Yard Sale Surprise!

Going to yard sales is one of my favorite things to do when I go visit my grandparents and the rest of my mom’s family in Georgia. I enjoy the excitement of finding a great deal, but most of all, I love the surprises we come across.

Yard sales were a great way for me to learn how to manage money. It all started when I was younger and my grandparents: Papa and Omee would give me $5.00 to go to yard sales. At first, I would buy whatever I wanted and be penniless at the end of the day. Then, my uncle taught me to ask the seller for a better price. After learning the fine art of negotiating, it became a challenge to see how much stuff I could buy with my money. At one point, It didn’t even matter to me if I would use the item or not! For example, I’m not athletic at all so a sparkly purple soccer ball is useless to me, but it was sparkly and the seller let me have it for free. Then, there was the time I went to the sales with only $5.00 and came home with $7.25. That’s still a mystery to this day. Eventually, I developed enough self-control to walk away from needless items. As a result I was able to fatten up my piggy bank.

Several years ago, on a Saturday in November, my grandparents, my mom and I experienced a yard sale that we still talk about. You see, we were all starting to get hungry after a lot of sales and filling Papa’s white SUV with toys, books, tools, and other items we had purchased that day. Then, we saw a neon pink yard sale sign with a black arrow pointing down a gravel road, but no address. We all agreed to go to one more sale before heading home.

Papa chauffeured us down the bumpy winding road while we all looked for the sale. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, we were just about to give up when found it. There were numerous cars parked on each side of the road with people wandering around the huge yard.

After parking, we all climbed out of the car. We were immediately greeted by a friendly man who was helping a woman put a heavy box into the trunk of her car.  He instructed us to go inside the beautiful white house. Noticing our hesitation, the man said, “You can go in through the garage or use the front door.” We opted to go through the garage.   As soon as we opened the door to go inside, we saw a group of people sitting at the kitchen table with food and drinks. One man turned to look at us. Then, he stood up with a huge smile, reaching to shake Papa’s hand saying, “Hey Carl, what are you doing here?” Before Papa could answer, someone told Omee to go ahead into the living room with my mom and me. That’s what we did, even though, my hungry stomach wanted to stay in the kitchen with the huge trays of steaming chicken wings, fresh fruit, cheese, and tiny sandwiches.
Not long after reaching the other room we knew this was no ordinary yard sale. Right away, I saw an enormous dish of candy corn. I was just about to ask my mom if I could have some of the candy when I heard Omee whisper to my mom, “Look at the fireplace!” That’s when my mom and I both saw the huge banner that read, “Happy 65th Birthday Eddie!”

Before I knew what had happened, Omee was shoving us out the door. Believe me it was so quick, Omee practically fell on top of my mom! Then, we realized Papa wasn’t with us. I walked back inside and found him still in the kitchen talking to his friend. As Papa was driving out of the yard, we laughed until we almost cried.

Of course, I still enjoy yard sales, but I giggle every time my grandparents invite me to go along with them. I always wonder what I’ll find; maybe some birthday cake.

Savannah Brady’s Bio:

15 years old, Savannah has studied violin for ten years and guitar for three years. Her violin teacher is Cynthia Wiley, guitar teacher is Jami Gee, and vocal coach is Kodi Sells. She has attended several Suzuki Violin workshops and Sarasota Youth Orchestra’s Summer with the Symphony programs. She has played violin with the North Port Symphony Orchestra, performed in Ladies Sing the Blues, and is a former member of the Jimi Gee Jr. All-Stars. This past winter she had the honor of playing with the Suncoast Super Strings under the direction of Itzhak Perlman. She currently fronts The Savannah Brady Band where she plays guitar and sings. Savannah has also received superior scores for nine consecutive years at the district festival through the Florida Federation of Music Clubs for violin solos. You can find Savannah playing and singing around the community at various venues.