Rites of Spring, Part II

Rummage sales are a favorite past time in my house. For most of us, at least. My kids love being able to park the vehicle and walk from one to the next, in search of treasures. I love looking for bargains that I want, know someone that whats it, or never knew that I had a need for it until I spotted it in the seller's garage. For instance, the wicker baker's rack and chair that I got last summer were a steal. As soon as I saw them I knew that they would be perfect in my back porch, even though I hadn't actually been looking for them. Books are one of those things that we always find on sale. My kids love to read and I love finding them for 10, 25 or 50 cents. My husband seems to have missed the finer points of rummaging. It's not so much about getting it done, unlike running errands. It's more about the time spent looking for those unknown treasures, walking from one to the next and the time spent together. I have obnoxious kids, I'm the first to admit it. But when it comes to rummage sales, the five year old has an agenda -- look for SpongeBob, Thomas, books and Blue's Clues. Movies and books are the stacks he looks for first, going for the toys last while I persue the adult books and kid's clothes. He is pretty good, unless it is close to lunch or there isn't anything for him to look at. Our rummaging party this last weekend included my husband. It wasn't until after I threatened to drop him off at home, that he understood I was serious about not rushing and taking our time. The kids weren't behaving nearly as bad and he thought and yes, we weren't looking for anything in particular, we were just looking. If he plans to come each and every time I go, I'm going to have to train him a bit better. After all, this is definitely an activity where the journey is more important than the end.