Saturday neighborhood garage sale
It’s time for a thorough summer cleaning.Most people have a garage sale to clear out their unwanted and unused stuff and turn a couple bucks – with the leftovers hauled to charity or a landfill. I was part of a yard sale last weekend and it was a lot more than that. It was about community. Our once-a-year neighborhood sale brings everyone together. Good will and good deals abound.
The social bonding ritual of selling… joking about the boat-anchor paper cutter (that someone actually bought for $5 later in the day) and sharing the number of the recycling guy who rolled up in his truck an hour later and took those 1980s filing cabinets off our hands… keeps our community helpful and amiable. A neighborhood sale often mutes later problems that inevitably come up. Like barking dogs, parking issues, and illegal garbage disposal. Conflicts are much more navigable when you’ve shared Saturday morning donuts and coffee.
Jen LaMastra VHS tape couture
And speaking of garbage, I went to our local Cracked Pots event this week – it’s the ultimate dumpster dive into unbridled creativity by a community of artists whose medium is TRASH.
Cracked Pots recycled art
From recycled gas tanks to broken cake plates and ashtrays, nothing goes to waste. Originally, I went to see the reclaimed metal sculptures – which for some reason, this year, weren’t as plentiful. But that’s okay. It was time for the recycled “textiles” to step into the spotlight. Fleurishes’ cabinet-handles-and-Nike-castoffs
Excess Nike fabric made into handbags!
made into handbags were a brilliant mix of color and functionality. And Jen LaMastra’s dress made from VHS tape salvaged from the Metro landfill was fabulous. She also works with cassette tapes. Can’t wait to see her work in the GLEAN exhibit on September 14!
Anyway, much like the mish mash of discards orbiting my life, my summer so far has been a mix of garbage and celebration. Past and present are at odds and the future seems very much in flux. Maybe it’s retrograde Mercury. Maybe it’s me. What’s a girl to do? Like a mental garage sale, I’ve been culling through the spiritual-emotional junk of my existence and discarding what no longer works/fits/serves a purpose.
Hope you’re having a good summer, playing safe, and finding bliss in each day.
