I’ve got the bug,
And I don’t need another hobby,

And this hobby is now bordering on an obsession,
Because every Thursday I start to check my email even more often than usual.

And as I do, my heart beats a little faster . . .

As I wait for a message from Bryan . . .

About the next round of estate sales in the area.

I’m not talking about junkie yard sales masquerading as estate sales. These are REAL treasure hunts with genuine antiques and other keepsakes from bygone eras.

But despite the thrill of finding the perfect antique copper tea kettle to add to my collection, I become melancholy as I wander through the rooms of a beautiful house and wonder about the people that used to call this place home. I wonder if there are grandchildren and children left behind to mourn their loss. Certainly there is evidence of this, at times, in rooms still made up in ruffles and frills just waiting for a little girl to come and visit . . . or perhaps left like that by a mommy not ready to admit that her little girl has long since moved away. (I think that I will be that kind of mommy). And yet, if there are loved ones left behind, it’s hard for me to understand how they could just let perfect strangers rummage through grandma’s drawers–both kinds, if you know what I mean.

I wonder if anyone noticed the reminder card on the counter and called the dentist to let him know that grandma wouldn’t be at her appointment next week. Should I take the card and call, just in case?

I notice things that my own grandmas had in their homes, and as I miss my grandmas terribly, I remind myself that they are in a better place, free from pain, where they serve as my guardian angels at times.

I reflect on the evidence piled all around reminding me that there is really so very little that you can “take with you,” and I recommit myself to prioritize those things that are eternal.

And I wonder, do any of these other people at the estate sale think about these things, or is it just me? Am I weird?

Don’t answer that!

And to church . . . and to swim practice . . .

Vivi is sporting a “big girl” hairdo these days.

Someone recently commented Vivi had a “mullet” hairdo–short in front, long in back.

This was definitely not the look we were going for.  I had a very unattractive pouf semi-mullet cut in the 80’s, and I would never wish that upon my child.

Unfortunately, she’s follicularly challenged at this stage of her young life (as I was at her age).

So, we’re trying out an alternate “do.”

There, I said it! I love Craig! But don’t worry. Bryan loves Craig, too.

Ok. So maybe he doesn’t LOVE Craig, but there’s definitely an infatuation there. In fact, Bryan actually introduced me to Craig.

Before you conclude that I’ve lost my marbles, let me explain . . .

Have you ever heard of craigslist? (dallas.craigslist.org/) Among other things, craigslist has a ‘classified’ section where people sell their junk. But guess what! It’s not all junk. Some of it is perfectly wonderful stuff. And if you’re a savvy shopper, bargains can be had. Take our “new” table, for example:

A wealthy couple living in the swankiest of Frisco subdivisions was storing this at a local storage warehouse. When their even swankier house was finished, they decided that their perfectly wonderful Country French table and chair set would not be coming with them. So, they gifted it to the managers of the storage facility who then, in turn, listed it on Craigslist.

And how ’bout our “new” couch? A change in decorating styles prompted a nice couple to place this lovely sofa and these end tables on craigslist.

A few weekends ago, the girls even got some much-needed bedroom furniture from Craigslist.

Craigslist doesn’t just have furniture either. We have a pile of landscaping bricks in our backyard that Bryan scored on.

So the next time you’re in the market for something that doesn’t necessarily have to be brand-spanking new, check out craigslist. Who knows . . . you might just fall in love with Craig, too.