Flipping Houses

"Ken, I've been thinking.  We need to move out of this castle and into a bigger house.  Our family has grown and we need more space."

"Well, Barbie... if your sisters and their husbands and their kids, and your best friend didn't live with us we'd have plenty of room. And just how are we going to afford a bigger house?!"  

Meanwhile, a lady in LaVale checks flip house off 

her bucket list.   

And Ken finds the perfect home for an affordable price.

And everyone lives happily ever after.

Well, everyone except for Ken that is.

"When is your sister going to find a job?"

"All she ever does is sleep!"

Dear Diary,

Mom left the house yesterday to go to what she calls yard sales.  She came back with a big wooden box that she said she paid fifteen dollars for.  Every time I turned around she was doing something with that darn wooden box.  Soon her and Dad were carrying it through the house and into the back room.  I hope she gets over her obsession with that big thing, cause I want to go for a walk.  Gracie.

Bee-utiful Day

It was one of those heavenly days and we were off to Springs Pa. for the Springs Folk Festival.  I'll have to admit..  

Last years festival was better.  

Why?  Two words.  

Bees and heat.  

One of my favorite things to do is stop at the many yard sales along the way.  My #1 mission today was to find a crib set for the new baby.   I purchased the sweetest crib set for just $3 at the very first yard sale.  Then the bees chased me to my car.

 I found a very nice pack n play for $10 and a like-new car seat for $8.  And much more!   Yard-sale wise..  

today was a big success!

We only stayed at the Festival long enough for me to get my favorite...  a slice of homemade bread with apple butter.  I traded the usual hot vegetable soup for homemade ice cream.  

I pretend to be having fun, when really I was contemplating whether I should put my jacket back on and die of heat stroke, or let the bees have their way with me.

Gary had a burger and fries...

We made a bee-line for the car to get away from the bees.

Pun intended.

I don't suppose this is for me??
I guess it's all about the new baby now...  Whatever.

My Bad

Last night my 'ex boss' and his wife came all the way from Mt. Airy just to take Gary and me out to dinner in appreciation for all of our hard work in the years we worked for him.  He gave us a beautiful card and once again, thanked us for our efforts and hard work.  My boss and I didn't always agree on how our office should be run, so we did butt heads more often than not.  But there were never any hard feelings.  Personally, he was always good to us.  We showed him and his wife our new office, and they wished us good luck and blessings on our new venture.  

Of course, he will now be our competition...  

So..  let the fun begin!  

Slowly but surely, things are coming together.  A few snags, but nothing we can't deal with.  The biggest snag is our 'ear guy' who promised to be here next week to carve our ear - he now says he might not make it till August!  He didn't even bother to call and tell us that!!!!  So, I found another guy who is local and he's going to come and assess the stump next week and hopefully it will get done by the time we open for business.  

Yesterday I hit the yard sales, trying to find a big basket because I'm putting together a free gift for a drawing for our grand opening.  I saw the perfect basket as I sped by a sale on a busy highway, turned my car around, hurried back to get it, only to see some lady grab it up and proceed to check out. I thought I heard the Lord whisper in my ear, 

'go home' - so I did.

 Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.  I wished physical harm on a poor , sweet woman who purchased a basket that I wanted at a yard sale. My bad.  

I pray everyone is having a 

safe and fun holiday weekend!

Happy Independence Day!!

Dear Diary,

I've got the itch.  There's talk of a bath.  And Mom keeps singing a silly song to me...  and laughing.  It goes something like this:

Do your ears hang low?

Do they wobble to and fro?

Can you tie them in a knot?

Can you tie them in a bow?

Can you throw them o'er your shoulder

like a continental soldier?

Do your ears hang low?

Do your ears hang high?

Do they reach up to the sky?

Do they droop when they are wet?

Do they stiffen when they're dry?

Can you semaphore your neighbour

with a minimum of labour?

Do your ears hang high?

Do your ears flip-flop?

Can you use them for a mop?

Are they stringy at the bottom?

Are they curly at the top?

Can you use them for a swatter?

Can you use them for a blotter?

Do your ears flip-flop?

 Do your ears hang out?

Can you waggle them about?

Can you flip them up and down

as you fly around the town?

Can you shut them up for sure

when you hear an awful bore?

Do your ears hang out?

I've had enough of her nonsense.

And I think it's time to run away from home.

The problem is...

Mom won't let me.

Humph!  Gracie.

Never Again!

It was a community yard sale, and LaVale was swarming with  bargain hunters.  For once, I wasn't one of them.  This time I was offering the bargains.

Every year I vow to never have another yard sale ~ but then every year I eat my words and have one.  

What is wrong with me!?

Rissi was excited because she was selling ice cold water.

Jackie's Davy Allison stand-up found a home for $5.

Cars were lined out onto the street.

There were donuts, fresh fruit (and the best watermelon ever) and ice cold water.  

Jake pauses to read a book.

and Rissie skinned her knee.

Mom and daughter share pretty purple toes...

Rissi walks sideways after her fall... 

so she doesn't hurt her knee.  It was actually cute to watch. 

Jake spends time with his dad...

... and his Pop pop

And just hours later...  our inventory had almost vanished!

A pretty productive day...  yard-sale-wise.

But a lot of work!!

Never again!

Dear Diary,


Let me tell you about Mutley.  He's a Shitzu and Mom says he's a sweetheart.  I don't know where she gets that.  When we go past his house during our walk every night, he charges to the fence with all his might just to tell me a few pretty nasty things about myself.   Now I just ignore the loser.  Well...  until today.  Mom took me outside to see what was going on with all the people that were in front of our house when a lady walked up to where we were standing and low and behold, Mutley was walking on a leash just like me!  'You're on my turf now, big boy!' I gnarled as I lunged at him.  Mom yanked me back, drug me into the house and said that I was bad and didn't know how to act around other dogs.  Whatever.  Gracie.

Yard Sale Finds and Mr. Long Legs

Sharing Just a few of my yard sale finds today.

I loved this lazy susan set designed with dried flowers, trivet and napkin holder.

Gary has an eye for unusual things.  He was thrilled to pay $3 for this tub of old bottles that an elderly lady had in her basement for years.

The purple boom box is for Rissie.  She loves purple.  Only $1.50 and it looks brand new!!

$3 for this container filled with nuts, bolts, screws, and ...

tiny perfume bottles...

I love this basket!  Anything with color...

Baskets.  color.  Love it!!

The same elderly lady who had the bottles, sold us this watch for $2.

I like blue.

After yard sales I worked a little outside, spreading this bark mulch.  Some of my flowers are starting to come up...

I set a daddy long leg free...  The only spider I won't kill... usually.  As a child I was always led to believe they are harmless and good spiders hence the 'daddy' part of it's name.  Daddy's are good.  So daddy long leg's must be good.  

When Mr. Long Legs found his way into my hair and was hanging half way down my face taunting me with his wiggling long legs, I had no choice but to scream first, throw him to the ground and stomp on him.  

I had to kill him.