It’s Just an Old Family Tradition

It is a family tradition handed down from…well, just the previous generation, I guess. It is GARAGE SAILING (or SALEING if you are a picky speller).

When I was a little girl, I remember being packed up in a hot car and spending every Wednesday of the summer garage sailing around Rockford. In fact, that’s how I learned all my local street names. Halstead. Ridge. Rockton. Auburn. And so on.

It would be me, Mom, Aunt Louise, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Jan, and a host of my Boehm cousins. We’d bundle in and out of the cars, peruse the goods, beg for quarters, drink 10 cent lemonade, and then trade our penny purchases back and forth.

We’d break for lunch – sometimes a picnic in the park or (if we were lucky and the “mom’s” didn’t feel like making the effort) treat ourselves to McDonald’s!

I’d say a good quarter of my childhood summers were spent in other people’s garages looking at their junk.

Well, the tradition lives on. And I’d be lying if I said it still doesn’t bring back warm fuzzies.

I always suspect I’ll see Aunt Kathy just around the corner sorting through an old pile of kids’ clothes. And sometimes, I swear I hear her contagious belly laugh echo out past the old furniture and worn-out bean bag chairs.

Garage sailing is more than just a family tradition; it’s in my blood.

So, this past Thursday, we decided to perpetuate the Rehfeldt stereotype of bargain hunting experts. Mom, Candice, and I all packed into Mom’s nicely cooled car. That is one sign of the changing times I fully appreciate – air conditioned cars.

We hit the jackpot! We found lots of clothes, games, books, and all manners of other assorted treasures. Plus, we just had a good time together. Candice is my “adopted” sister-cousin, and I’m ever grateful to her for the company.

The three of us met Angie for lunch at the Northwoods Beef-a-Roo. So good…as always. Then, while Angie headed to work, the remaining three of us took in the new No Reservations movie at Showplace 14.

It was nice change of pace to see a movie with no swearing, sex, or inappropriate innuendos. It surprised me exactly how family-friendly this movie was, plus Abigail Breslin steals the show with her stunning portrayal of a young girl who has lost her mother and doesn’t understand the career-minded aunt who is now her guardian.

It was charming and only a little smarmy. But sometimes smarmy is nice. Especially with your mom and cousin sitting next to you.

We headed back out to our homes after that - tired, exhausted, but glad for the time we spent together. Only one more thing would have made it perfect.

It sure would have been nice to have Aunt Kathy along for the ride.