Monday, April 7, 2014

Rural Missouri Spring Day


It seems that I have been pretty busy these spring days and have not been posting or even on facebook much.  I do apologize, but also know that springtime does get going fast.  It seems that the cold held on for so long and then, wow, now it is greening up and warmer, and with a little rain storm here and there, my spring flowers have pushed out of the ground at a fast rate.  Along with all this, comes lots of outside work and fun projects.

Roy and I got busy painting.  He did the old metal chairs and table by the pond in a new coat of paint, a nice bright red, my favorite.  We also purchased two more old metal chairs at a farm auction and they are yellow and white and look like new.  No painting needed there.  I had to paint my propane tanks on my "glamper" and also painted the tire cover to make it personal for my Daisy Mae and me.  I painted it white and then in my favorite colore (red, remember from above), I did lettering reading "Glamping Katie and Daisy Mae" .  It turned out well and is one more spring project done joyfully I might add.  It means I soon will be able to go camping again.  Oh, I also had to paint some signs for our huge garage sale coming up this weekend.

You see, I do consignment booths at a local shop in Hannibal called Vera Belles.  If you are this way sometime, stop in.  The owners are such nice people and there is lots of good stuff.  Like I said, I have booths there and I have nice things.  I get most of them from auctions, which gives us lots of fun and entertainment while purchasing these items.  I have my auction groupies and it is fun to see the different friends at several different auctions we attend. 

We were invited to attend a "storage war's" auction...not the show...but a storage business needed sixteen units sold off as the owners had not paid for months.  I was glad to hear that they gave them almost six months before they disposed of the contents.  We were able to walk past the opened unit and just look in as we were passing, but not really know what was in it.  I was able to bid and purchase a 5 x 10 x 10 unit and it was very full.  So, after three pickup loads to our garage, lots of opening of boxes, which my family enjoyed helping with, and lots of sorting, and more organizing and pricing needed, I will have a two day sale this weekend.  I was able to give to a few friends and family some items they needed or wanted and I kept some things for my consignment shop.  There still is so much more, lots of collectiables, and I am hoping people will come and like and purchase things.  If there is lots left, we have arrangements with the same auctioneer to take things to his consignment auction where we can sell all the rest and he gets 20%.  So it is lots of entertainment and some profit also. 

If you have not experienced auctions, do try them.  It is a fun way to be around your community people and also meet new people.  We enjoy meeting up with our daugter on Friday night auctions and having dinner together, at the auction, and auction food can be "good eating".  Our grandson also attends with us and has a little business of his own on the computer in a local "buy,sell, trade" forum.  He does quite well.  It is nice to see his business knowledge and common sense.  He is my good garage sale helper.

Many people like garage sales and I don't but must have one as my garage is full.  I paid $175.00 for this unit and have given away about $250.00 worth of things, have about $100.00 worth of things for my consignment, and then the garage sale income coming in this weekend.  So I believe this was a fun and good "one time" thing to do.  I don't believe I want to do it again.  As I said, I don't really like having or going to garage sales.  Auctions are more my thing.

Amongst all the spring time work of planting and cleaning things up and painting, it is fun to take time to go to auctions or garage sales also.  Find your thing.  Maybe it is going to a consignment shop and none of the others.  It is so great we are all different and yet can enjoy our full and happy lifes.
Happy Spring to you all.  Get out there and get moving, planting, camping, fishing, whatever it is, but do it and smile!   It is really springtime in rural Missouri.