Garage sale-ing

On of the reasons August was so busy for me, was because Dad and I were preparing to do a large garage sale.

While he had some stuff he wanted to get rid of, he didn't really have enough for a yard sale. I however, had more than enough, but lacked a proper yard (mine is very small and the way the townhouses sit, not ideal). So, we decided to combine forces, and I spent a good portion of August going through and sort what to sell. In the end, I had two car loads full of stuff to tote up to his yard.

Yesterday morning, I was up before the sun and on my way to Mom and Dad's. We ended up with a fantastic day for a yard sale. The neighbours across the street joined in, and with several other sales in the area, plus the local fair, we had quite a bit of traffic.

The end result was a nice profit to split between the two of us, about half our stuff gone (the majority of what's left will be donated, with a few items to go on Kijiji ... anyone need a car stereo?)

It feels good to get rid of so much, but I do have to admit... I might have brought a couple of things home. As I was unpacking the boxes my Dad had, putting everything out for sale - I came across this.

From my earliest memories, this modest little gravy boat has been part of our family dinners.When I was a kid, every Sunday Mom made a roast for dinner - chicken, beef, venison, moose - it didn't matter - the gravy was always in this boat. It was a staple at every holiday from my childhood.

A few years back, mom got a different gravy carafe, and I didn't think much about this one. As soon I  realized it was up for grabs, I walked it right back up to the house, telling my father it was not for sale. In my defense,  I don't actually have a gravy boat - Dave and I just use a coffee mug - but not any more!


If I remember my family history correctly, it came from an antique shop that was once owned by my great aunt and uncle. Mom and Dad got a few things from them when they were just starting out on their own - including the dining room table and chairs that they still use.

I don't know much about the history of the boat itself... but the bottom looks like this:

Perhaps some one out in blogland can tell me something about it. A quick internet search only gave me listings from Ebay and Kijiji - but nothing about the maker itself.

Regardless of its larger historical value - it means a lot to me. Now if only I could get my gravy to taste as good as Mom's... and maybe perfect my Yorkshire pudding....

Another thing I came home with was this lovely lady:

I didn't really need her in quite the same way as I needed the gravy boat - but she has a little history too.

When I was about seven years old, my Great Aunt Jess died. My grandparents helped my uncle clean out the house - because you see, Jess was a bit of a pack rat. I can remember my grandparents unloading box upon box off stuff. Most of it was fabric and crafty things. Mom made three or four quilts from it, I got a huge collection of embroidery floss, and there were bits of ribbon and lace and other trim, that ended up in a variety of crafty projects over the years.

But there were also plenty of what my Dad calls "dust collectors" - bits of Blue Mountain pottery, knick knacks, and of course - this pretty Gibson girl. She's actually a vase, and I remember using her to enter a flower arrangement from my garden in the local fair.

I know nothing else about her (including how her nose ended up a little blue). She has no markings on her - and I've never seen another vase like her.

And I'm thinking she'll look just perfect with a hat full of wild roses from my front yard!