Potluck
Anyone who thinks that big city existence is angst-filled, anomie-inducing and dreary has never lived in a neighbourhood like ours. We live in a very friendly street with great neighbours. Yesterday was the big annual street sale. Tony and Lyne organized it all -- asked the neighbours to participate, placed the ads, made the signage, did the run to Goodwill for the leftover wares at the end of the day. Six households participated and by my rough estimation, I think the collective total of money earned is just under $300, not exactly a lucrative way to spend a beautiful Saturday morning, but it was certainly a fun social way to be out and about, clear some debris from our homes and pawn it off on others. The fun part was checking each other's tables. Last year, I believe I earned a total of $10, only because Jon purchased some shelving from Tony!
The big challenge for me every year is to find something to sell to Scott's kids. Just as Scott and Sue are clearing their stuff, their girls peruse the other tables and take home more stuff. Last year, I sold their daughter an African walking stick for 50 cents. This year, I sold a Nova Scotia pewter chime for 25 cents.
From potlatch to potluck. At the end of the day, the neighbours decided to get together at Noel and Imogen's for a barbecue and a potluck. The potluck spread was wonderful: meatball appetisers, couscous, pasta salad, caesar salad, bean salad, fruit salad, and BYOM (bring your own meat for the barbecue). Some brought shish-kebabs, some steaks, and some hamburgers. We sat outside on the deck and had drinks and exchanged stories about the day's best sale and reminisced about the day's little triumphs. The golf bag Tony bought from Scott a few years ago? Tony sold it for a profit this year. The dessert bowls Sue was using for ice cream at the potluck? It was purchased from Imogen last year. My old computer backpack? Sold to Frances this year! The potluck was a great way to cap the day. I have a feeling this might get added to our street's traditions. This, in addition to the annual Christmas party.
See, living in Toronto is not so bad.
The big challenge for me every year is to find something to sell to Scott's kids. Just as Scott and Sue are clearing their stuff, their girls peruse the other tables and take home more stuff. Last year, I sold their daughter an African walking stick for 50 cents. This year, I sold a Nova Scotia pewter chime for 25 cents.
From potlatch to potluck. At the end of the day, the neighbours decided to get together at Noel and Imogen's for a barbecue and a potluck. The potluck spread was wonderful: meatball appetisers, couscous, pasta salad, caesar salad, bean salad, fruit salad, and BYOM (bring your own meat for the barbecue). Some brought shish-kebabs, some steaks, and some hamburgers. We sat outside on the deck and had drinks and exchanged stories about the day's best sale and reminisced about the day's little triumphs. The golf bag Tony bought from Scott a few years ago? Tony sold it for a profit this year. The dessert bowls Sue was using for ice cream at the potluck? It was purchased from Imogen last year. My old computer backpack? Sold to Frances this year! The potluck was a great way to cap the day. I have a feeling this might get added to our street's traditions. This, in addition to the annual Christmas party.
See, living in Toronto is not so bad.
posted by Grace at
8:25 AM
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