Left  the home of 30 years to re-retire in another zip…closer to the zip we are residents of….My joke is I left a 4 bedroom in Ca. to have a 2 bedroom in the midwest and a 2 bedroom in Fl.  I will write later on the mental handling of stuff!  I should know better because I have sold other people’s stuff for 25 years, so the answer is not no, but HELL no.

There comes a time when change is better, (at least I sure as hell hope so)(cause the old homestead now belongs to someone else), and therefore, an adventure begins. As you other old people know…being in the 70’s means nothing…except the odds of falling over dead are a little greater than being 35.  Being one who still buys green bananas, we decided to put the house up for sale and casually go through our stash of 30 years, plus the 10 we saved from the previous 10.  The key word being ‘casual’, as we sold the house an hour after the first open house!

Thinking we would start by going thru the garage…old Christmas, shovels, screw drivers, etc, proved to be wise…..cause the garage is where stuff was packed and stacked for movers.

Having sold antiques and other items of little or great value and all stuff in between, I had a plan…..still having two spaces in two different antique malls, I knew I could separate my treasures from my other treasures and send them on.  Yeah, right……And so it began…..

Clear glass, unless it was designed, signed and perfect since the 1800’s is not a biggie right now and so I had put it away, knowing I would outlive the ‘slow times’ and be there, first in line, when the call came for ‘clear’. This situation still stands as well as the determination to prove myself right!

I love clear glass….it is smooth, bumpy, pressed, or cut.  It is shiny, and goes with everything.  It can perk up the worst looking table and is always ready to take on color with drinks, doilies, holiday reds,etc., oranges/apples, or wine (my all time fav.  Needless to say, I kept a few boxes to sell, for holiday specials when family suddenly shows up, or the boss wants to ‘meet the wife’ (or does that happen now?) Anyhow, clear is the blank slate for making things look wonderful…..for little or next to no cost, I might add.  Note:  If you are looking to buy glass (clear or otherwise) be sure to run your fingers/palms over the edges of the glass, be it champagne or a fruit bowl….No one really likes the little chiggers that occur with age and use……so make sure you can not feel it, or, if you do, use a diamond file to smooth them over.   Any dealer worth their salt, should make note of a chip or chigger by saying ‘as is’ or making a little arrow to show where the spot is not perfect. Don’t get huffy if you find a chigger and it is not admitted to…..we all make mistakes.  Just smile and nicely suggest that perhaps there could be a better price.   Now don’t think a ‘better price’ will become half price….we know we are in the bartering business, but hey!

But, I digress……the move began 30 days before the mover came to pack….that is also when the fun and tears now began……..more later