall. We hurriedly covered everything and hoped for the best. But this thunder storm was not to be denied. I swear I've never seen such a downpour. The ground quickly filled up with deep puddles. The bottoms of the wood bunk beds were sitting in water. The dust ruffle on the upholstered armless chair was wet two inches up from the bottom. The tarps began to blow off and all the clothing and stuffed animals began to get soaked. What to do? What to do?
~We began bringing it all inside. However, most of it was already soaked. Books, CDs, games, throw pillows, quilts, dresses, shirts, sweatshirts. All of it soaked. The living room became a storage locker. Not only was stuff piled all over but it was all wet. It was cause for tears.
~But...no tears were shed. Just a lot of talk about a disaster. I think if it had been my effort over the past two weeks, I would have just sat down and cried. But not our daughter. She worked even harder and succeeded in getting all of it indoors and off the lawn. I was impressed.
~Later, after we had dried almost everything off, she said..."I guess I'll just have it next weekend."

~Huh? What? You're going to go through this all over again? Hmm...Well...I guess, maybe. In any event, she definitely passed the character test this morning!