Friday morning, I went to the PIGS (Puget Island Garage Sales) – left home at 9:30 AM, got home at 4:30 PM … had supper out Coal Creek at 5 PM.
At one of the places, I stopped at on the island, I noticed the name on the big red barn; so, I said, “I noticed the name on the barn door": and followed that up with a question, asking the fair-skinned, light-brown-haired girl (could have been in her mid-20’s) if she was related to the Boldt’s … and she said, “I’m a Boldt”. I asked which one she belonged to (Art?, Linda?, or John?): she said “I’m Ed Boldt’s granddaughter.” Hmmm. Never heard of an Ed Boldt, and I said so – adding, but there could have been an older boy, I only knew of Art (about Bob’s age), Linda (maybe 3 years older than me), and John (was one year younger than me: I knew John well).
About this time, an older woman joined the conversation, saying she was Francis Boldt (Ed’s wife). Then she asked if I knew where Art’s children were living, now; and I said, “Longview”. And quick as the snap of fingers, she said, “No they aren’t.” And I said, “They were last time I saw them – they were hosting a garage sale I went to; in a cul de sac.” She got snippy and said, “Shelly is teaching at the school in Cathlamet.” I just about snapped back at her, saying, “Then why did you ask … and why don’t you ask Shelly where her sisters live now, if Shelly is working on the mainland?” But, I reined myself in: reminding myself that this is Cathlamet and Puget Island: gossips and wasp tongue people thrive in both places – that is why, even though I do miss the area where I spent half of my life with Bob, I feel no luring desire to move back there and dwell among the nests of quick-strike-vipers. I paid for my items, told the younger of Ed’s women I was glad to meet her; (I snubbed the snippy one), and drove on to the next sale.
That was the only sale where I saw a name I recognized.
I hit every sale posted, and totally loaded the backend of the Highlander 😉
I passed on ridiculously high-priced items; like $2 dog-eared-books, $10 small conch shells, $6 shirts, sales where items are priced so mortgages can be paid off, ect.: I can buy these things new for those prices – and I never buy a book over 50 cents … and usually pass by the 50 cents books, too. When I so bargain shopping, I expect bargains; and expect bargain haggling to take place; that’s the fun of garage sales. I went with a specific amount of money to spend budgeted – and came home with $11: just enough for Wednesday Bingo.
I did good 😉
I did stop at a house I recognized … which is now owned by the people who bought it after Mrs. Nepsund either moved, or died (I didn’t ask).
Bob and Wayne Nepsund went to school/ran around together. Bob met gloria (Bob’s first wife) through the Nepsund’s – Mrs. Nepsund was living with a McNalley, who had a daughter named marsha; who knew gloria – and would invite gloria down to spend the summer months with her. Bob and gloria started dating when gloria was 15, and they eventually got married: Bob was 19, gloria was 16. The marriage was doomed from the start, but Bob stuck it out for 6 stormy years. I know all this because Bob, himself, told me – there were no secrets between us. The marriage ended the first week of July of 1974, and gloria married her ‘boyfriend’ a couple days later ... I know this because I was privy to the unfolding of this period of time; the divorce was not bitter, and Bob and I even went to gloria’s marriage to dale. And gloria, when she heard of Bob’s stepping off Earth, was kind to me – we can never be friends, but we are kind to each other when situations ask it of us.
Bob and I were married in August of 1974: we were a happily unified ‘team’ for 44 years – joined together heart and hip. I miss Bob: my life misses Bob in it.
When I ran into Wayne in 2019, he was sad to hear about Bob’s graduation to Heaven the tail-end of 2018.
Most of the island sales were held by people who had moved there after Bob and I left in 1993 – the visiting was friendly and pleasant, but there were no visits with people either of us had known in the past.
At one sale, on the final lap of the sales (there were 60 around the entire island), I saw a flock of Sandhill Cranes in flight – it was awesome; the white against the blue sky is what caught my eye.
I was pleased with my haul: I came home with everything I had set out to find and bring home. Elohim blessed me abundantly 😊
When I got back home, unloaded the back end of the Highlander with all my second-hand treasures … I drove out Coal Creek to have supper with friends; and found out two people I knew, had recently died.
Mary West-Johnson’s brother, Richard, died. I love Mary – she loved her brother: I pray Yeshua’s peace into her life at this painful moment.
Mark Doumit, who was friends with my brother
Mahlon throughout school years in Cathlamet, also died. He was relatively young
– 59 is not that old; https://www.thedailyworld.com/news/former-19th-district-legislator-mark-doumit-dies-suddenly-at-59/
And as I was leaving my Coal Creek supper hosts; they took down the super-duper geranium hanging basket in their patio area, to show me where a chickadee had built a small nest and laid four eggs in it.
They have been carefully watering the plant so as not to drench the nest.
To our utter delight … three hatchlings greeted our eyes!
And as I was pulling into my carport at home, my ears were tickled with the chirping of the baby birds in the nest box Bob had built for me 😊
What a great ending to a good day 😉
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