A Day's Worth of Blatherskite

I went to another antique auction today. I went with my friend Linda (from our church) and while we had fun, we didn't buy much. This auction was totally unlike the last auction I went to. Last time, at Buch's, there was hardly any crowd and there were bargains everywhere. This time there were at least 300 bidders (no, not all at the same time) plus a crowd of onlookers, and a bunch of people from local churches selling food. And there were no bargains. Not one. This auction was of items from the old Garrison Mercantile, and I went to try and get some display racks that I could use at craft shows. I got a couple small ones, and a whole bunch of wooden fruit crates, but the larger ones that I thought to bid $25 for went for around $70 apiece. Linda and I were in shock. I'd never seen such high prices at an auction before. A Red Wing crock from the late 1800's went for $625. Advertising clocks sold for around $150. A galvanized steel watering can, bucket, and some other stuff went for $50. Linda and I stayed outside the whole time: most of the stuff for sale was outside. But inside the Mercantile itself were other antique items and I would've had to mortgage the house to buy. They had three old-fashoined brass cash registers with marble trim, eighty year old thread cases with full spools of thread still in them (and the spools were wooden) B.F. Goodrich canvas-topped sneakers, roll-top desks, oak display cases, and a bunch more stuff that I can't even remember. Linda and I were so overwhelmed by the high prices being paid for stuff that we didn't feel like going into the Mercantile when the auctioneer moved the action inside. We just took the stuff I bought and left. I felt bad for Linda. She said she had fun, but the poor lady didn't get to buy anything. However, she and I spent alot of time talking, and it was all good talk. That was probably the best part of the whole auction.

Meanwhile, back in Atkins, it was Watermelon Day. Carl and the girls went to the parade, then the girls went and played the kids' games while Carl helped in the PTA's bingo tent. The girls were very, very good and stayed in touch with Carl while he worked, and they didn't run off or give him any trouble. I feel so proud of them! The only problem, however, is that both girls won goldfish at one of the games, and now those poor suffering fish are in ivy bowls in the girls' rooms waiting to die. Carl refuses to let the girls get any sort of aquariums or fish food or anything because he doesn't want to delay the fishies' demise. We tried to convince the girls that the humane thing to do was take the fish to the creek and let them go, but the girls want to keep their fish as long as possible, and then take them to the creek and watch them float away. I doubt I'll do that. I'll probably give the fish a "swirly funeral". But I know Mary will cry, and when she does, it will be all Carl's fault. And I've let Carl know that I'm not taking the rap for this one. No way, Jose!

So now Carl and I are preparing for the arrival of two AYSO soccer coaches. We're hosting them for the coming week while they conduct soccer camps in Amana and Belle Plaine. For hosting the coaches, Mary gets to go to camp for free, which is neat because camp costs almost $100. They'll get in tomorrow, then leave the next Sunday, which is the same Sunday that Carl leaves for his residency week in Ames. So far I've cleaned the bathrooms, and Carl has done the dusting and vacuuming, and tomorrow I'll mop the floor, after we get home from church but before the coaches arrive. I'm really hoping Mary will enjoy camp and learn alot from it. I also hope she behaves and doesn't try to monopolize the coaches' time. I'll be praying for my little Booper. Will you too, also? Thank you.

Now I need to get my girls ready for bed. Good night, everyone!