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Yard Sale Adventures of Mildred and Leck

In honor of what would have been my parent’s 67th wedding anniversary this month I thought I’d share some of their yard sale adventures.

mildred-leck-1977

That is a picture of them in 1977 at our house. My mother didn’t look much different when she passed away 22 years later and my dad doesn’t look much different today at 89 years old!

My mother, Mildred, loved to go to yard sales. It’s actually something that runs in my female line. Her mother loved them, Momma did, I do, my daughter does and now Dani, her 3 year old daughter, my granddaughter, does. 

Every Saturday morning Momma drug my dad out. He was so, so patient with her. He never really liked the sales, or claimed he didn’t like them, but drove for her every week. That was their together time. He drove while she navigated with her not so trustworthy map. Which invariably lead to the following “conversation”.

“Turn here! Turn here! Turn here!”

“Dad-burn it, Mildred! I’m in the wrong lane and cars are behind me! Why didn’t you tell me awhile back!?”

“Didn’t you see the sign?!”

I believe they drove in this blue and white van well into the 1980s.

fort-walton-vacation-9-1972

That’s us in 1972. Ricky, who I married 9 months later, me and my mother. Ricky looks kinda dorky there! But let me tell you he was hot!

I remember the story they told about following the signs through a neighborhood, taking all the turns, right here, left there, until they finally saw cars, lots of stuff in the yard and people milling around. They parked the van, got out and started browsing, but nothing was priced. Daddy finally asked someone how much something was and was told, “Oh, nothing’s for sale. We’re moving.” These people had just stood around and let them look without saying a word! What were they thinking? My dad was mortified. Momma just thought it was funny.

Momma was a bit clumsy, too. She never lifted her feet high enough. They were taking a shortcut by walking through a yard to a sale and had to step over a brick retaining wall to the driveway where the sale items were laid out in all their shining glory. She didn’t lift her foot high enough and knocked down the whole retaining wall! It must have been ready to fall, but Lordy! She was embarrassed! Daddy was mortified.

Another time the sellers had glassware displayed on a blanket on the driveway. Daddy saw her headed that way and warned her. “Don’t try to step over that.” “Mildred! Don’t try to step over that!” “Don’t……” Yep. She kept going. Tried to step over that, grazed a taller piece, lost her balance and if I remember correctly, fell into it. She was fine, but quite a few pieces were broken. Daddy was mortified.

Then there was the time, Daddy was trying to dicker on the price of some tool. The seller wasn’t wanting to come down, so Daddy used the, “I don’t even know what it is” tactic. About that time, Momma walked up and said, “What do you want that for? You have three of them already!” Daddy was, yet again, mortified.

I do miss my mother and wish she could have known her great granddaughters. How fun would it have been if our 4 generations could have gone to the sales together? She passed away in 1999 at a young 67. Cancer is such an awful disease.

Daddy remarried and the new wife didn’t care for the sales, so he got out of practice. That wife passed away and now he, at 89, has a girlfriend. One who loves to go to yard sales, so he’s out again every weekend. I think he secretly likes them, but still won’t admit it.

 

6 thoughts on “Yard Sale Adventures of Mildred and Leck

  1. Such a delightful and warm post, Wanda. Your parents did good, planting those seeds in you, and here you are doing the same with your daughter and granddaughter. Thanks for sharing. đŸ™‚

    1. Just a way of life with us. đŸ™‚ Thanks for the kind words.

  2. Wanda, such wonderful memories! But I must admit, I caught myself laughing and snorting out loud when I read the one about a yard full of perceived garage sale items only to realize the people were moving.

    1. I know! A precautionary lesson for us all. đŸ˜€

  3. Wanda, you look like your mom. Yep, I can relate to a lot of that. Gary drives me too…and it’s our time. I can’t wait to get back to some yard sales, but gotta get off my crutch first. Funny…your dad was mortified a lot…LOL.

  4. What a lovely memory! Adorable photo of your Mom and Dad. So nice that you came by my place! Yes, now it’s time to enjoy fall!

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