The Estate Auction - finally!

Last Saturday - day of the estate auction - dawned sunny and hot! I was excited, so I left earlier than I needed to, thinking I might find a yard sale or two to check out. I found one, and it was a bust, so I ran by my parents house for a few minutes. I promised my mom I would take her to run a couple of errands later, so I knew I couldn't stay too long at the sale.

When I got there, after parking out in the cow pasture, I found the desk and got my number and headed out to look over the goodies. Before I'd gotten started good, I heard my name being called - I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was anyway.

You see, when I got out of school, I didn't hang around my home town. I worked in 'Atlanta', I had apartments in 'Atlanta', I married and lived in Norcross and now my current home well north of 'Atlanta'. I live 25 miles from my home community where my parents still live. As a matter of fact, their 59th anniversary is this month and they still live in the same house they built and moved into when they got married.

So, although I've been 'around', it still seemed strange to have someone calling my name. It was Peggy - a lady I'd known all my life, she married the older brother of one of my high school friends, and in fact if I remember correctly, she was my Sunday School teacher once - or maybe it was MYF (now UMYF), but that was lifetimes ago! But I chatted with Peggy and her sisters until the auction began.

They started with pots and pans, tupperware, lamps and moved on to the big furniture. The box lots of linens (what I really wanted) were set back and I could tell it would be ages before they got to them. Besides, at noon they were going to go inside and sell the really big furniture, appliances and then out back to sell the car and tractor. I couldn't wait that long because I'd promised my mother I'd be back.

So as the items sold - quickly- that auctioneer (Jeff Dobson and Associates, Jasper, GA) knew his stuff and he and his team moved those items fast. I bid on a few things, but had a budget, and they all went out of my budget. I knew my time was running out, because I didn't want to stay for the stuff from the house or the car and tractor. Finally, out came this . . .


I love benches! I love anything that is practical, utilitarian, actually USED for something. And I'll just bet that Horace built this bench for Florence years ago. It isn't in great shape, but I loved it, so I waited. A couple of people bid, then the bidding slowed, so I jumped in. (By the way, I just love bidding at auctions - it makes you feel so empowered!)

And I got it! For a whole $20, that bench is mine, and will soon be sitting on my tiny back porch to be used for sitting, foot propping and probably a place for a magazine and a cup of coffee. I want to make a couple of cushions for it, too. But first I need to clean said tiny porch from top to bottom! After vacation.

Anyway, I think it's lovely, and I can't wait to get 'her' settled into her hew home.


I especially love the old paint - gives her character, doesn't it!

So, that's my purchase from the estate auction. I hope Florence would be proud that I bought something of hers and will enjoy using it and remembering her. I know I'm happy I got to go and get a treasure.

I came by the old house on Wednesday, and they were putting up a for sale sign. That house has been there as long as I can remember. I even hit their mailbox once when I was in my early driving days and made it crooked. I sure hope whoever buys the Clark's farm will honor it's heritage.

Thanks for visiting today! Blessings, Becky

Estate Sale In My Future!

I just had to tell someone, because I'm so excited, yet also bummed a bit, and I know that makes no sense, so allow me to share a small story of my past, before I tell you about the Estate Sale in my future!

When I was a child, I was very shy - painfully so. I was also extremely sheltered, protected, some might even say smothered in a stranglehold by my mother. I swear, sometimes I think I went to the Doctor just because she wanted to prove to people what a good mother she was, not because of any real illness on my part! Of course 6 years into my life my brother came along and she transferred most of that to him, but I won't go there today.

Anyway, apparently because I was sickly (not really, but hey!) she got me out of going to PE when I was in 7th and 8th grades, and instead I spent that time in the lunchroom, wiping tables and chairs and filling salt and pepper shakers, but mostly being spoiled by the lunchroom staff of Hickory Flat Elementary School. They were the best, and I had a wonderful time with them! The supervisor was Florence Clark, and two of the workers were Dot Pinyan, and Grace Owens. Over the years there were others, but these were my favorite three.

(Photos from auctioneers website)

Dishes and glassware

They had every one known me all my life, and for the hour each day that I was there, I was in heaven! I also ate a lot of leftovers, and had free chocolate milk and orangeade, thanks to the milk delivery man! Oh, and although I never really got an allowance, I got my lunch free, so my mom let me have the $2 per week that she would have normally paid for my lunch. Wow! In the 60's, $2 was a lot of money, especially to an 11/12/13 year old who never had any money.

Anyway, Florence, Dot and Grace were so sweet to me, and showed much kindness to a child who lived in a home with lots of arguing, very little of the worlds 'worldly' goods, and was painfully shy. I truly loved my time in that lunchroom with those sweet ladies, and remember those times and those ladies fondly.

Old linens - be still my heart!

Now, more than 40 years later, the three sweet ladies are all gone to heaven - where they deserve to be, and where I hope to meet up with them some day. The most recent was Florence who passed away a few months ago. Yesterday, as I was cutting through the well known back roads from my house to my parents house, I ran into road construction and decided rather than to sit and wait, to turn back and go the long way around. And I'm so glad I did, because on the way I passed Miss Florence's home, and there was a huge sign out front. "Estate Auction June 13, 2009 10 AM" "Antiques - Furniture ..." and I quit reading there, because I was going by too fast to read the whole thing. But seeing the word antiques was enough for me.

I can't believe it! She had the same dishes as my mom and dad's first set, and there are only a few pieces of my parents' set left. Do I dare???

I would just LOVE to have something of Florence's, to remind me more often of the happy days I spent in that lunchroom when I was a child. So, I'm going to go to the auction, and hopefully I will find something to buy. I'm really, really wanting maybe a box lot of linens. Some tablecloths, kitchen towels, and maybe an apron, because I remember her wearing aprons. Wouldn't that be such a wonderful way to pay tribute to a lady who showed kindness to a child who really needed kindness at that time in her life???

Have a great day, folks! Becky