Yard Sale - literally
So the (old) house has been on the market since mid March now. I keep telling myself that it really isn't that long in the grad scheme of things, but as May trickles away and the first double mortgage payment looms, we're even more anxious to move this house. I honestly thought we'd have more people looking than we have, and I realize that current conditions make it a buyers' market.
Towards that end, we had a "Moving Sale / Open House" yesterday. This area is a terrific place for yard sales and the like. Our neighborhood typically has two a year, and the traffic in our quiet back streets gets really heavy. I figured the best way to get people at least looking at our house was to hold a sale. We had a bunch of junk to clear out anyway. Everything we sell off is one less thing to move next month.
Yesterday morning I got up, tidied the house and got the girls and critters fed. Mr. Unreserved came home from work, and we put all our assorted random stuff on tables in the yard. Once we were set up, I went back out to the shed and grabbed the bulb planter. I dug a 5" hole suitable for tulip bulbs in the front flower bed, and plopped in St. Joseph, feet pointing heavenward, facing north. I said a little prayer, and sold off a bunch of household belongings. We made about $85, but had no takers on looking at the house. However, this morning I had a little chat with a man in a pickup who was stopped out front taking down our realtor's number.
I am Catholic, but admittedly of the "cafeteria" variety. I never really bought into the bit about praying to saints, looking at them more as interesting stories about people of faith that have little impact on my life. I've got to admit if the house moves in the near future, I think I may do a little double take.
Towards that end, we had a "Moving Sale / Open House" yesterday. This area is a terrific place for yard sales and the like. Our neighborhood typically has two a year, and the traffic in our quiet back streets gets really heavy. I figured the best way to get people at least looking at our house was to hold a sale. We had a bunch of junk to clear out anyway. Everything we sell off is one less thing to move next month.
Yesterday morning I got up, tidied the house and got the girls and critters fed. Mr. Unreserved came home from work, and we put all our assorted random stuff on tables in the yard. Once we were set up, I went back out to the shed and grabbed the bulb planter. I dug a 5" hole suitable for tulip bulbs in the front flower bed, and plopped in St. Joseph, feet pointing heavenward, facing north. I said a little prayer, and sold off a bunch of household belongings. We made about $85, but had no takers on looking at the house. However, this morning I had a little chat with a man in a pickup who was stopped out front taking down our realtor's number.
I am Catholic, but admittedly of the "cafeteria" variety. I never really bought into the bit about praying to saints, looking at them more as interesting stories about people of faith that have little impact on my life. I've got to admit if the house moves in the near future, I think I may do a little double take.
Labels: House
I've never really understood the saint stuff myself despite the 16 years of Catholic education. The one that always astounds me is the "Mary in a Half Shell" statue that a neighbor has in her yard. Do they just dig a hole deep enough for the other half of the bath tub or do they cut it in half? Who decided that putting a Mary statue in a bath tub was a good idea to begin with? Is this a Pittsburgh thing?
Julie
Posted by
Anonymous |
2:03 PM
At some point in my development someone told me this is an Italian custom, and the preponderance of "Mary in a Half Shell" (never thought of it like that before - love it!) can be attributed to the large Italian population around our fair city. Whether this is true or a figment of my imagination I have no idea and am too lazy to Google.
I actually worked with a coworker who knew I am Catholic and yet mentioned to me that she was leery of going out with a Catholic because "of all that idol worship."
When I asked her to clarify, she cited the Mary statues as clear evidence of heathenism. I set her straight, but began to recognize what was one of the first indications of a dismayingly close minded person.
Posted by
Sarah |
9:45 PM