Garage Sale

When I lived in America, I often watched my mom and sisters unravel the science of yard-sales. Your signs have to be the right color, with proper arrows, placed on the appropriate corners. You must operate on the best days; Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You must have everything priced properly and organized into categories or people won't buy.

Like most things in Russia, yard sales are done a little differently. In the international community in which I live, it is common for people to come and go. However, this summer there seems to be an influx of people leaving. Whether they or the company are paying for the move, they realize there is just too much stuff to put into boxes. Bring on the garages full of random goodies!

So here are some new rules. Put the signs up whenever you want, including the day of the sale. The signs can be handwritten, printed, vague, or concise. Just because the starting time is listed doesn't mean you have to be ready to sell by then. Bus stops are the prime locations for fliers. Nannies, seasonal workers, and the non-corporate group actually use buses. (There is no criticism here. I use the bus stops all the time as well).

Don't price your stuff. Run around like a crazy person while 50 Filipinos are asking prices and then offering you ten percent of said price. When you are being asked questions, yell to your spouse/child/friend in at least two languages. Then respond to the questions in whatever language you choose, even if the person asking the questions doesn't speak that language.

I hope you get the idea. I am having a garage sale of my own tomorrow. I haven't got much, but I want to experience the popularity of people flocking to my garage. I didn't price anything. That kind of recklessness wasn't possible for me before I lived here. Who knows what could happen next.

Ready to Move...or not.

Today my housekeeper was laughing at me because I was organizing my spices. You should be impressed that they are NOT in alphabetical order (like most things in my house) but instead they are organized by shape of container, material of the lid, and oh, yikes. Maybe I am a little loco.

Anyway, the school year is finished. Standardized testing has been done.

So I have begun cleaning the closets. This entails sorting clothes that no longer fit, throwing out old textbooks (this hurts--I admit), and finding new places for old things. We are at a strange crossroads in our life and the house shows it.

This is our first time overseas. It's our first time doing contract work. In August, we could simply pack up, go home, and game over. Or.... it's a big word.

A few weeks ago we planted some perennials in the front of the kitchen window. I've never been able to keep flowers alive. My boast is that I keep kids alive and that is sufficient. Somehow, I am nurturing a Spider plant in a pot and the flowers outside are looking prettier every day.

Today we hung a bulletin board in the classroom (really a twist on the dining room) that is about 3ft by 5 ft. In some ways I feel like we're finally moved in and yet may be preparing to move out. Who knows?

I'm not alone. Every one of my ex-pat friends deal with the same feelings on a yearly basis. Will we stay? Will we go? Will we get a new job? Better pay? What will people think?

So, we've committed to stay another year. We reluctantly told the kids and they....cheered and screamed. Not exactly the response I was expecting, but I guess they like it here better than I thought.

I'll write more soon. We've been on summer break and I've been busy quilting, reading, and gathering house plants from people leaving. It's official. I have houseplants. I'm staying for a bit. But of course, my life motto: Write your life in pencil and carry a big eraser. I'm always ready if it changes.